replacing cartridges

[perezbob]

Hola!

I have two HOB filters, one is an Emperor 400 and the other is a Skilter. I was going to change the cartridges and noticed some live worms and micro creatures on them.

How do I clean and/or replace my cartridges ?

I'm using RO water on my tank, What water should I use to clean the cartridges ? Can it be tap water ?

Thanks
Norberto

 

[steve-s]

You will basically need to determine if the cartridge is worth cleaning. If it's the type with a carbon section then I would not bother as carbon will degrade within a few weeks. If just floss, you can syphon a small amount of tank water for rinsing the filter pad. That will help preserve any beneficial organisms in the pads providing they don't get squashed by your hands. Then toss the water.

In all honesty, you will not really be impacting the system by tossing the pad and replacing it with a new one depending on what natural filtration you have in the tank. The critters that have migrated to the filter are only a small percentage of the whole and will quickly be replaced as the others in the tank multiply.

Cheers
Steve