Every when should you change the filter cartridge?

[EdgarMedina1010]

How often should I change the filter cartridge...i have a 10 gal tank.

 

[malkore]

So this is one of those HOB filters with a cartrige? I hate those. They want you to change it EVERY water change or every other water changes, which means you use 2-4 per month! Cost aside, the worst part is that cartridge contains a LOT of your beneficial bacteria that converts waste into nitrate. If the tank is heavily stocked you risk a mini-cycle every time you replace the cartridge.

This is why I buy AquaClear HOB filters...they use sponge blocks, and you replace them once a year for like 2 dollars.

on those cartridge units, your best bet is to cut it open and dump the charcoal out after a week. You can rubber band the end you cut if you like.
Then just rinse that thing in tank water every water change. when it seems too gunked up, you replace it and start over on rinsing every week.

I would also browse drsfostersmith.com as they sell some more durable cartridge inserts that might last longer than the ones from the filter maker.

 

[sudz]

In all Honesty, I Cleaned my 10 gallon once every other month. But that was with 5 neon tetra's and a SAE, Once i started stocking more fish, i noticed it "gunked up" more often.

What filter do you have? I had a very cheap filter by elite. I ended up stuffing some polyester swabbing in it so it would have at least some biological filtering ability. The carbon insert clogged within a week and set the "change cartridge" float off. I ended up just using a plastic "fishnet" lightly wrapped around polyester filling, and once or twice amonth i bathed it in tank water. NEVER rinse any filter in tap water. It kills the good bacteria that makes fish waste into less harmful nitrates

 

[EdgarMedina1010]

i have a top-fin filter

 

[maxwell1295]

That is the exact reason I will only buy AquaClear HOBs from now on. I have a Penguin w/2 Bio-Wheels on my 30gal and the filters get gunked up pretty quickly. I rinse them in tank water during my weekly water changes. If I get lazy and skip a week, the filters get gunked up to the point where the Bio-Wheel stops spinning. I run 2 filters per basket (for a total of 4).

I have AC filters on 3 tanks and they are by far the easiest HOB filters to work with.....and they work like a charm too.

 

[IceH2O]

I have a penguin that uses the cartridge on my 20 gallon. I hate it, so what did I do?

I stuffed a sponge in the bottom and let the cartridge sit on top of it.
Yeah half of the cartridge sticks out but I can change it if need be and not worry about a minicycle.

On my 75 I have a penguin 200 biowheel. It has a bit more room so I took the cartridge, cut the carbon and filter material off and put poly fiber in its place, using the cartridge as a backdrop, its more for polishing the water and extra movement. I have a XP3 on the same tank that handles the other filtration.