Bio rings, do they go bad

[davidwolf]

I have been using an FX4 filter unit for about three years. I have read Bio rings go bad in time. I like to hear from aquarium experienced hobbyists,

How often do you change your bio rings and how not to destroy the water cycle?

I really don't know the difference between Bio rings and have seen different shapes and colors.

or

Don't change them at all.

 

[Aiken Drum]

Bio rings just provide surface area for the beneficial bacteria to grow on. They might start to break up after a number of years, but we are talking decades.

Some cheap chinese porous biomedia is really friable, so that wont last as long as good quality stuff. You can literally crumble that stuff between your fingers.