Well, I have a few other posts on here right now regarding my cycling tank....seems to have gotten a late start for some reason.
Anyway, I have a Penguin BioWheel filtration system. In addition to the obvious wheel, there is a sqaurish filter insert that appears to be a spong-like fabric material on one side, while the other side is a black plastic mesh plastic that sandwiches in carbon.
The first week, the tank ran with no fish.
Beginning week 2, 4 small danios were added and have been in bliss the past 3-4 weeks, bringing my tank lifespan somewhere aroudn 4-5 weeks old. Anyway, I've am experiencing some ammonia issues right now that partial water changes, ammo-lock, tight feeding and cleaning gravel do not seem to be addressing very well.
Perhaps it is the initial Ammo spike I've been waiting for on this new tank, and may go down by itself over the next few days. But then when I was at the lfs, I noticed replacement filters for my wheel as explained above. Directions say to replace every 3-4 weeks. So, since my tank is clearly nearing week 5 and beyond, is it recommended by AA community I go ahead and replace? I read an article that outlines that if water flow is not adequate, the beneficial bacteria may not do its job, hence higher ammonia levels. Well, my filter looks pretty clean, not perfect, and I have only 4 danios, a very underpopulated tank so i highly doubt water flow is an issue.
By removing the square carbon filter and replace with a new one this early in my tanks lifespan, will I screw up the cycle? Will I be starting all over again? I'm assuming there is some bacteria on the 'wheel' itself, but by removing the sqaure filter, amd I decimating the tanks initial bacteria population?
How often do you change filters?
Anyway, I have a Penguin BioWheel filtration system. In addition to the obvious wheel, there is a sqaurish filter insert that appears to be a spong-like fabric material on one side, while the other side is a black plastic mesh plastic that sandwiches in carbon.
The first week, the tank ran with no fish.
Beginning week 2, 4 small danios were added and have been in bliss the past 3-4 weeks, bringing my tank lifespan somewhere aroudn 4-5 weeks old. Anyway, I've am experiencing some ammonia issues right now that partial water changes, ammo-lock, tight feeding and cleaning gravel do not seem to be addressing very well.
Perhaps it is the initial Ammo spike I've been waiting for on this new tank, and may go down by itself over the next few days. But then when I was at the lfs, I noticed replacement filters for my wheel as explained above. Directions say to replace every 3-4 weeks. So, since my tank is clearly nearing week 5 and beyond, is it recommended by AA community I go ahead and replace? I read an article that outlines that if water flow is not adequate, the beneficial bacteria may not do its job, hence higher ammonia levels. Well, my filter looks pretty clean, not perfect, and I have only 4 danios, a very underpopulated tank so i highly doubt water flow is an issue.
By removing the square carbon filter and replace with a new one this early in my tanks lifespan, will I screw up the cycle? Will I be starting all over again? I'm assuming there is some bacteria on the 'wheel' itself, but by removing the sqaure filter, amd I decimating the tanks initial bacteria population?
How often do you change filters?