Do I need new filters?

[megi-lin]

So I rinsed my filters pretty well and they still look like this. They had black spots on them. I know my tank was dirty and I am using antibiotics to clear up a bacterial infection. Do I need to get clean and new filter cartridges? I haven't gotten help changing the water so here we are. I have been told by people here that you WANT your cartidges to look "filthy" and smell like a swamp. Is that true? I am afraid to put these back in.

Sent from my XT1585 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[acewiza]

That doesn't look too bad to me. I'd run them like that if the water is still flowing good. You want the beneficial bacteria in there to process ammonia and nitrite waste in the water

 

[megi-lin]

That doesn't look too bad to me. I'd run them like that if the water is still flowing good. You want the beneficial bacteria in there to process ammonia and nitrite waste in the water

I have the filters out because of antibiotics. They were really dirty but water flow wasn't an issue at all. So they should be nasty, for real? This is post rinse. It was thick...and black.

Sent from my XT1585 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Potluck]

You don't take the cartridges out, if they have activated carbon you cut a small slice and shake out the carbon , you need them in there because that's what has your beneficial bacteria on it to keep your paramiters in check, they are dried out now which killed the beneficial bacteria, don't be surprised if your tank goes through a mini cycle, if you have the extra money I would get a good filter like an aqua clear hob that way you don't have to mess with cartridges.

So if you do here's how you will do it you will keep the old filter running in the tank, as well as the new one until the aquaclear has built up beneficial bacteria in the media (ceramic rocks) the aqua clear hob's have 3 stages, sponge, carbon, media (ceramic spheres), you never have to buy cartridges or anything unless you want to keep running carbon but carbon is not really a must have, so if you do have carbon in the aquaclear and you have to dose meds you just remove the pouch of carbon put it in a zip lock bag, leave everything else in it and then treat the tank that way you don't have to worry about killing your beneficial bacteria because the ceramics never get taken out

The only thing you do with the filter like once every month, month and a half is when doing your pwc clean the sponge in fish water you've siphoned from the tank and lightly swish the ceramics in the mesh bag it comes with to get the big debris off, never do this in clean water always use water you've siphoned out of the fish tank.

Also you never clean those cartridges in clean water either only fish water

 

[megi-lin]

You don't take the cartridges out, if they have activated carbon you cut a small slice and shake out the carbon , you need them in there because that's what has your beneficial bacteria on it to keep your paramiters in check, they are dried out now which killed the beneficial bacteria, don't be surprised if your tank goes through a mini cycle, if you have the extra money I would get a good filter like an aqua clear hob that way you don't have to mess with cartridges.

So if you do here's how you will do it you will keep the old filter running in the tank, as well as the new one until the aquaclear has built up beneficial bacteria in the media (ceramic rocks) the aqua clear hob's have 3 stages, sponge, carbon, media (ceramic spheres), you never have to buy cartridges or anything unless you want to keep running carbon but carbon is not really a must have, so if you do have carbon in the aquaclear and you have to dose meds you just remove the pouch of carbon put it in a zip lock bag, leave everything else in it and then treat the tank that way you don't have to worry about killing your beneficial bacteria because the ceramics never get taken out

The only thing you do with the filter like once every month, month and a half is when doing your pwc clean the sponge in fish water you've siphoned from the tank and lightly swish the ceramics in the mesh bag it comes with to get the big debris off, never do this in clean water always use water you've siphoned out of the fish tank.

Also you never clean those cartridges in clean water either only fish water

Ah darn. They're still wet but I put clean water in the bucket. I'm sure I'll go through a mini cycle. I don't know what you're talking about with the mesh and removing carbon. These filters come presealed with carbon inside.

Sent from my XT1585 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Autumnsky]

Yeah you can cut a slit in the side and shake out the crumbles of carbon. But carbon/activated charcoal will only be effective for for a short period of time a week or 2 mostly, then it ends up just being inert substance and nothing to be concerned with.

Megi-lyn, just take the filter pads and put a couple of flakes 4 or 6 and crush into some treated water like you would add to a pwc in the tank. Add that water to the container, pitcher (ones from the $1 store are great) and cover the filter pads this time, and hope they have the flakes to consume (ammonia) and then will continue to stay alive.

Ideally you add a air bubbler too as the air helps them. Or just use a cup like a starbucks cold cup type and pour the water back from the cup to the pitcher a few times to help aerate it. As often as you can AM/PM, mid day. The BB need the oxygen too.

Yes, the ugly filter pad looks bad.

Just think of the filter pad like a mass of poison eating machines you can't see. It should smell earthy like (pond/forest earth) potting soil, but not rotton like dying stuff or black stagnant mud or like ammonia.

Sometimes due to clogging and flow issues and if you have 2 (aka piggybacked or doubled) filter pads, you can really blast some water through it about once filter pad every 3-4 months. BUT you run the risk of a mini cycle. Because you are destroying half of your BB.

Only do that if you aren't running a over stocked tank. OS tank means you need every bit of BB you have.

Other type strategy is to keep a 3rd pad in the back behind plants and in the flow zone for the intake (or outflow only if you can't put it in the intake area).

Point is to keep the water and O2 flowing strongly and getting the BB plenty of "used" tank water. You can add the 3rd pad into the filter on a rotation. Clean one with oldest one, other as the 3rd and rotate.

Where there is a will there is a way!

 

[acewiza]

The way to avoid the mini-cycle thing is to alternate the filters like every other month or however long it takes before they start to clog. Do one the first time then a few weeks or a month or so later, do the other and continue alternating them so you always have a good (dirty?) one in there.

I have a similar approach with an inline series of dual canisters setup on my goldfish tank. Those creatures are just filthy and tear up the plants, so it needs alot of filtration. The canisters are connected in series, output of the 1st goes to input of the 2nd, then returns to the tank from there. I remove and clean the first one and replace it behind the second, which then becomes first in line and do that one the next time. Never any mini-cycle issue, and I never clean or even rinse the sponges at all..

 

[Potluck]

Yeah you cut a slot in the bottom of the material in the cartridge and the carbon will fall out

 

[Potluck]

It's just better to upgrade if his finances allow it, that way you never have to worry about a cartridge again, I used to run cartridges but I spent so much in replacements I could of bought a canister within the first year, but here's another way you can do it, you can get media or bio balls and if your filter will hold them just put them in the filter and they will grow BB, so when you do replace the cartridges after the media bio balls have started to grow BB you won't mini cycle.

 

[Potluck]

This is kinda what I was talking about but instead of using filter floss you can still use the cartridge replacements but the floss idea is better as it has more surface for the BB to grow But it clogs fast and can/will overflow if you don't pay attention to it.

The ceramics you see in the video are what I was talking about because they also hold BB.

https://youtu.be/PfOhtvoI8hQ