I learned a little lesson today...

[Crusis]

I have an Emperor 400 on my 75G planted. I honestly am a bit lazy about changing the filters, my tank is pretty clean usually. So I haven't looked at the filters in two months. I checked them a couple of days ago, and whoa! They're nasty! Surprise!

I pull both filter cartridges, take them to the sink, and give them a good cleaning. I then put them back into the tank.

Two days later, today, I have ammonia in the tank. Bah! What was I thinking cleaning BOTH cartridges! It's a well planted tank with a Sand substrate, I would have expected it to not 'mini-cycle' because of the filter cartridges, but it has.

The water is slightly cloudy, the ammonia is below .25 but above 0.

I'm very annoyed with myself for not thinking of this possibility when I cleaned the filters.

From now on, it's clean ONE side at a time.

Just sharing in case any of you might be saved by my ignorance.

 

[crazycat]

bummer crusis! sounds like something i would do too, not really thining about it--thanks for the "lesson"!

 

[Jchillin]

Always, always rinse/clean filters and all other media in used tank water. It will save your bacterial colonies from "sudden" die-off and the ensuing mini-cycle.

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

I have 2 filters on my tank and I will change all the media in 1 filter at a time only, typically 2 days later I'll change the other one or rinse if needed. Never had a problem with a mini cycle (even swapping out all the Biomax in my 304 for Matrix in one shot) but both filters are rated for 60Gal (I think the 304 is 70) so 1 can sustain the tank while the other takes it's load.

 

[dharris]

Put bio material in the supplied media holders. This way you have no problem with bio loads getting out of control.

 

[Crusis]

Good idea, dharris. I think I'll do that tomorrow when I'm home.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

You should be able to clean both filter cartriges at the same time, but using old tank water from a pwc. The chlorine from the sink water will kill off all but the hardiest bacteria on the cartriges. I do both mine at the same time, and no problems. And I use the same filter.

I also have bio-media in the extra cartrige, cylinders in one and lava media in the other. That helps as well.

 

[Blazeherd2306]

I have an Emperor 400 on my 75G planted. I honestly am a bit lazy about changing the filters, my tank is pretty clean usually. So I haven't looked at the filters in two months. I checked them a couple of days ago, and whoa! They're nasty! Surprise!

The last time that happened to me, crud came spewing into the tank. It was nasty. Now I rinse them every week and change them out every 3 months.

 

[crazycat]

ok. now i'm confused. i didn't think i needed to change out the filter media--like the bioballs and the sponges. i don't use carbon, and i will get rid of the filter floss. i thought all i had to do was rinse everything off and get out as much of the gunk as i could. am i totally misinformed??????

and what does everyone think of using my python to fill the sink with tank water, and a little prime to treat the tap water that gets mixed in? will that kill too much of my bacteria?

 

[Blazeherd2306]

ok. now i'm confused. i didn't think i needed to change out the filter media--like the bioballs and the sponges. i don't use carbon, and i will get rid of the filter floss. i thought all i had to do was rinse everything off and get out as much of the gunk as i could. am i totally misinformed??????

Well I wouldn't change out sponges or bioballs. With the emperor, I change the cartridges because the filter floss starts falling apart.

and what does everyone think of using my python to fill the sink with tank water, and a little prime to treat the tap water that gets mixed in? will that kill too much of my bacteria?

I don't see anything wrong with that, but I've never tried it. The prime only kills the chloramines and chlorine, not the bacteria.