Some silly questions....

[daileene]

This might be the silliest and dumbest questions ever but I just really want to make sure so as not to make any more mistakes.

1. If you seeded a filter media from an established tank to help cycle your new tank, when the cycle is done, will you take the seeded filter media out of the tank? I would say yes, right? But then will the levels in the finished cycle stays once you'll take the seeded media?
2. I know good bacteria live in the filter media, and I read that you'll only change them if they are really falling apart, but if you do change them with a new one coz you cannot simply save the old one, will you start your cycle all over again since the good bacteria is gone?

Answers to these questions might have already been given somewhere, but I cannot seem to find them. So here are my silly questions. Please forgive my ignorance.

 

[xxwolfpackof1xx]

to question two no because good bacteria also lives in gravel and on decor also in marimo balls to i beleiive

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[Bettababe1011]

Yes, you can take it out if you have two cartridges in there. The bacteria is on decor and gravel as well, so I don't think it would start the cycle over.

Courtesy of Dakota's iPod.

 

[xxwolfpackof1xx]

i have dual filters running and i think two filters is allways a good idea

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[daileene]

thanks guys....see how dumb I am...I should know that by now, right! LOL...you guys are amazing!

 

[xxwolfpackof1xx]

thanks guys....see how dumb I am...I should know that by now, right! LOL...you guys are amazing!

lol not dumb these are questions im sure the best of us have wondered

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[daileene]

thanks...i definitely wondered about this a lot...that's why I cannot just stand wondering and did a post. LOL...but thank you again...now I can wait in peace till the cycle is done and I can take the seeded media out and when the media in the filter will be so torn apart, then I can change to a new one.

 

[eco23]

Any time a filter is starting to reach the falling apart stage, I find a way to squeeze a new filter in next to it for a while to colonize on the new filter before I throw out the old one. Like you said, the bacteria lives all through the tank but is most abundant in the filter. Another trick you can use is to wrap the old filter around the filter intake which basically sucks the bacteria into the new filter and also catches any of the old falling apart.

 

[daileene]

wow eco...that's a very good trick...I will definitely do that (the wrapping of the old media to the filter intake and inserting a new media with the old media)...thank you so much.

+1 rep

 

[eco23]

wow eco...that's a very good trick...I will definitely do that (the wrapping of the old media to the filter intake and inserting a new media with the old media)...thank you so much.

+1 rep

Thanks! I think that's my first rep point (at least that I've been told about!)

 

[daileene]

you are so welcome...and you deserved it..all of you do...you can check how many rep you've got by going to the usercp and it will show you in the bottom after your subscribed threads...

 

[Coleallensmom]

Any time a filter is starting to reach the falling apart stage, I find a way to squeeze a new filter in next to it for a while to colonize on the new filter before I throw out the old one. Like you said, the bacteria lives all through the tank but is most abundant in the filter. Another trick you can use is to wrap the old filter around the filter intake which basically sucks the bacteria into the new filter and also catches any of the old falling apart.

+1 You won't start your cycle over from the begining, but changing filter cartridges can mess with your water parameters because you're taking away that bacteria that lives on the cartridge material. I have no filter cartridges in any of my filters because of this exact reason. I have Aquaclears on my tanks and I have Aquaclear filter media in the Tetra and Aquatech filters on my sons' tanks.

 

[xxwolfpackof1xx]

+1 You won't start your cycle over from the begining, but changing filter cartridges can mess with your water parameters because you're taking away that bacteria that lives on the cartridge material. I have no filter cartridges in any of my filters because of this exact reason. I have Aquaclears on my tanks and I have Aquaclear filter media in the Tetra and Aquatech filters on my sons' tanks.

so should i not have filter cartridges in my filter? mmy filter still manages to catch some nasty stuff

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[daileene]

+1 to alisha..I am going to do the foam sponge in my 5G...already ordered them...

but I still have the whisper 10i (which have the bio bag) in my 10G and aqueon in my other 10G (although I might be able to do the same thing in these ones with a foam sponge and biomax bag as well)..hmmm in that case...I won't be changing them later...yayy..

 

[Coleallensmom]

so should i not have filter cartridges in my filter? mmy filter still manages to catch some nasty stuff

As Eco mentioned, the best thing you do when using filter cartridges is to try and squeeze a 2nd cartridge in next to the old one when you know you are going to have to do a change soon. This give bacteria a chance to grow on the new cartridge before you remove the old one.

Once I realized that my tank doesn't need the carbon and how much more convenient multi-stage filtration systems are, I switched to Aquaclear filters and haven't looked back. When you have several different types of media in your filter like the Aquaclears have, you never have to worry about having to toss all of your media which can mean a sudden depletion of bacteria. I started out with a Aquatech filter which is supposed to take cartridges and that filter is now on my son's 10 gal, but I learned my lesson and no longer use the manufactor's cartridges with it. Instead I have filter sponge and bio-max from my Aquaclears inside it.

 

[daileene]

As Eco mentioned, the best thing you do when using filter cartridges is to try and squeeze a 2nd cartridge in next to the old one when you know you are going to have to do a change soon. This give bacteria a chance to grow on the new cartridge before you remove the old one.

Once I realized that my tank doesn't need the carbon and how much more convenient multi-stage filtration systems are, I switched to Aquaclear filters and haven't looked back. When you have several different types of media in your filter like the Aquaclears have, you never have to worry about having to toss all of your media which can mean a sudden depletion of bacteria. I started out with a Aquatech filter which is supposed to take cartridges and that filter is now on my son's 10 gal, but I learned my lesson and no longer use the manufactor's cartridges with it. Instead I have filter sponge and bio-max from my Aquaclears inside it.

Definitely looking forward to doing this...I can't wait to get my foam sponges and biomax bag

 

[eco23]

I don't think it matters if it's in cartridge form, or just a sponge you cut to size, or whatever you choose to use. I didn't learn until recently that carbon cartridges are not only unnecessary, but cause more harm an good. Being a novice, I always saw the carbon cartridges for everything you're supposed to change out every month and I just thought that was the norm of how you did it. I've since learned that it's basically a sales tactic to get you to buy something unnecessary every month, and if you actually replace them when recommended, you'd actually have a mini-cycle every month! I learned that carbon is only for taking meds out of water, or removing odor if you have certain types of algae outbreaks. There's a lot I didn't know until I became addicted to this site.

 

[Coleallensmom]

+1 to alisha..I am going to do the foam sponge in my 5G...already ordered them...

but I still have the whisper 10i (which have the bio bag) in my 10G and aqueon in my other 10G (although I might be able to do the same thing in these ones with a foam sponge and biomax bag as well)..hmmm in that case...I won't be changing them later...yayy..

My 8 year old has a Tetra? Whisper power filter on his 20 gallon. (We got it free with a tank stand I bought off of Craigslist.) I have Aquaclear sponges and a bio-media bag in it as well. So much easier!

 

[daileene]

I don't think it matters if it's in cartridge form, or just a sponge you cut to size, or whatever you choose to use. I didn't learn until recently that carbon cartridges are not only unnecessary, but cause more harm an good. Being a novice, I always saw the carbon cartridges for everything you're supposed to change out every month and I just thought that was the norm of how you did it. I've since learned that it's basically a sales tactic to get you to buy something unnecessary every month, and if you actually replace them when recommended, you'd actually have a mini-cycle every month! I learned that carbon is only for taking meds out of water, or removing odor if you have certain types of algae outbreaks. There's a lot I didn't know until I became addicted to this site.

Totally agree with everything, especially with the "becoming addicted to this site" part..but in a good way. I learned so much that it's not even funny how many mistakes I have made before I was a member here.

 

[Coleallensmom]

I don't think it matters if it's in cartridge form, or just a sponge you cut to size, or whatever you choose to use. I didn't learn until recently that carbon cartridges are not only unnecessary, but cause more harm an good. Being a novice, I always saw the carbon cartridges for everything you're supposed to change out every month and I just thought that was the norm of how you did it. I've since learned that it's basically a sales tactic to get you to buy something unnecessary every month, and if you actually replace them when recommended, you'd actually have a mini-cycle every month! I learned that carbon is only for taking meds out of water, or removing odor if you have certain types of algae outbreaks.

Agreed.