When is it safe to change my filter?

[Linsay]

My tank has finally cycled. (huge huge smile over here)
My filter is looking quite nasty and has some slimy stuff on it. when is it safe to change my filter? I'm afraid of getting rid of my bacteria when I change it and messing up my tank (again)!

My husband is also extremely hesitant to vacuum the bottom - I tell him we need to do it some to get up the junk but he is also afraid to vacuum up the good bacteria.

Now if I could just get my fish to stop hiding and come out and play I would really be enjoying this!!

 

[astroguy]

Take water from your aquarium in a bucket, take out the filter, and rinse it inside this bucket *only* with old tank water. Then, put it back! You will keep your water clean and keep your bacteria alive. You cannot vacuum good bacteria. Most of them are on the filter, some on the surface of the gravel. So no worry to have, clean up the gravel every week or so.

 

[William]

You don't need to change the filter.

Just stick it in a bucket of tank water and swash it around, it gets all the gunk out and you can put it back into the HOB. Only change the filter media when it becomes a decomposed mush that can't stay together anymore.


and don't be afraid to gravel vac, just do half the tank, then next week do the other half, and continue this pattern.

 

[Allivymar]

LOL Simulposts! And both saying the same thing I would *grin*

 

[Linsay]

Ok - so I don't necessarily need to change it once a month like the manufacturer suggests?? How long do they tend to last?

 

[Allivymar]

Depends on the type. Sponge filter media lasts pretty much forever. Floss type...well..depends. Depends on how dirty the tank is, how tightly woven it is and how hard you scrub it when you clean it (I tend to scrub hard LOL I have very dirty fish). My floss media usually lasts a few months at least.

 

[astroguy]

if it is a mechanical filter hanging outside the tank, then it may last about a month. The best is to look every month at the filter and see if it needs cleaning.

 

[Linsay]

We have the floss type - My husband says all of the charcoal came out last time he swished it - we may have to change it - hopefully it wont destroy my biofilter. I will check it tomorrow.

 

[astroguy]

Forget about the charcoal. No big use generally. If you throw out the filter, you *will* lose the bacteria and run a new cycle!

 

[smilla4]

I don't know what kind of filter you have, but I stick two cut-to-size filter pads in mine and replace the older pad with a fresh piece. I guess that's a bit more wasteful...

 

[Kwenbee]

Oh, Lindsay, bless you. I was thinking the same thing. The new tank we just put in said the same thing...change the filter AND charcoal every four weeks. It looks GROSS!

I was actually wishing I hadn't listened right after our arctic tank a few weeks ago and changed the filter and charcoal because I could have used it in the new tank to get cycle started quicker.

I thought the bacteria DID live in the gravel...isn't that why they tell you to get some gravel from an established tank to start the cycle in a new one?

And what do you mean "forget the charcoal". It came in my filter pack.

 

[Linsay]

my filter is the hang on the back petsmart top fin filter.

So just to make sure I understand.....Everytime I need to replace a filter I will cycle again. 8O Please Please Please say it is a mini cycle and there is enough good bacteria in the tank to avoid the need to worry about ammonia and what not.
I'm guessing you'd be losing a lot of fish if you cycled all the time with a full bioload. Not trying to be dumb just trying to be as educated and make sure I know the best things to tell others when they want advice.

 

[Kwenbee]

I'm still not sure I get it.

Here's what we have: the 10 gallon and the 5 gallon have Whisper HOB filters with carbon in the center of some sort of fiber looking stuff.

The 20 gallon has a Top Fin HOB filter with the same type of medium in it.

So, should I dump the carbon from the filters and just use the fiber stuff? Do I replace the fiber stuff every month?

I'm beginning to think there is some disagreement about all of this. I definitely do not want to have to do water changes to recycle every time I change the filter!

 

[BrianNY]

Linsay and Kwenbee, there is a way to handle this without worrying about recycling the tanks.

1. Get a small sponge prefilter to fit over the strainer of your intake tube.
2. If you're using filter floss, reuse it when you change the carbon.
3. If you're using a cartridge filled with carbon, you have room to place a layer of ceramic bio mech media in bottom of the box.
4. (and the best method)..... Add a 2nd filter to the tank and alternate the cleaning of each filter.
hth

 

[Linsay]

Thanks Brian - that helps. I'm not really sure what the difference is between filter floss and a cartridge. My filter (the same one Kwenbee has on her new tank) has a plastic holder that you put a new bag type filter on and fill it with carbon. I'm guessing this is the cartridge type. I am going to check at the store and see if I can find any of the ceramic bio mech that you are talking about.

 

[BrianNY]

Yep, you got it Linsay. Any ceramic bio mech will do. I'm assuming the smallest jar available is all you need. Just remember to only rinse it with tank water when you clean the filter and you needn't ever worry about recycling again.

 

[William]

I've been running a filter on one of my tanks for almost 5 months now, just swish it around every waterchange.


Well, that was before the tank broke because of a defective stand, now I lost the cycle in the tank cause I was so flustered over the emergency relocation of my fish that I forgot about the filter.

 

[Ady1397]

I have always put ammo-carb in my filter..

Today is the last day

8O

 

[BrianNY]

My question to you Ady, is why do you always use ammo carb? You need the ammonia to help the tank begin cycling. After the tank has cycled the ammonia should go to 0.

 

[Ady1397]

I thought it might help....i was wrong...