Rinse vs Replace Filters

[Labenator65000]

I have a two-cartridge HOB filter. How often should I be rinsing the media (in tank water) vs replacing the media?

 

[jcolon]

I'd say until it's literally falling apart ... and then you'd want to use the old media to seed the newer media. Those cartridges are chuck full of BB and it's like gold in this hobby.

 

[Bl80]

I agree till it falls apart. When I had hob filters I got a roll of pond filter media off eBay ... Cut to size and used the old cartridge ( minus old media) and put a piece of the media and cart in a panty hose and used that. Tons cheaper, btr media and no real use for carbon unless ur tank is medicated.

 

[Bl80]

With 2 always change out only one at a time so you don't loose all your benificial bacteria...

 

[TankBoss]

I agree till it falls apart. When I had hob filters I got a roll of pond filter media off eBay ... Cut to size and used the old cartridge ( minus old media) and put a piece of the media and cart in a panty hose and used that. Tons cheaper, btr media and no real use for carbon unless ur tank is medicated.

I was thinking of a way to attach new filter media to the cartridge. Does the panty hose let the water flow well?

 

[Bl80]

I never had a prob. I've used the media bags too. Got them at the LFS and on eBay. More expensive but worked really well and easier.

 

[TankBoss]

I never had a prob. I've used the media bags too. Got them at the LFS and on eBay. More expensive but worked really well and easier.

Great idea!thanks!

 

[Labenator65000]

I agree till it falls apart. When I had hob filters I got a roll of pond filter media off eBay ... Cut to size and used the old cartridge ( minus old media) and put a piece of the media and cart in a panty hose and used that. Tons cheaper, btr media and no real use for carbon unless ur tank is medicated.

Pond filter media as I see it is basically just a roll of floss; some with a plastic "crunchy" coating on one side. Are you suggesting that activated carbon is not needed? I thought the activated carbon was where most of the Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter colonize, and that the floss (etc) was primarily a mechanical filter to filter out the solid waste?

 

[Labenator65000]

Thanks everyone for the input. I purchased a 20-pack of assembly-needed cartridges a few weeks back. I'm considering trying this unconventional method instead: I'll just have the floss sheathes only on the cartridge frames, and rinse them in tank water weekly until they are incurably saturated. Then replace one cartridge at a time. I'm going to try to find a tight-knit durable plastic mesh bag to empty all of the activated carbon packets into and then just leave this in the input reservoir of the HOB, I'll gently shake the bag to dislodge the solid waste as needed.

I had a Koi pond for a few years, and took care of another Koi pond at the school for a few years as well. For the latter I only had a big mesh bag full of lava rocks as filtration (no mechanical filter). All I had to do was to shake the bag in the pond water now and then to dislodge the solid waste. Both pods were very healthy with good water parameters and had practically zero loss of fish.

 

[BillD]

The nitrifying bacteria will attach to any and allsolid surfaces in the tank/filter. Carbon is more for chemical filtration, and isn't necessary on a regular basis. Floss is a mechanical filter and if left long enough will become colonized by nitrifying bacteria. The problem with reusing floss is it tends to pack when you try and clean it so it isn't as effective as when new.

 

[Bl80]

It was listed as pond... Used in trickle filters and such.... Same stuff as your hob filters just a lil thicker... Usually white and some with a finer blue or pink bonded side. Like batting found in craft shops? If that makes ANY sense...

 

[Bl80]

Here's a pix off eBay. Filter media roll

 

[Labenator65000]

The nitrifying bacteria will attach to any and allsolid surfaces in the tank/filter. Carbon is more for chemical filtration, and isn't necessary on a regular basis. Floss is a mechanical filter and if left long enough will become colonized by nitrifying bacteria. The problem with reusing floss is it tends to pack when you try and clean it so it isn't as effective as when new.

You are right! Looking at the link below, charcoal (Activated Carbon) is more meant for chemical treating (including Chlorine), and not specifically meant for bacteria colonization. So the person here with the pond media, that's probably just fine.

http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/energy/question209.htm

So much for my theory (prior post). Now I'm going back to a trick from the past, to add plastic mesh media scrubbers to the HOB.

Thanks for the clarification!