Aqueon Quietflow filter change

[jo060]

I have a 29g that is fully cycled and fully stocked.
I'm running an Aqueon Quietflow 20 and a 50 that is filtering the tank. The 20 has been running for about a month, and the 50 for about a week.

The Quietflow's come with a red LED light that is supposed to blink when the filter needs to be change, but I don't trust it as I feel like it's a gimmicky feature.

The filter cartridge of the 20 is pretty nasty. I rinsed it in the bucket of water from a WC and the water immediately turned dark. The 50 is dirty, but not too bad.

My question is when should I change the cartridges out on a newly cycled tank. The directions indicate monthly.

Also, each filter comes with a small sponge like thing that the filtered water runs over before going into the tank. Bio media sponge? The instructions indicate to change this weekly...Does that seem excessive?


I believe Petco made a mistake with the pricing of the filter online and had it listed for $18. I went to the store and it was listed for $40ish. I asked if they would price match to their site and they agreed...that's the only reason I'm running a 50 and a 20.

 

[Toad]

I don't change filter pads or sponges until they are literally falling apart. I've had the same one in my filters for around... four years now I think? Turning the water dark is pretty normal, I wouldn't remove or change any of it myself, it's a good way to crash the tank and need to re-cycle it :/

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[jo060]

I don't change filter pads or sponges until they are literally falling apart. I've had the same one in my filters for around... four years now I think? Turning the water dark is pretty normal, I wouldn't remove or change any of it myself, it's a good way to crash the tank and need to re-cycle it :/

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The Charcoal (that's what is inside the pad, right?) doesn't go bad?

 

[Toad]

Some people say it does, but after some research awhile back it pretty much came down to the fact that it only absorbs so much, then is full. It doesn't really leach anything back, and even if it did leak a little water changes would negate any effects

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[nirbhao]

The charcoal stops being a chemical filter and becomes a mechanical filter.

We got one of the 10 because we needed a cheap filter NOW. After two weeks, the light started flashing. This is when we realized that we could buy an AquaClear 20 every three months for the price of replacement cartridges.

Aqueon says that the beneficial bacteria grows on the blue part, but, let's be honest here. That floss is a far better home for bacteria than a textured plastic.

I tossed the cartridge. I made a little pocket out of quilting batting and put bags of Purigen and some of the ceramic cylinders from our other tank into it.

Do a search for DIY Aqueon cartridges and you will find some very good resources.

 

[fishtex]

Yeah, I have 4 of these filters spread across 3 tanks. While I've found the Led very useful for letting me know when the flow is getting restricted, the price of filters can quickly add up. So now the only time I use the charcoal filters is after an Ich treatment has run it's course, or I'm trying to clear up a cloudy bacterial bloom.

Instead, I use Marineland's bulk filter material cut to fit the blue holder. Just shake the pad out in a bucket of water when the light comes on or during water changes. And as mentioned above, use it until it falls apart. Even save a piece of it to prime your new filter material when replacing.

As for the 'waterfall' ammonia treating pads, they seem to be vaporware (and expensive) both at my LFS and on Amazon, so I just cut some of Fluval's Ammonia pad material to fit.

One other recent change I've made is to add Fluval's foam socks to the intake tubes. That gives the fish a better chance of eating all the food before getting sucked up into the main filter pads and adding to the ammonia load. Seems to be extending times between red lights too.

 

[jo060]

Great! Thank you all for the replies.

 

[fishtex]

I've just been reading up on the Purigen bags and will likely be adding them to the filters too... provided they fit (should).

 

[nirbhao]

The little bag fits in the 10, so it definitely should. I love Purigen. It's great stuff.

 

[toolman]

+1 on the Purigen, it's great stuff!

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[Nils]

Nirbhao explained this awesomely,
Aqueon is just trying to make the most money possible. By selling the filter cartridges to newbies who think they have to replace them every couple weeks they make a lot of $$$. When you replace them, you're tossing out your entire biological filtration and might be throwing your tank into a cycle. I stopped using the filter cartridges and just filled my Aqueon HOB's with Fluval media and other ceramic medias. In the Aqueon cartridges, it's just carbon that does not a lot except make the water clear. I like the HOB's though, they're good for the price and I haven't had one break on me in 3+ years.

 

[fishtex]

Well it's only been 12 hours since I added Purigen bags to all my filters and the tanks do look a bit more 'polished', though it's hard to say for sure since they all looked good before. One big noticeable improvement is the reaction of my Brilliant Rasboras. Since moving them into the big tank a month ago knowing they would get along with the Angels (since they shared a smaller tank previously), they have pretty much hid out in one back corner. Now they are swimming back and forth in front of the filter outflow and spending most of their time there!

PS My parameters were spot on before, how much better could they be now?