Changing my Aqua One 620 Filter

[Cartosbartos]

Hello guys just thinking of changing my filter because its like a giant block of fish poo and its looking a bit ratty also the water seems to have little particles floating around all the time.
I bought the new filters and im just wondering how to change them as in what procedure to do * if there even is one *

thanks guys !

 

[Mr. Limpet]

I'd suggest leaving the old one on your tank for 2 weeks or so to help maintain your cycle and seed the new ones with bacteria. The other option is to put the used media in the new filter, I just prefer letting the new one develop on it's own.

 

[Cartosbartos]

I'd suggest leaving the old one on your tank for 2 weeks or so to help maintain your cycle and seed the new ones with bacteria. The other option is to put the used media in the new filter, I just prefer letting the new one develop on it's own.

Oh ok but wouldnt leaving the old filters make the water all filthy ? should i wash them a bit first because alot alot of stuff comes out of them whenever i have cleaned them out before ?

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Oh ok but wouldnt leaving the old filters make the water all filthy ? should i wash them a bit first because alot alot of stuff comes out of them whenever i have cleaned them out before ?

Maybe I misunderstood your post. Did you buy new cartridges/media to put into your existing filters or did you buy new filter machines?

 

[pantherspawn]

If your filter media aka sponge etc isn't falling apart than keep using it. Just rinse it out in a bucket of TANK water and continue use. If it's falling apart and you have 2 or more media slots.. just replace one at a time a few weeks apart. If it only has one media type than do as Mr limpet suggested and keep the old media in with the new for a few weeks

 

[ejaramillo01]

Maybe I misunderstood your post. Did you buy new cartridges/media to put into your existing filters or did you buy new filter machines?

I think that the OP bought a new cartridge.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

I think that the OP bought a new cartridge.

Yep.

 

[Cartosbartos]

Yeah sorry guys I just bought the new cartridges.

 

[AquaOne]

If it's like mine with multi-stage, I would replace a single stage per 2-weeks until you have replaced all media. But before you go throwing old media, maybe you can recover it by swilling in the outgoing water each pwc. When I got my cannister, I was told to leave cleaning out for about 6 weeks, but I find a swill-out every 4 weeks will keep thing's tidy. It depends a lot on the bio-load your tank inhabitants produce, but I would def. not throw old media unless it's proper ragged.

 

[Cartosbartos]

oh thanks for the help, yeah its a bit broken and worn out where the water shoots out of the holes onto the cartridge but yeah i do wash it out pretty often and im trying to be gentle when i do it so that i dont keep breaking it further.
Should i just leave it until it gets destroyed totoally and the insides are falling out before i replace it ?

thanks

 

[AquaOne]

If the hardware is breaking, well you will need to replace it, but the filter media (sponge, ceramics etc.) are full of good bacteria controlling fish-waste, so you need to keep that 'alive' and passing on to populate the new filter system, hence change gradually to the new gear.
Also when 'washing-out' always swill in the outgoing pwc, not in tap-water because the chlorine would kill the bacteria off !

 

[Cartosbartos]

yeah just the filter is starting to fall apart and break as in * the filter * not the hard rings below it. Yeah if i do change it ill make sure i do it in different stages