Changing my HOB filter. Questions???

[Fubie]

I'm switching out my HOB filter. I currently have a bio-wheel filter in a well cycled tank and I'm putting in an AC30. How long should I wait until I pull the bio-wheel HOB out?

Also with the AC design the bio media is on top and the sponge in on the bottom. How often do you clean either? Also do you just rinse the sponge/bio media bag in old tank water? Since this in a planted tank should I just drop the carbon bag and just drop another sponge in there? Thanks.

 

[rich311k]

I would go a month to be safe. I rinse my media once a month. I do not use carbon.

 

[greenmaji]

carbon shouldnt be nessisary.. clean when the flow slows down and it takes about 10 days on the safe side to seed the new filter, longer would be to just be safer.. HTH

 

[Fubie]

Thanks rich, gm! I'll drop the carbon after 7 days or so when it has stopped working. Neither of you mentioned this but should I pop another sponge in place of the carbon bag or maybe some floss? Or just leave it open for later use?

 

[workfortheman]

I have tried both: a 2nd sponge and also polyester floss. Either works well, I even stuck some bioballs underneath the sponge for a while!

I've heard that having a second sponge is nice, and that if you let the lower spunge get really soaked with gunk, some anaerobic bacterial digestion occurs which reduces nitrates. Just a theory.

 

[greenmaji]

most use more sponges..
Moding.. if intrested http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/power_filter_tricks_iii.php

 

[Pufferpunk]

I put about 1" of filter floss in the middle to polish my water crystal clear. You can buy big bags of it at sewing supply stores.

 

[Fubie]

Thanks for the link gm. I noticed you mentioned that link in another thread. I've already purchased a large block of course foam to place at the bottom. The AC medium foam in the middle and the bio-media on top. Thanks for the help everyone!

 

[Fubie]

Well a small update for this simple task. Let me say first that "Patience is a virtue..." and I didn't have enough patience.

I decided to see how the new filter would do by itself after just one week. So early in the day I shut my old filter down (left it in position though) and went about my day. When I did a water test in the early evening all I can say is "Oh SH*t!". Well needless to say my ammonia was off scale and my nitrites had jumped significantly. So I immediately did a 50% PWC and turned the old filter back on. Luckily I lost no fish but I did lose all but one of my new Cherry Shrimp. Oh man, my wife was ready to kick my butt. It took about two days for the water parameters to calm down but I have decided to wait a few more weeks to let the AC media fully mature some bio filtration before turning my old filter off.

Hopefully this is a lesson learned for me and my impatience.

 

[greenmaji]

sounds scary.. if I had any more patents my tank would be collecting cobwebs.. I better go check.. ummm.. not yet.. but.. Im thinking about adding water..

 

[Jchillin]

In this hobby, patience is a virtue and is quite necessary in order to avoid these types of events. A lesson learned I'm sure.

 

[Acer]

you got lucky.. in my AC 300 (70) i use 2 sponges, i bought the pack of 3. like i said i use to in the filter and cut the third in 3 pieces about 2.5 inches wide, i made a slit in the middle of them and attached 1 to my intake tube, cheap pre-filter to make sure i dont have to clean the other two sponges often.. should help with bacterium growth also.

 

[Fubie]

When I bought the coarse filter material for my AC30 I went ahead and bought a 3 pack of the AC sponges. I hadn't cut one down to use as a pre-filter yet but I did that today with my regular Saturday maintenance.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Question...

Should the bio-media be above or below the sponge? I always thought it should be below, as the sponge is used to get rid of larger waste, and then the biomedia is used for bacteria colonization to get rid of ammonia and nitrites. Also, I would rince the sponge in old tank water during a water change, to keep a good colony of bacteria in the sponge. Don't use tap water, as the chlorine will kill off the bacteria.

 

[Fubie]

The bio media should be on the top. From bottom to top: Coarse sponge, medium sponge, and then bio-media bag.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Ok, I see now. Thanks....

 

[Fubie]

Once I do remove my other filter I will test at intervals to make sure I'm not seeing ammonia spikes. How many hours after shutting down my old filter and not seeing a change in my readings would you call it safe?

When I had my crash last week I didn't test for over six hours and there was a dramatic change. If I test every couple of hours next time and don't see a change after six hours will the tank be ok?