Cleaning Filter pad/hurting cycle Please reply

[HeathB]

I have to disagree with a few things here.

Bacteria do live on pretty much every surface in your tank, and you may vacuum some out when you do a water change, but you definitely do not add them when you refill the tank. The chlorine/chloramine in your tap water is there to get rid of bacteria. The bacteria populations in your tank reproduce fast enough that the bacteria vacuumed out won't be missed.

I also have to disagree with changing the filter pads frequently. Your filter pads house huge bacteria colonies. Getting rid of these colonies will cause your tank to go through a mini-cycle. When you do a water change, simply rinse out the filter pad in the bucket of old water. It'll preserve your bacteria populations and keep some money in your wallet. Only replace the pad when it's falling apart or is so clogged that it can't be satisfactorily cleaned.

Ahh, hmm never knew that. Live and learn! I'll take my humble pie with vanilla ice cream please.

 

[meegosh]

If your filter media comes with the AC (activated carbon) in it then I would suggest doing what I do... I bought a big bag of polyfiber at a craftstore. Make sure it is 100% polyfiber and nothing else. I paid about $4 for it and I have been using the same bag in both tanks for years. Basically you cut a chunk of the polyfiber to fit your filter and stuff it in there.

I rinse mine in tank water when I do water changes (50% once a week) and I will reuse the same piece over and over again until it falls apart. Even then I won't throw the whole piece out, I will cut it in half, replace half with new polyfiber then wait a few more weeks and replace the old piece.

 

[BigJim]

Ahh, hmm never knew that. Live and learn!

That's why we're all here.

Couldn't find vanilla. Here's avocado.

 

[Etunes]

There were 2 things that i wanted to address that you said in that video that were wrong and from a quick scan of the thread 1 was already addressed. #1 cleaning the filter is not bad you just need to clean it with treated or tank water so you dont kill the bacteria. Also danios dont get pregnant as they are egg scatterers.

 

[rocktrns]

There were 2 things that i wanted to address that you said in that video that were wrong and from a quick scan of the thread 1 was already addressed. #1 cleaning the filter is not bad you just need to clean it with treated or tank water so you dont kill the bacteria. Also danios dont get pregnant as they are egg scatterers.

I know that about the danios thats what I meant they bare eggs,and then lay them and then the male fertilizes them.



So should I get a new filter pad are not or just leave the one I have now?

 

[7Enigma]

Yikes, there was a lot of bad information going around in this thread!

Anyways no I would not get a new filter pad. Leave the on in there you have now. When it gets cruddy just clean it in used tank water like you did and it will be good as new. The smaller the tank the less important the filter is in terms of bacterial population but it still needs to be kept "healthy" and that means not replacing the whole cartridge once a month. DON'T DO IT. and save your money for something else (like a better filter IMO such as an Aquaclear).

I have an aquaclear HOB for my 20 gallon community and it gets extremely dirty very fast due to the plant debris and high bioload. It requires cleaning about once every week or two. On the days that I clean the filter I DO NOT FEED for that day. That gives the bacteria a bit of a catch-up period to prevent a mini-spike.

HTH

 

[rocktrns]

Yikes, there was a lot of bad information going around in this thread!

Anyways no I would not get a new filter pad. Leave the on in there you have now. When it gets cruddy just clean it in used tank water like you did and it will be good as new. The smaller the tank the less important the filter is in terms of bacterial population but it still needs to be kept "healthy" and that means not replacing the whole cartridge once a month. DON'T DO IT. and save your money for something else (like a better filter IMO such as an Aquaclear).

I have an aquaclear HOB for my 20 gallon community and it gets extremely dirty very fast due to the plant debris and high bioload. It requires cleaning about once every week or two. On the days that I clean the filter I DO NOT FEED for that day. That gives the bacteria a bit of a catch-up period to prevent a mini-spike.

HTH

ok thanks I also noticed once I cleaned my filter pad in the dirty tank water my tank has gotten much more clear I guess all it needed was alittle rinsing.

 

[MartinBlank]

Ok. Stupid question.

In reading online it seems to be all over the map as far as activated carbon. What makes it "bad" in that it shouldn't be used? Is it because activated carbon filters have to be changed more often (thus losing bacteria colonies)

 

[7Enigma]

Ok. Stupid question.

In reading online it seems to be all over the map as far as activated carbon. What makes it "bad" in that it shouldn't be used? Is it because activated carbon filters have to be changed more often (thus losing bacteria colonies)

There's nothing bad about activated carbon. When it's "active" (for about a week) it's great at absorbing things such as medication, ammonia, odor. Once it loses its activity it becomes essentially inert. If you were using it for meds you want to throw it out since it could potentially leech the chemicals back into the water (a bit of controversy over this topic, safe to say there is no issue if you trash it after a medication), but if not it becomes a great place for bacteria to colonize on. The whole reason carbon works is by having the giant surface area to trap particles. Once it loses that capacity it will turn from a chemical filter into a biological one.

So basically the only thing that makes it bad is improper use by completely changing it out infrequently. And unfortunately by improper use I mean proper use as per the manufacturer's directions. If you changed it every couple of days it would be great, and if you only put it in at the beginning of setting up a tank it would help buffer cycle (help I said, not fix it), and then become a normal biological filter.

HTH

 

[MartinBlank]

Thank you, it does indeed help clear that up.

 

[michaelg210]

Aqueon 10 Quiet Flow Medium Filter (for 10 - 20G / 100 gph)

If your filter media comes with the AC (activated carbon) in it then I would suggest doing what I do... I bought a big bag of polyfiber at a craftstore. Make sure it is 100% polyfiber and nothing else. I paid about $4 for it and I have been using the same bag in both tanks for years. Basically you cut a chunk of the polyfiber to fit your filter and stuff it in there.

I rinse mine in tank water when I do water changes (50% once a week) and I will reuse the same piece over and over again until it falls apart. Even then I won't throw the whole piece out, I will cut it in half, replace half with new polyfiber then wait a few more weeks and replace the old piece.

I just got the aqueon 10 (100 gph) with my 10 gallon tank with hood. All 3 came with the tank for $24, so I could not pass it up... However it seems there is not much bio matter in this filter, as most is plastic other than the white sheets (filter floss?)someone referred to. However, it is a beautifully designed filter and very quiet, only draw backs are 1. not much bio material, and 2. no adjustable flow rate.

I too have a betta, and once cycled, wish to add plants, I guess Java Fern and Amazon Sword, as these have been recommended as well as add some other fish, are these good fish to put with a betta?

I got 3 zebra danios,… my Betta. ..and then I added brought 4 neon tetras,...

Filter questions are as follows: * would adding polyfiber to the filter be a good idea? (sounds like it). * Should I take some if any of the other matter out to make room for it, as there is very little space in this filter. * Does anyone know if this is a good bio filter as it comes off the shelf or if modifying it (i.e. polyfiber) will hamper proper operation? * Then carbon acts as bio matter once spent?
*do bacterial mainly reside in the filter or in the gravel et al. or both? Do I vaccum or not, I have been told both…

Bacteria do live on pretty much every surface in your tank, and you may vacuum some out when you do a water change, but you definitely do not add them when you refill the tank. The chlorine/chloramine in your tap water is there to get rid of bacteria. The bacteria populations in your tank reproduce fast enough that the bacteria vacuumed out won't be missed..

Well I guess I bombarded y’all with enuff ?ions for now…. I am sure any replies will beg more questions anyway….