filter question

[janeth0185]

ok so im kinda confused on weather to change or not to change my cartridge in my hob filter..i have a aquatech power filter 5-15.and how often do i have to clean it and with what do you clean the filter with??i havent done anything to it since i got it (besides change the cartridge once) but now i hear from diff ppl you shouldnt...so what should i really do?

 

[Jconner3]

Don't change the cartridge until its literally falling apart. Just swish it around In old tank water when you're doing a water change.

 

[janeth0185]

Don't change the cartridge until its literally falling apart. Just swish it around In old tank water when you're doing a water change.

oh ok...and do u know the reason why its not good to change the cartridge every month like the manufacture intructions say..im just curious to know why

 

[Jconner3]

oh ok...and do u know the reason why its not good to change the cartridge every month like the manufacture intructions say..im just curious to know why

Well most of the beneficial bacteria lives on the filter cartridge so if you throw it out every month, you're getting rid of most of your ammonia and nitrite converting bacteria.

 

[M1k3y_gumi]

Well aqua tech filters use carbon cartridges . Carbon is becomes counter effective after a month. That is why the label suggests. monthly changes. However most planted tank owners do not use carbon in their filters as carbon is not really necessary. Most just use sponges or filter floss and some bio media. Therefore, with such filter media, replacement is pointless and even somewhat damaging as it decreases bio filtration. Try ripping the sponge off of an aquatech cartridge and rapping it in filter floss. Then you have a filter cartridge you need not replace.

 

[clearancepuppy]

Manufacturers don't make as much money when you reuse the filters, which are actually full of beneficial bacteria.

From Lori Barile:

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/guide-to-starting-a-freshwater-aquarium/


"Filtration is very important for any aquarium and the more filtration the better. You generally want a higher level of filtration than your tank size; so if you have a 30 gal tank and your filter is rated for aquariums up to 30 gals you may want to invest in a larger filter (or more than one). A good rule of thumb is purchase filtration that is double the size for your tank, so if you have a 20 gal tank purchase a filter that’s rated for at least a 40 gal aquarium.

There are many types of filters: under-gravel (UG), hang on the back (HOB), internal and canister. Most internal and HOB filters are the best choice; canister filters can also be great for larger tanks. Some recommended brands are Aquaclear (HOB) and Fluval (internal or canister).

Most filters come with filter media which is the “stuff” that goes inside the filter; this can be ceramic rings, sponges, pads, etc. Some filters also come with charcoal. There is some debate on whether charcoal is needed for an aquarium. Mostly charcoal is used to remove medications from the water after treating for illness but generally charcoal isn’t needed at any other time. You can keep the charcoal in the filter without any harmful effects but you can also choose to replace the carbon with another form of filter insert such as a sponge or ceramic rings.

Most manufacturers say to replace filter media every x amount of months but this is incorrect. The beneficial bacteria your aquarium needs mostly live on your filter media and replacing the media can cause your tank to recycle depending upon the amount you change. Generally filter media does not need to be replaced until it is literally falling apart (which can be years) and if you do need to replace some filter media replace a small portion at a time."

 

[2tanks4me]

I wuz spending mad money buying AQUA TECH filter cartridges until I learned here not to throw them away. When I realized my mistake I ripped the blue pad off the black plastic frame & bought new pad (comes in a 10" x 30" sheet, you cut to right size) from LFS & hot-glued the new pads onto the recycled plastic frames leaving the top unglued so I could put carbon in it if I needed to but can also dump it back out. Using 2 sets of cartridges for each filter (1 set soaks in a container of old tank water while I use the other) when I do a water change I simply replace the 1 in the filter with the 1 from the container of water & that 1 just soaks in the container until the next change. 1 sheet of filter pad made 12 filters for my AQUA-TECH 30-60 & 6 filters for my AQUA-TECH 5-15. These boxes of cartridges cost $24 (2 6-pack boxes) & $9 (1 6-pack box) in Walmart & I made new ones with the recycled frames & pack of padding for less than $8. Very cost effective for sure!!

 

[2tanks4me]

Sorry, I forget to include this, don't forget to dump the old water out of the container with the soaking filters & replace with tank water when you do the water & filter changes.

 

[HopefulHobbiest]

so is it true that carbon becomes counter productive after a while? and if this is true, in what way does it become counter productive??

 

[Link119]

There is a debate over how long it takes for this to happen, so to stay on the safe side i would either eliminate carbon (as long as you are doing weekly water changes, which you should be doing) or replace it monthly.

 

[HopefulHobbiest]

Can I put those ceramic rings/balls in the filter pouch or should I use something else?