Filter Question

[CluelessInNY]

I've heard some advice before on changing of filters. I've heard more than once that you should NEVER change the filter, because the bacteria are so good for your tank. I've also heard that you should rinse it a bit in water and put it back if it needs it.
I added a new filter to mine last night, but left the old one in (my filter takes up to two cartridges). Is this the right move?
20 gallon, Penguin 150 Bio-Wheel Filter.

[Tifta]

I do that when I am gonna change out a filter pad. I usually rinse mine out and use it until it looks like it is about fall apart.

[SpeedEuphoria]

As long as you leave the old media or filter in for a week or 2 then its not a problem. Most just rinse out the old filter media in tank water or dechlorinated water if its dirty, then reuse. Basically you only need to replace it when it is falling apart.

[melosu58]

I would take one out at a time and throw the one you pull out away. That`s what I do on my Emporer. Pull one out and replace and a week later pull the old one out and replace. GAC is only good for a week or two at the most.

[roka64]

I run purigen and have to recharge it every few months, other than that, I rinse out the ceramic rings in my old SW to preserve the beneficial bacteria.

[lance]

The bacteria you want is on your LR and LS and with good flow. Bio wheels are bad as they only collect nitrates and if you dont keep the other filters clean they will also cause more harm then good.
THese filters can help remove looses unwanted debris from the water but nothing else.

The LR and LS are the best Bio Filter you can have and better then and media filter , but if water source or flow or feeding habits or stocking habit or , ect.. arent right then they become a source of nitrates and other unwanted elements. And this could take months or yrs.

Im still amazed i can not only keep coral alive in ,y living room but have them thrive.

[melosu58]

Originally Posted by lance

Bio wheels are bad as they only collect nitrates

They are only bad if you dont do nothing about it. With proper PWC`s and macro`s for taking in of excessive nutrients they can be manageable. I have one on my 29 gallon FOWLR tank. I would not use one on my 125 reef but simply because I have a large amount of LR and a fuge.

[CluelessInNY]

That's the first I'd ever heard about a bio-wheel being BAD for a tank. The book I read, the online articles, all point to a bio-wheel as a must have.
I think I'll leave it with the wheel,since my water paramters have been good for awhile.
Someday, I intend to upgrade the lighting and add some coral

[roka64]

As Mike says, bio wheels are beneficial if maintained properly. When you do PWCs, just rinse the bio wheel out in your old SW, and that will clean the wheel and preserve the beneficial bacteria in the wheel. They are also great to have if you need to set up an emergency QT.

[melosu58]

Originally Posted by CluelessInNY

That's the first I'd ever heard about a bio-wheel being BAD for a tank. The book I read, the online articles, all point to a bio-wheel as a must have.

Well I would not go that far as to say a must have. The best filtration IMO is biological filtration. This is proper amount of LR + LS and proper flow. This is the best IMO. I`m saying that a bio wheel will work with the proper PWC`s and management. My reef tank has never had a bio wheel on it. As I said I`m just saying it can be done.

[Kurt_Nelson]

Originally Posted by lance

Bio wheels are bad as they only collect nitrates...

Not really... they don't "collect" anything. They do what any wet/dry filter is supposed to do - convert the bad stuff to nitrates. And they do it very efficiently which is why they tend to pump out nitrates. Nothing bad with that, but with enough live rock you don't need a biowheel.

... and if you dont keep the other filters clean they will also cause more harm then good..

Totally agree with this though. If you don't keep the blue filter pads clean, those filters are what will cause problems... not the biowheel itself.

CluelessInNY...I run the same biowheel as you, but I run it on my 46g so that I have something I can switch over to a quarantine tank on a moments notice and have a cycled tank ready to go. I don't keep my QT up all the time. I swish out the blue pads in saltwater every week during my water change and put new ones in every 3 weeks. I rarely swish the biowheel itself off in saltwater. Maybe I do it every 3-4 months or so. Maybe. And the highest my nitrates have ever been are somewhere between 1-2 ppm. If you keep up your maintenance, you shouldn't have a problem with them. But if you have enough live rock, you might not need it either - unless you're using it for the same reason I use it.