What to use for secondary filter?

[Bullnugget]

I have a Marineland emperor 400. It comes with the stand carbon cartridge but also uses a empty cartridge that I usualy fill up with pete granules. My tapwater has a high pH naturally. When I first got the aquarium from my dad he had a thing of white carbon rocks, I think that's what they are called?, but they were to help with ammonia. Well I ran out of the pete granules, I was only replacing them once a month or so with a new carbon filter. The time has come, do I continue using them or what else should I use?

 

[Mebbid]

Firstly, don't change your filter cartridge. It needs changing at the very most once every 6 or more months. With a cycled tank almost all of the bacteria is found on the filter media and throwing that out is going to cause big issues.

Next, what is your pH at? Most fish can withstand a very wide range of different pH ranges and trying to adjust it will generally cause more problems than it will fix.

What does your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate stay at usually?

The media that you are using is probably zeolite.

 

[jlk]

I use filter floss in the secondary cartridge holders. Keeps the water sparkling clear even with messy fish.

 

[Bullnugget]

Firstly, don't change your filter cartridge. It needs changing at the very most once every 6 or more months. With a cycled tank almost all of the bacteria is found on the filter media and throwing that out is going to cause big issues.

Next, what is your pH at? Most fish can withstand a very wide range of different pH ranges and trying to adjust it will generally cause more problems than it will fix.

What does your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate stay at usually?

The media that you are using is probably zeolite.

You mean don't change the Carbon cartridge?? I thought that was what needed changes once a month or so. I also have 2 biowheels on the filter, this is the stuff I was using

 

[Mebbid]

It's a waste of money to change the carbon out. The only real need for it is after you medicate a tank. Other than that its not really useful.

What's your ph at without the peat granules?

 

[Bullnugget]

Havnt checked it without. I have been using them for a few months, well it was something like 8 or something I really cant remember, havnt checked my ph in a while. I know I know, I am pretty bad about keeping up with checking my parameters, but my fish are all doing well and nothing is dieing so I don't bother with it

 

[Mebbid]

If your pH is at a standard 8.0 then there's really no need to worry about changing it. For general filter maintenance all you need to do is swish the old filter pad in old tank water to clean the debris off of it. Other than that there's really nothing that you need to worry about.

 

[Bullnugget]

Ok Mebbid, just ran a full test with my API master kit. Here are the results:
pH: 8.2
Nitrate: 5 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Temp: 80 F

This is 48 hours since my last water change, which was about 12-15 gallons(don't really measure to the exact)

Looking back at old results before I started using the Pete granules pH was around 8 to 8.2.

Obviously these pete granules are not doing what they claim. So, then I have not replaced any of the 2 carbon or refilled the extra cartridge in over a month. Should I just go ahead and replace the pete granules with something else? I have been getting some brown algae a lot, and come to think of it about the time I started using the pete granules. This filter floss sounds intriguing....

I also just ordered a new filter for my 2 African clawed frogs in their 20 long because the tetra whisper 40i just cant keep up with those filthy things, I ordered a marineland emperor 280, uses the same E cartridge. So, this filter floss may work well in it to?

 

[Mebbid]

The filter floss is only really necessary when you have particulates suspended in the water column. It won't really have a whole lot of effect otherwise. It also won't do anything about the diatoms, they will go away on their own. As for the peat granules, I wouldn't bother. 8.2 is perfectly fine unless you have wild caught or some very sensitive fish.

 

[Bullnugget]

Ok, thanks again, man you are very helpful! Anyway, is there anything else I should use? I feel like my water isn't being filtered very well? I guess I would rather overkill water filtration then not have enough

 

[Mebbid]

The filter's primary job is to convert ammonia into nitrates. As long as that is being done without issues than there is enough filtration. However if you think your water could be a little clearer I would highly recommend purigen. It's a fantastic water clarifier, isn't expensive, and can be recharged over and over rather than needing to be replaced monthly