AC 110 question

[Convict2161]

Do you use all the bells and whistles that the filter comes with? Sponge, carbon and whatever that bag of what look likes round hollow shells. I just used it all.

Question is... How do you run your AC 110? I have 1 110 with the carbon and 1 AC with the ammonia out bag. The store was running a special and it came with it so I figured one carbon and one of the other.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

IMO Ditch the carbon. Not needed, waste of money. And ditch the ammonia absorbing stuff. The BB consumes the ammonia, no need for it.

 

[Convict2161]

IMO Ditch the carbon. Not needed, waste of money. And ditch the ammonia absorbing stuff. The BB consumes the ammonia, no need for it.

Ok so just the big white sponge that's it? What about those shell looking things? Why do they sell filters with all this stuff when it's not needed? That annoys me!!

View attachment 64634

Keep this stuff and ditch this?



View attachment 64635

 

[Mumma.of.two]

The white things are ceramic rings. They have a porous surface for BB to grow in/on. They are your bio media so keep them!
BB grows on everything even carbon so don't throw too much media from your filter at once.

 

[Convict2161]

The white things are ceramic rings. They have a porous surface for BB to grow in/on. They are your bio media so keep them!
BB grows on everything even carbon so don't throw too much media from your filter at once.

Ok thanks. For now I'll keep everything. And when I save up its the fluval FX5!!

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Ok thanks. For now I'll keep everything. And when I save up its the fluval FX5!!

Yay canister! IMO chuck the ammonia absorb stuff now. Will mess up your cycle.

 

[Convict2161]

Yay canister! IMO chuck the ammonia absorb stuff now. Will mess up your cycle.

Really?!?! Wonderful!!! Like right now?! At 1:20am? I'll do it! Should I? For real?!

EDIT: waiting for MUMMA to respond.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Really?!?! Wonderful!!! Like right now?! At 1:20am? I'll do it! Should I? For real?!

EDIT: waiting for MUMMA to respond.

In the morning will be fine. It's only been in there like two days right? Won't harm anything in that amount of time.

 

[Convict2161]

In the morning will be fine. It's only been in there like two days right? Won't harm anything in that amount of time.

Yea tomorrow will be 2 days but I'm up now. My son decided he was hungry. What exactly does that ammonia out carbon thing do that screws up the cycle?

 

[Convict2161]

I did it now. I'm up anyway. So I just have the sponge, those shell things for BB and the media from my old penguin.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Any ammonia absorbing products remove ammonia before the BB get a chance to eat it. Less food = less BB so when you take it out or it runs out the ammonia can spike because there are not enough BB to consume it all.
It's no big deal though because you only had it for a very short time

 

[Redd]

So I can disgard the ammo-chip bags(ammonia absorbing substrate) and my carbon bags that I have in the tanks? Here I'm thinking I was doing the tanks something good. I had mine in for more-than a month, should I just chuck em or slowly empty them so the bb can grow?

 

[carey]

The ammonia removing media is un needed and you can skip that for now on.

I happen to run carbon in my setups, some people do, some dont, its all your choice. It won't hurt anything but it's helpfulness is dependent on what you aim to achieve with it. carbon can remove odors, discoloration from the water and medications.

 

[Redd]

So I can disgard the ammo-chip bags(ammonia absorbing substrate) and my carbon bags that I have in the tanks? Here I'm thinking I was doing the tanks something good. I had mine in for more-than a month, should I just chuck em or slowly empty them so the bb can grow?

 

[BillD]

Carbon is handy for the removal of certain thing such as medicants, but is not necessary for regular use. As well, it depletes rather quickly. With Ac filters, the sponge is a bio media as well as the ceramic tubes. The sponges will last for many years and only need to be cleaned regularly by squeezing the debris from them in a container of tank water, when doing water changes. The ceramic tubes should last pretty much forever. That is the beauty of AC filters, as once you have them you have no more ongoing media expenses.

 

[Redd]

@BillD, WHATTTT!!!,..... you mean to tell me the pet store telling me that I have to change my carbon media and ammo packs every 4weeks was a RIP-OFF? I feel dooped yet again.

 

[kenbob]

Ask questions here first. Do not listen to local fish stores.

 

[Convict2161]

Ask questions here first. Do not listen to local fish stores.

Learned that lesson real quick!

 

[kenbob]

I learned that lesson too.

 

[Redd]

Man all you guys/gals are great. this is the info I needed months ago. Lesson learned, but sadly at the expense of some bettas I really liked.