Filter output

[DaruniaJones88]

Got a 5 gallon aquarium. I think I put a little too much water in. The output on the filter is currently underwater. Will do the output flow bug any fish?

Any other advice on filters, like say, how often should one be replaced? To try and save some $ could I scrub the filters clean once to get a little more mileage out of them?
Also I got a gravel vacuum thingamajig. Any advice/technics on the best way to get the gunk out of the gravel

Haven't gotten them yet. Just setting everything up first. Make sure everything is good to go before adding fish

[Aiken Drum]

Originally Posted by DaruniaJones88

Got a 5 gallon aquarium. I think I put a little too much water in. The output on the filter is currently underwater. Will do the output flow bug any fish?

Depends on the fish and how much flow is actually produced. The total amount of flow wont actually be affected by water level, if the filter output is say 25 gallons per hour then flow is 25 gallons per hour. Its just things like water level will effect how much surface agitation there is, or how the flow is dispersed. Fish like bettas can get blown about by too much flow. Fish like tetras will enjoy a lot of flow.

Originally Posted by DaruniaJones88

Any other advice on filters, like say, how often should one be replaced? To try and save some $ could I scrub the filters clean once to get a little more mileage out of them?
Also I got a gravel vacuum thingamajig. Any advice/technics on the best way to get the gunk out of the gravel

Filter media should only be replaced when its literally falling apart. Every time you replace your filter media you throw away the bacteria responsible for your cycle, and potentially start over. Periodically (say monthly) rinse out filter media with water taken from your tank. Using chlorinated water will kill off the bacteria also, which you dont want to do. Im assuming your filter uses cartridges for filter media? If so, i presume there is more than 1 cartridge in it? If you do need to replace a cartridge, dont replace them all at once. Leave a month or so between replacing 1 and the other. Dont scrub filter media. Doing so will kill off the bacteria responsible for your cycle.

I presume by gravel vac thingamajig you mean a syphon? Use this for weekly water changes and while you are doing your water change use it to hoover up any detritus that has collected on your substrate. You can also push it into the substrate to hoover out any detritus that has collected inside the substrate. Dont be too vigourous vacuuming into the substrate, maybe just do a small area each week. Some of the bacteria responsible for your cycle will be living in your substrate and you dont want to be removing too much of this at once.

As you are a new fishkeeper, what do you know about the nitrogen cycle and do you know how to cycle a tank?