reyma10
Aquarium Advice Activist
- Joined
- Jul 7, 2012
- Messages
- 177
You can do that for a while but eventually the carbon will give out and need to be replaced every month
Ohhhhh yeah they look nasty. Although after a rinsing they don't really look all that bad. But no, they don't have to be bright and shiny new to be effective - once they get "dirty" I feel they are more effective since they are doing two jobs at once, mechanical and biological filtration.
You can do that for a while but eventually the carbon will give out and need to be replaced every month
Can you explain that last statement?
Hi Reyma!
Thanks for the input and pics; finally, I get to see someone's Aqueon in action on their tank!
I have the model that came out before your 55/75s, which is just the QuietFlow 55; it seems that you have your water level set so that the 55/75s create a kind of "surface rippling" effect, which I do with my tank as well...is that so?
Once they get dirty, bacteria has colonized in them so they are now doing biological filtration as well as the mechanical filtration of catching particles that are in the water. New clean cartridges can only catch the particles until bacteria colonizes them, and if you are replacing them regularly then you will never be seeing a benefit of the added bio filtration.
And as for the carbon being exhausted in a month, that's true, but the carbon won't have any detrimental effect on your water. It just won't be filtering out dissolved organized like tannins or meds anymore. There isn't a need for carbon in most tanks most of the time. As has been said, it takes very acidic or basic conditions for carbon to degrade into the water. After a month it will just be sitting in the cartridge inert. And if that worries you you can always cut it out of the filter cartridges before you put them in (or after they have been in for a while if you want).
These are my filters. Aqueon Quiet Flow 55 and Aquaclear 50.
You can see the differences in the Aqueon Cartridges. One has been in for several months and I just replaced the other 2 weeks ago.
In the Aquaclear I switched out the sponge instead of rinsing but have been using the same biomax for almost 7-8 months. It would of been longer but I used my original biomax to seed my QT filter. No carbon in the QT. Carbon run in the Aqueon by default. Carbon run in the Aquaclear optionally.
I will say I have no concerns of carbon leaching toxins back into my aquarium, nor have I ever had issues stemming from it. Does it become useless? Yes Harmful? Not in my opinion.
Yea I do have my level of water pretty high to my filters make a rippleing effect in the tank
Well mine works fine with the water pretty high
I had some issue in my tank so I swapped some inserts to maximize mechanical filtration from a heavy gravel vac and to trap medications with new carbon. Otherwise I dont touch my inserts.
Yes you can just rinse inserts from either filter in old tank water.
I had some issue in my tank so I swapped some inserts to maximize mechanical filtration from a heavy gravel vac and to trap medications with new carbon. Otherwise I dont touch my inserts.
Yes you can just rinse inserts from either filter in old tank water.
View attachment 163702
This my outflow. I dont clean that either lol, I noticed that after water changes some of fish like to nibble on the film thats growing or collecting or whatever on the outflow lip.
Yeah the Aquaclear has a steeper drop than the Aqueon. As the water evaporates I get the outflow i prefer but no big deal IMO.