Marineland Bio Wheel Filters

[powermatt5000]

I have a marineland 350 it has 4 slots for filter pads. They also have cartridge frames that you can put media in like carbon, ammonia neutralizing crystals, or a blend.
How often should the filter pads be changed?
I just want to get the best out of what I have. Should I run 4 pads? Should I run a media frame, and with what?

 

[deepseadan]

I would run all the filters, and wash the first couple when they get dirty. Just continue to use them as long as possible. The small amount of carbon in them will be exhausted quickly, but that's where the media holders come in handy. Fill them with carbon. Once your biowheels get full of bacteria, there won't be a need for any other media. That's what I do on my sons tank.

 

[TheCrazyFishLady]

You could just pick up bonded filter. Much cheaper, just cut out the size you need. That way you can buy a container of carbon and replace it your self every week. Run pads for two to three months, and run multiple at a time so that at any given point there is enough on each pad.

All of my tanks have bio wheels of some size and I always keep a cartridge in there. The wheel for sure helps, but you can never give your bacteria enough space to live or have too much filtration.