Should I add more media or HOB?

[librarygirl]

Hi,

I'm currently doing a fishless cycle on a Marineland 12 gal Eclipse Bowfront. I'm using the filter that came with the tank.

I found out that the filter cartridge that goes into these is a carbon pad with a plastic casing on the bottom (you can see one here). I read carbon can hinder cycles and wouldn't be good if my fish ever got sick and I needed to medicate the tank so I figured I'd try to take it out. Pics below of what I did to the filter.

Since the filter was running with fish in it for a few weeks (they didn't make it ) and it's a bit gunky I don't want to get rid of it, at least not yet. If I close the holes you can't really tell. There are still some carbon pieces inside as I couldn't get them all out but I got the majority of it.

Anyway, my question (finally!): I'd like to have some extra media on hand if I ever wanted/needed to turn my 5 gal into a QT tank or if I ever wanted to upgrade, etc. Would another filter on this tank be too much? If I added more media or another filter now would it disrupt the fishless cycle (keeping the current media; I'm only 6 days in)? Should I add a whole other filter system, like a HOB filter, or should I just buy some filter sponges/foam and stick those into the spaces next to (to the left of) the current filter? It's pretty tight in there, there are a couple of spaces before and under the current filter, it should get wet though).

Any advice/recommendations would be much appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[j2112j]

I think the marineland units have some challenges with using HOB's no ?

I would try to stuff some foam/floss in there, but make sure it's not too much to prevent good water movement. Some you can buy and just cut in a thin strip. Or...
You might want to remove the blue filter pad and carbon (Cut it out of the frame) and then just fit a cut piece of foam pad into the cartridge frame.

 

[librarygirl]

I think the marineland units have some challenges with using HOB's no ?

I would try to stuff some foam/floss in there, but make sure it's not too much to prevent good water movement. Some you can buy and just cut in a thin strip. Or...
You might want to remove the blue filter pad and carbon (Cut it out of the frame) and then just fit a cut piece of foam pad into the cartridge frame.

That's a good idea. I do have an extra cartridge from the 5 gal that I bought before I upgraded. I think I'll take out the carbon, cut it out of the plastic casing, then i'll completely cut the current filter pad from it's cartridge and place them on top of each other in the tank. Would that work? That would let me remove the last of the carbon particles too if I just separate the current filter pad from it's casing. Thanks!

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Hi,

I'm currently doing a fishless cycle on a Marineland 12 gal Eclipse Bowfront. I'm using the filter that came with the tank.

I found out that the filter cartridge that goes into these is a carbon pad with a plastic casing on the bottom (you can see one here). I read carbon can hinder cycles and wouldn't be good if my fish ever got sick and I needed to medicate the tank so I figured I'd try to take it out. Pics below of what I did to the filter.

Since the filter was running with fish in it for a few weeks (they didn't make it ) and it's a bit gunky I don't want to get rid of it, at least not yet. If I close the holes you can't really tell. There are still some carbon pieces inside as I couldn't get them all out but I got the majority of it.

Anyway, my question (finally!): I'd like to have some extra media on hand if I ever wanted/needed to turn my 5 gal into a QT tank or if I ever wanted to upgrade, etc. Would another filter on this tank be too much? If I added more media or another filter now would it disrupt the fishless cycle (keeping the current media; I'm only 6 days in)? Should I add a whole other filter system, like a HOB filter, or should I just buy some filter sponges/foam and stick those into the spaces next to (to the left of) the current filter? It's pretty tight in there, there are a couple of spaces before and under the current filter, it should get wet though).

Any advice/recommendations would be much appreciated!

Thanks!

I'd suggest not messing with the filter anymore until your cycle is complete and the cut up filter pad isn't a biggie since your using it to build bacteria rather than clean the tank of detritus from fish and those cartridges are easy to modify. Rather than cutting the front open, remove a few of the plastic strips in the back, shake the carbon out and stuff poly-fil into the now empty carbon chamber. It works great that way and will last a long time with some good filtering capacity.

I think I told you to cut the fiber on the back of the cartridge in another thread, but didn't know it was this style .

 

[librarygirl]

I'd suggest not messing with the filter anymore until your cycle is complete and the cut up filter pad isn't a biggie since your using it to build bacteria rather than clean the tank of detritus from fish and those cartridges are easy to modify. Rather than cutting the front open, remove a few of the plastic strips in the back, shake the carbon out and stuff poly-fil into the now empty carbon chamber. It works great that way and will last a long time with some good filtering capacity.

I think I told you to cut the fiber on the back of the cartridge in another thread, but didn't know it was this style .

Thanks again. I will leave it alone for now. But maybe I'm being dense, how would I cut the plastic in the back (pic attached); it looks pretty indestructible. Once (if it ever!) cycles and it's been OK for a while I'll figure out how to add more media, but just curious for right now. Thanks!

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Thanks again. I will leave it alone for now. But maybe I'm being dense, how would I cut the plastic in the back (pic attached); it looks pretty indestructible. Once (if it ever!) cycles and it's been OK for a while I'll figure out how to add more media, but just curious for right now. Thanks!

See all those little slats that look like bars? Just cut a few out to make a hole and shake the carbon out. If it's sectioned off, just do the same thing in the different sections. The nice thing about those style of filter pads is you have a built in chamber to stuff fiber material (I like using poly-fil) into it and it stays put because the current of water is always pushing it into the filter.

 

[librarygirl]

See all those little slats that look like bars? Just cut a few out to make a hole and shake the carbon out. If it's sectioned off, just do the same thing in the different sections. The nice thing about those style of filter pads is you have a built in chamber to stuff fiber material (I like using poly-fil) into it and it stays put because the current of water is always pushing it into the filter.

Aaah got it! You're a genius thank you