Filter help please!

[befo93]

Hello everyone!
I’m just wondering if I would be able to replace these carbon cartridge filters with some foam like the one pictured? As I’ve read that carbon isn’t really needed unless there’s issues in the tank and I’d much rather use some reusable foam type thing so I don’t lose any beneficial bacteria. Have a picture of the filter I have so it would be that front part I would stuff the foam into. Hope that makes sense to someone I’m very new to this! Thankyou all for any help/advice it’s much appreciated

 

[Aiken Drum]

Yes. A filter is just a box to put filter media in. Removing the cartridges and filling it with proper filter media is absolutely the best thing to do.

The fluval biofoam will do a good job, but its an expensive way of doing it. Buying a branded product, cutting it fit your filtration. Just go to a half decent aquarium store and buy some 20 ppi sponge for a fraction of the cost and cut that to size, but if the Fluval product is convenient for you it will work fine. Periodically rinse it out so that you maintain good flow through your filtration.

There is a youtuber called pond guru who does a very good series of modifying filter set ups like you are planning. He has done some videos on interpet filters, but i cant find your specific one. But if you look through some of his videos on similar internal filters it will give you the idea on what you can do, and how you can better set up your filtration.

Your filter, if set up "out of the box" includes some ceramic rings which will be doing the biological filtration for you, so all you are doing is removing the cartridges that provides some mechanical and chemical filtration. The sponge will do the mechanical filtration for you, and provide some additional biological filtration too.

 

[befo93]

Yes. A filter is just a box to put filter media in. Removing the cartridges and filling it with proper filter media is absolutely the best thing to do.

The fluval biofoam will do a good job, but its an expensive way of doing it. Buying a branded product, cutting it fit your filtration. Just go to a half decent aquarium store and buy some 20 ppi sponge for a fraction of the cost and cut that to size, but if the Fluval product is convenient for you it will work fine. Periodically rinse it out so that you maintain good flow through your filtration.

There is a youtuber called pond guru who does a very good series of modifying filter set ups like you are planning. He has done some videos on interpet filters, but i cant find your specific one. But if you look through some of his videos on similar internal filters it will give you the idea on what you can do, and how you can better set up your filtration.

Your filter, if set up "out of the box" includes some ceramic rings which will be doing the biological filtration for you, so all you are doing is removing the cartridges that provides some mechanical and chemical filtration. The sponge will do the mechanical filtration for you, and provide some additional biological filtration too.

That is so helpful I really appreciate your time Thankyou

 

[BBradbury]

Hello. I don't replace the filter media in my tank filters. I just rinse them with the spray attachment in the sink. There's plenty of beneficial bacteria living on all the surfaces inside the tank. So, what bacteria is lost in the rinsing process is soon replaced with no harm to whatever you have living in that tank. Just work up to the point you remove and replace most of the water in your tank every few days and your filter will just be filtering clean water all the time.

B