Hey, i would say your good to take it out. I believe(and stand corrected) that the BB multiples every 24/48hrs. I would remove it but keep it in a bowl of old tank water and after 48hrs, check your tank water and if your tests are good, you could dump it. In saying that though, i always keep my old sponges, they are good for cleaning in and around the tank..What type of canister have you got??
I'm not too familiar with American brands of canisters but they all basically work the same with the same lay-outs. If you want your water to sparkle, try this set-up. Almost ALL filters can be customized and i have always done this, both internals and canisters.
No i would leave the bio-rings there or you could replace them slowly with Seachem Matrix(has a lot more internal and external surface area). If it was me i would take out the coarse sponge and try it with a full tray of floss. Hold onto the pad though and if you think the floss is getting clogged too quickly you could put it back in. I'm trying to up-load a video of my 55g to show you how clear my tank is....I can't seem to upload it????
