DarylF2
Aquarium Advice Activist
I recently upgraded my 38-gallon tank with a 96-watt Coralife lighting fixture. I'm replacing its substrate with Eco-Complete this weekend (removing and discarding its current UGF), and have 2 liters of Flourish Excel on hand, as well as several other fertilizers (chelated iron, etc.). I have a NutraFin/Hagen master test kit on order, and it should probably arrive at the end of this week or early next week.
My filter is a Whisper 60, which I like a lot. However, all of the filter cartridges I've found for it (both those from Tetra and those from Drs. Foster and Smith) contain activated charcoal, which I've read repeatedly is undesirable (or even downright BAD) for a planted tank...
So, what do I do? The Whisper 60 is a classic HOB filter and holds two inserts: first is a cartridge/bag to filter out particles, which holds the acticated charcoal; second is a foam bio-filter to provide a large-surface-area home for our beloved ammonia- and nitrite-eating bacteria. The first cartidge is replace every 2-4 weeks and the second is pretty much permanent. The water is sucked from the tank into two chambers (one on the left and one on the right). The water is then forced through the first filter and then through the second filter, and exits into the tank.
I'm now using Drs. Foster and Smith Bio3 filter cartridges, as they are cheaper and seem better made than the (original) Tetra cartridges. The Drs. Foster and Smith cartridges have a baffled design, with three sections each containing a small amount of activated charcoal.
Should I remove the activated charcoal, and otherwise use the cartridge as is (except for the small slit through which I removed the charcoal)?
Should I stuff the (now emptied) cartridge's baffled bag with filter floss?
Or should I stop using these cartridges, and just use filter floss (probably not a good idea as there is nothing really to keep the floss from getting into the filter's impeller assembly).
My filter is a Whisper 60, which I like a lot. However, all of the filter cartridges I've found for it (both those from Tetra and those from Drs. Foster and Smith) contain activated charcoal, which I've read repeatedly is undesirable (or even downright BAD) for a planted tank...
So, what do I do? The Whisper 60 is a classic HOB filter and holds two inserts: first is a cartridge/bag to filter out particles, which holds the acticated charcoal; second is a foam bio-filter to provide a large-surface-area home for our beloved ammonia- and nitrite-eating bacteria. The first cartidge is replace every 2-4 weeks and the second is pretty much permanent. The water is sucked from the tank into two chambers (one on the left and one on the right). The water is then forced through the first filter and then through the second filter, and exits into the tank.
I'm now using Drs. Foster and Smith Bio3 filter cartridges, as they are cheaper and seem better made than the (original) Tetra cartridges. The Drs. Foster and Smith cartridges have a baffled design, with three sections each containing a small amount of activated charcoal.
Should I remove the activated charcoal, and otherwise use the cartridge as is (except for the small slit through which I removed the charcoal)?
Should I stuff the (now emptied) cartridge's baffled bag with filter floss?
Or should I stop using these cartridges, and just use filter floss (probably not a good idea as there is nothing really to keep the floss from getting into the filter's impeller assembly).