View Full Version : changing a filter....... where to put the old one?
grannylvsfish
03-03-2007, 4:56 PM
I have an aqua tech HOB and it was slowing way down after 5 months, I rinsed it off with each water change in the water in the bucket, but I noticed a real slow down. I put a new one in today, but..... what do I do with the old one? there is no room in my HOB for the old filter, as there is a second filtration in it. Sort of a hard mesh kind of thing. will these be enough bio so I can throw the old filter away? There is just no room in the filter bo for the old filter.
thanks I await replys :)
grannylvsfish
03-03-2007, 4:57 PM
one more thing, I have put it in the tank and its floating around until I get some answers. I hope I can pitch it!
jm1212
03-03-2007, 5:33 PM
keep it in the tank for a few days and then toss it
liv2padl
03-03-2007, 5:44 PM
i'd cut some of the pad material .. maybe a 4 inch square piece, and put it in the same compartment as the new filter .. in front of it so the water contacts the old bit of filter before it goes through the new one.
Importskyline22
03-03-2007, 5:48 PM
IM confused. I just throw my old filter pads away and put brand new ones in. Unless your talking about the filter media. IM confused :confused:
liv2padl
03-03-2007, 5:56 PM
I just throw my old filter pads away and put brand new ones in. Unless your talking about the filter media. when you throw out the old filter pads, you're throwing away all that good bacteria needed for converting ammonia and nitrite. and ... filter pads ARE filter media
Importskyline22
03-03-2007, 6:02 PM
and ... filter pads ARE filter media
Hmmm. thats news to me then.
I thought you had your filter pads, and then after that you have your "filter media screens"
The filter media screens is what i "rinse off in the tank water".
grannylvsfish
03-03-2007, 6:05 PM
Hmmm. thats news to me then.
I thought you had your filter pads, and then after that you have your "filter media screens"
The filter media screens is what i "rinse off in the tank water".
I have a mesh like thing in my tank along with the filter. sort of a two stage I guess. I did cut a 4 inch square off the old one, and did add it to my new filter. God knows I do not want a mini cycle ! My tank was cleaned today, and the HOB was cleaned out. fish love a water change each week :)
Importskyline22
03-03-2007, 6:10 PM
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a369/Importskyline22/likethis.jpg
Thats how mine is. It has the filter pad, and then the bio-media.
So everything i cahnge the filter pad (blue thing) i throw the old one away. and rinse the bio-media pad in the tnak water.
Never had a mini cycle in 6 months of doing this.
Mgamer20o0
03-03-2007, 6:21 PM
i wouldnt toss it... i would keep it just incase.
your tossing out a lot of the bectria but still doesnt mean for sure you will have a mini cycle. just a higher percent.
"Media", in this instance just means "stuff", The filter media is, the stuff that does the filtering.
So in the picture, the white pad is designed to do most of the biological filterring. ~it is the biological filter media. The blue thing I suppose does mechanical filtration, and has carbon in it. Supposedly the carbon is for chemical filtration. but as I understand it, is useless after 2 weeks or so.
A lot of bacteria also grow on the blue pad and the carbon, if they are left in.
If you test your water for ammonia shortly after you change your blue filter and see no rise, then cool.
I myself just use it all as bacterial filter media and rinse it out in tank water. I will need to replace the blue part one of these days though because i can see that it will clog. Good to know that I Might get away with it with out trying to preserve its biofilter. I will test the water when i remove it.
skillful abbot
03-05-2007, 2:49 AM
Medium means, "An intervening substance through which something else is transmitted or carried on." The plural of Medium is, "media". Medium also means, "A filtering substance or material."
This includes everything inside of the filter.
Importskyline22
03-05-2007, 11:34 AM
If you test your water for ammonia shortly after you change your blue filter and see no rise, then cool.
Well me personally. After i put a new one in. My readings are always the same.
Shagmaster
03-05-2007, 2:02 PM
Well me personally. After i put a new one in. My readings are always the same.
The reason for that is, 90% of your "media" is the white stuff in the pic. When you change the blue "filter pad", the majority of your filtering bacteria is still present.
BTW I have one of those Blue filter pads in my HOB and havent had to change it in about 3 months! doesent clogg, water runs through as easily as the day I got it. Go Figure:huh:
Medium means, "An intervening substance through which something else is transmitted or carried on." The plural of Medium is, "media". Medium also means, "A filtering substance or material."
This includes everything inside of the filter.
:thud: 'xactly what I meant. Now why didn't I think of looking up a definition?