cycling finally done, when and how to change filter media?

[indomitable]

well, im pretty sure ive finally cycled, took about 6 weeks. it was a fishy cycle, i did constant water changes and spent hours clucking like a mother hen over tests... didnt loose a single fish though!

the ammonia was the worst, was way high after daily water changes for three weeks. when i finally saw nitrItes i cheered like a loon, my man thinks im nuts. ammonia fell to zero almost immediately. nitrItes were much easier to deal with, reaching danger levels after three days, then requiring water changes every other day to keep it safe. finally, after another two weeks, nitrAtes appeared, which elicited another cheer on my part. over the last week, nitrItes have fallen, and have been at or just barely over 0 for a few days now.

i havent done a water change in that long, everything seems groovy, and from what ive read in other posts, it sounds like ive cycled. this forum is awesome, i have gone through my whole cycle not needing to ask a question til now. everything else i found accurately and completely answered in other posts.

my filter media is no longer doing its job. all the water is flowing over the top and side, though i did gently swish it out in tankwater halfway through cycle. when and how do i change it. lol, i know how to put it together and install it, but im worried about loosing all my bacteria. whats the best way??

tank stats, i know youll ask:

10 gal, no plants, overstocked after an emergency rescue. (need a 20 or 30 gal, but just cant afford it, been keeping my eye out for a free or cheap one at a garage sale)

ammonia - 0 ppm
nitrItes - 0 or 0.5 ppm liquid test, hard to tell
nitrAtes - 20 ppm
ph - 7.0


thank you in advance, you guy are awesome! sorry for such a verbose post, im a chatterbox. :P

[Slappy*McFish]

Do a 50% water change and swish your filter media in the buckets of tank water. This will clean most of the gunk out without harming your bacterial colony. You may need to get your hands dirty and squeeze or rub the dirt out if swishing isn't getting the job done.

[kimmisc]

I only change my filter cartridges if they are impeding flow even after being rinsed in removed tank water, or after I've medicated the tank (new cartridge for the fresh carbon to remove any leftover meds). Some people say they use the same cartridges until they're falling apart. Personally, my flow slows down way before then, even after rinsing and rubbing the cartridges nearly enough to tear them up myself. :)

[indomitable]

yeah, ive rubbed it pretty good, but its just too gunky i think. ill leave it a while longer. i had thought about leaving the old sponge in the filterbox for a few days after ive changed it.

[kimmisc]

yeah, ive rubbed it pretty good, but its just too gunky i think. ill leave it a while longer. i had thought about leaving the old sponge in the filterbox for a few days after ive changed it.

That isn't a bad idea, even if you cut it and only put part of it in there.

[Rbishop]

Squeeze and rub as necessary to get new flow thru it.

[indomitable]

allright, ill try that thanks sooo much you guys! much thanks for reading my entirely too long post. :)

[Marinemom]

Rinse in tank water to get the big gunky stuff off the cartridge.Only use tank water and not tap water. Tap water will kill the beneficial bacteria you need in the aquarium to support fishie life. If the cartridge is falling apart you can replace it but try to leave the old cartridge in place for a few days after adding a new one so the old cartridge can seed the new one. Then just remove the old messy cartridge and you will be good to go.

Marinemom