I always changes mine in my 55g every 4-6 weeks, but have read somewhere that's it's better to leave them alone.
spillover filter: does anyone change them?
- Thread starter BBN
- Start date
whast a spillover filter - you mean like a hang-on-back power filter? I don't even use the inserts in mine any more, they're all either filled with lava rock or filter floss.
I use them and change the cartridges (takes 3) one at at time. They seem to need changing about once a month. I don't change any until needed and then only one each week to keep my bacterial population up.
Charlie
Charlie
That's what I should have been doing. I had been changing both, but would probably be better off alternating changing them.
sploke,
Yeah, I meant the hanging kind.
You can't leave them running forever, as they will become clogged and the water will bypass the filter pad. However, swishing the pad in tank water removes build-up without crashing your bacteria population. I do this every time I perform a water change (once a week) with my turtle tanks, less often for fish tanks.
i use them on my Qtank and (atm empty) 30gal... i also keep a sponge or two in with them... i rinse them every other week or so in the tank.. and once i 4-6 weeks i wash them out with tap water.. people say thats bad and that they end up killing off too much BB... but it works for me.. dumb luck i guess
I think he means a hang on back.
You should clean the sponge about every month/when the flow becomes reduced. It should be cleaned by soaking/swishing in old tank water. If you change it or clean it under tap water, your bacteria colony dies and you end up with either a mini or a full cycle. These should only be replaces when they are falling apart, and you should keep some of the old sponge in there to seed the new.
People debate the effectiveness or necessity of carbon in the tank. There is a good article on carbon here:
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=94711
Though no matter what, you SHOULD be on that rigorous schedule and testing for nitrates. It is very very important.
Activated carbon is not a crucial part of the filtration.
You should clean the sponge about every month/when the flow becomes reduced. It should be cleaned by soaking/swishing in old tank water. If you change it or clean it under tap water, your bacteria colony dies and you end up with either a mini or a full cycle. These should only be replaces when they are falling apart, and you should keep some of the old sponge in there to seed the new.
People debate the effectiveness or necessity of carbon in the tank. There is a good article on carbon here:
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=94711
Though no matter what, you SHOULD be on that rigorous schedule and testing for nitrates. It is very very important.
Activated carbon is not a crucial part of the filtration.
what schizo said. The penguin bio wheel. I couldn't think of the real name when I made he thread.
