Bio Bag Replacement Time

[tastic]

I have a 20 gal tank that has been running well for a few months. The setup includes a Tetra Whisper 20 power filter. I also have an UG filtration system with corner airstones.

Anyhow, I noticed on my last water change the the filter was not spilling properly, and when I checked the bio bag (a cotton-y bag containing carbon filters) it was all gunked up. I did a rinse in some of the water I took out of the aquarium, it's working ok for now, but it really should be replaced. I have a replacement, but I'm concerned the just swapping it out will harm my bacteria colony.

Thoughts?

[Rbishop]

If its so clogged it cannot be rinsed clean, it is time to replace it. Do so, but monitor your water parameters and do water changes as necessary.

[Lycanthropic]

dont replace. just rinse otherwise you could atrt a bacterial bloom IMO

[FastFly67]

Isn't there a black course flossy "pad" that the water flows thru after the pad filter but before spilling with that filter? that's where a good amount of your bacteria is residing. I'd suggest changing out your filter pad more often.

[vampie]

With a UG also running and assuming you also have biological media in the Whisper, I doubt that much bacteria is housed in the biobag.

[illgore_trout]

my first filter with biobags didn't have the black sponge material meant to house them lil buggers. so i would always cut a chunk of the mucky old filter's cotton bit and place it behind the new biobag where the water sits in the "reservoir" before spilling out through the biobag and into the tank.

if i did not do this, the fish were noticeably affected by the bacteria change with that filter.

my current filter does have the black biospace sponge, so i switch the biobag when the flow slows down too much due to gunkage. the sponge takes up the slack.

[bluekrissyspike]

if i were you i'd go buy an aquaclear sponge and cut it to the right size to fit into the space and use that instead. the 'bio-bags' are not the greatest as they wear out and get start falling apart. those are more for the carbon than anything else. i have aquaclear sponges cut to fit all my filters, even though most of them aren't aquaclear their filters are still better