changing the filter media

you dont need to change it unless its falling appart. if that happens use both the old and new media for a spell to make sure the bacteria has a chance to colonate the new media. All you need to do untill then is swish the media in your old tank water during water changes to loosen up the debris.

Snowgrrl83 said:

so you're saying I just have to take out all the little hairs and gunk around the media once in a blue moon?? I dont think I need to change it now but it seems as though the water levels in the filter have rised because not as much water is flowing through. So..ius the lsf selling extra media cartridges just a scam?

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After your tank has cycled, here's what you can do for good freshwater tank maintaince:

Go get yourself a nice clean bucket used only for your tank, and a siphon hose with an widened extension on the end. Every one or two weeks, "vacuum" the gravel and get the shibby out. If you haven’t already, learn how to start a siphon.

Then, every two to four weeks, take your filter media and rinse it out in the semi-dirty water. The water will likely go from light brown to dark brown after you do this. Foam/sponges can be squeezed. If it has the right pH you can give that to your house plants. Don't wash it under tap water. If you're going to rinse it in clean water, dechlorinize it first so as to not kill the bacteria. You'll dispose of some of the bacteria when you do this, but you also remove a lot of decaying waste as well, thus lowering the bio-load.

If you’re using only filter floss, maybe you shouldn’t, especially if there’s only room in your filter for something better. It may remove more fine particles from the water than foam does, but it’s more of a disposable-type thing and bacteria don’t have long to colonize on it.

Filter floss is fine for getting rid of particles int he water but really needs to be replaced often. Sponges on the otherhand can last years. Just rinse it out in old tank water as was mentioned. Carbon wears out in a week at most and really doesn't need to be in most tanks unless you are looking ot remove something specific.

LFS's aren't scamming you, it is just that most don't know any better and a lot ore run by minimum wage people who don't care to learn too much. When you find a LFS or fish store employee that does understand what is happening then that is great and hold onto them.

If your tank isn't overstocked, you should have enough bacteria living everywhere else in the tank that it shouldn't be an issue. When I rescued my gold fish (wich are the biggest waste producers) they had them in a tiny 1 gallon tank, with no filter, when I tested the water, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrate, 100000000 nitrates. Ok I exagerated on the nitrates, but if you do change your filter media regularly you should get enough bacteria in the rest of your tank to break down the ammonia and nitrites.

If you want to change the filter media just rub the two filters together to transfer some of that brown muck (bacteria) to the new filter. When I cycle a fresh tank I take this brown junk from cleaning a filter and pour it into the new tank to innoculate it with billions of nitrifying bacteria. Works almost like biospira just free.

Personally , I would buy a aqua-clear filter and put that on the tank with the whisper,,,,,give it about six weeks to establish then ditch the whisper,,,the aquaclear cartriges are much better and you need only to replace the carbon every month,the sponge can be squeezed out monthly in old tank water.

Or a biowheel filter. The bacteria live on the wheel and won't be damaged by changing your filter cartridge. I like the fact that I can blast the cartridge out in high pressure tap water without harming my biofilter.

i tried a whisper but its long gone