When should I change my filter media?

rsanz

rsanz

The Peacock Gudgeon Guy
Aug 22, 2006
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I have Penguin BIO Wheel 100 (the smallest size to fit my 10G tank). I have yet to change the filter media in the 2 months that I've been cycling my tank (yes two months...it's been a slow cycle, but it should be completely cycled soon). Should I change the filter media sometime soon? When I do, should I just put the new one in fresh, right out of the box? Are there any preparations I should take?

Thanks!
 
I don't change my filter media until it is literally falling apart (maybe every 6 to 8 months)...you should rinse it at every water change (shake it in a bucket of old tank water) though to get any loose debris out. You'll find quite a few people here who handle filter media the same way.
 
i believe the 100 model uses rite size A cartridges.

just do what the instruction say, shake, rinse and drop in.

i have the 150, which has room for 2 media cartridges. haven't changed them since July but i do rinse them. if i were to change, it would be 1 at a time so the bacteria can establish, but thats just me.
 
Last edited:
webcricket said:
I don't change my filter media until it is literally falling apart (maybe every 6 to 8 months)...you should rinse it at every water change (shake it in a bucket of old tank water) though to get any loose debris out. You'll find quite a few people here who handle filter media the same way.
Click to expand...

yeah i agree. those stankin filter replacements are to expensive to replace once a month like the directions say. i just wash it off in some tank water and replace it. i only change it when i cant clean it enough and the water wont flow through anymore. even on my discus tank i rarely change the filter.
 
Well, I took the media out, and it's got brownish gook all over it. It that alright? I shook it onder the surface of some tank water. The water got all nasty, but then I put the filter back in. Should I get a new one? How long should I wait until I get a new one?
 
As for me, I don't change the media until its torn apart. I just rinse it with old tank water every time I do a water change. A lot of your beneficial bacteria live in your filter media and changing it might cause some sort of a mini-cycle or mini-spike in your tank. Just rinse it with old tank water. ;)
 
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