Stupid question #..................

roghib said:

OK I have finally achieved in my 10g a fishy cycle....but now it about time to change filter...have a whisper with replaceable biomedia.....but wont replacing this just take away all the bacteria I spent the last 4 weeks setting up?. I did just place a new bio bag behind the old one for now but it certainly isnt the design I am sure.....I do see a small black foam pad in front of the bio bag..is this all the media needed for the bacteria colony in my tank???? and the bio bag containing the charcoal just disposable?
Thankyou in advance for answers, and again appologize for asking what I am sure is an obvious answer and just shows I am lacking in common sense!

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Dont change the filter. Just rinse it out gently in old tank water to get all the large solid stuff off it, then put back in filter. Also a good idea to turn filter off before doing this. Changeing the filter will get rid of all that good bacteria you so patiently waited for. I dont even use BioBags any more, and carbon is for getting stuff out of the water that you put in. I.E. medication and treatments.

you only need to change out filter cartridges when they are falling apart. when they get clogged, swish them around in a bucket of old tank water after a water change (or in a bucket of treated tap water). that will keep your bacteria intact. when it does start to fall apart, get rid of the carbon and keep some of the fiber, just jam it back into the filter somehow. that will leave you even more bacteria. the foam pads are also for biological filtration, but i find that they DO need to be rinsed well every couple months, and saving the filter cartridge material will help you out. the extra bio bag is fine in there.

Hi,

I have a whisper filter too. All the advice I got on this forum said don't worry about changing the filter (white floss bag) until it basically falls apart or water is no longer going through the filter and is just backwashing into the tank.

Tip #1 when you do water changes, pull out the filter bag and swish it around in the TANK WATER YOU JUST REMOVED. Not tap water, and not in your actual tank Or you can even hold it over the sink and pour the old tank water through it to really get rid of some gunk.

Tip #2 sounds like you are already doing it. Try putting a new filter bag in the canister with the old one for awhile to let some bacteria build up. Then you can toss the old one. May have a mini-cycle, but should be OK.

Tip #3 probably don't need the carbon. I bought the filters where you can add carbon if you want, but based on advice from this site I didn't put any in and the tank has been perfect for months. However, Carbon is useful for removing medications from the water.

Hope this helps!

last 4 weeks setting up

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.... That was a quick cycle are you sure its done? Usaly it takes 6 weeks for a fishy cycle depending on the number of fisy you cycled with.

So far I agree with everyone's advice so far with some exceptions.

First, there is no real time line for any tank to cycle. There are just too many variables that can affect things so I wouldn't be quick to say that four weeks is too early to have a cycled tank. The ONLY real sign are your water tests. When ammonia and nitrites hit 0 and STAY there, and nitrates are low but existant, then I would call a tank cycled.

Secondly, the bacteria you have just worked so hard to cultivate are not limited to life in just your filter media. They are also in your substrate and on your decor in your tank so changing filter media is not going to completely un-cycle a tank. Just keep in mind that they are not usually found swimming in the water of your tank and so you can do some considerable sized water changes if you need to.

Still, I wouldn't dispose of any filter media or biofilter media anyways in your filter until you have to. The advice for rinsing them in some old tank water is good and what I do. I am also of the opinion that not replacing the carbon in your filters is going to be the end of the world for your fish. Once the carbon becomes saturated, it also becomes a good place for bacteria to grow and so I never change my carbon cartridges unless I have a discolored water problem or want to take out meds from the tank. Once the water is back to normal, I change the carbon and leave it for as long as I want to. In fact, in my current 55 gallon tank, I have never changed it in the year it has been up and running.