With two HOB's running on my 60 gallon -- an Aqueon QuietFlow 55 and an AquaClear (Hagen) 110 -- I have in excess of 800 gallons per hour being turned over (rated) in this goldfish setup. While I am totally comfortable with the maintenance of the AquaClear's media -- that is, I never throw any of the pieces such as the BioMax or sponge away until they're literally falling to pieces, instead dunking them in removed tank water from time to time -- I am concerned about what to do regarding the other filter's media because there seems to be a ton of conflicting information out there about this. Specifically, I am referring to the Aqueon's dual "floss carbon" cartridges it takes, which look this this:
And fit inside this filter:
Now, I have heard and read about ALL the arguments made by modern hobbyists regarding the current use of carbon and how it's really a "throwback" way of thinking and filtering from yesteryear and how it's completely unnecessary to use save for the removal of random odors in the tank or perhaps medication treatments -- however, I am still running these cartridges in this filter and would like to get the correct lowdown about exhausted carbon and whether or not it's okay to keep reusing these as media or if they MUST be replaced...
For the most part, I have been "dunking" these Aqueon cartridges in removed tank water every so often, as I do with the AquaClear's sponge, getting off heavy solids that may have stuck to the carbon floss pad out of fear that if I change them completely I will lose the bacteria colonies settling on them (the cartridges drop into what Aqueon calls "bio holsters" which equate to little more than blue plastic "cages" that hold the cartridges in place and which the company claims is what serves as the breeding ground for the bacteria, as well as the "patented" wet/dry bio "grid" bar that sits at the edge of the waterfall return lip). Aqueon further claims that their cartridges can be replaced regularly BECAUSE those "bio holsters" are in place to house the bacteria, and if those are left alone there's no worry about a mini-cycle. As I said, for the most part, I have been just rinsing the cartridges -- with the somewhat exhausted carbon -- in removed tank water from time to time, swapping out the cartridges when I feel they have gotten really nasty (I maybe changed the cartridges twice since the tank is up and running).
Here's my question: Depending on which site you land on, you'll get wildly varying stories about exhausted carbon and whether it leeches bad toxins back into a tank or not...what is the truth here? Do I have to worry about exhausted carbon leeching something back into the tank? Can I simply dunk and rinse these Aqueon cartridges in removed tank water like the AquaClear media, until they're pretty much falling apart? Or should these cartridges be replaced routinely? Because my QuietFlow 55 model takes two carbon cartridges, I can stagger the maintenance -- that is, I can change one while leaving the other running until it "seeds" -- but what's the best way to run these Aqueons that take cartridge media? Will exhausted carbon toxify my tank...or is this simply a circulated rumor?
And fit inside this filter:
Now, I have heard and read about ALL the arguments made by modern hobbyists regarding the current use of carbon and how it's really a "throwback" way of thinking and filtering from yesteryear and how it's completely unnecessary to use save for the removal of random odors in the tank or perhaps medication treatments -- however, I am still running these cartridges in this filter and would like to get the correct lowdown about exhausted carbon and whether or not it's okay to keep reusing these as media or if they MUST be replaced...
For the most part, I have been "dunking" these Aqueon cartridges in removed tank water every so often, as I do with the AquaClear's sponge, getting off heavy solids that may have stuck to the carbon floss pad out of fear that if I change them completely I will lose the bacteria colonies settling on them (the cartridges drop into what Aqueon calls "bio holsters" which equate to little more than blue plastic "cages" that hold the cartridges in place and which the company claims is what serves as the breeding ground for the bacteria, as well as the "patented" wet/dry bio "grid" bar that sits at the edge of the waterfall return lip). Aqueon further claims that their cartridges can be replaced regularly BECAUSE those "bio holsters" are in place to house the bacteria, and if those are left alone there's no worry about a mini-cycle. As I said, for the most part, I have been just rinsing the cartridges -- with the somewhat exhausted carbon -- in removed tank water from time to time, swapping out the cartridges when I feel they have gotten really nasty (I maybe changed the cartridges twice since the tank is up and running).
Here's my question: Depending on which site you land on, you'll get wildly varying stories about exhausted carbon and whether it leeches bad toxins back into a tank or not...what is the truth here? Do I have to worry about exhausted carbon leeching something back into the tank? Can I simply dunk and rinse these Aqueon cartridges in removed tank water like the AquaClear media, until they're pretty much falling apart? Or should these cartridges be replaced routinely? Because my QuietFlow 55 model takes two carbon cartridges, I can stagger the maintenance -- that is, I can change one while leaving the other running until it "seeds" -- but what's the best way to run these Aqueons that take cartridge media? Will exhausted carbon toxify my tank...or is this simply a circulated rumor?