Filter Cartridge help please !!

G

Ganina

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Oct 29, 2008
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Can somebody please help me on this situation. As I was going to rinse out my filter cartridge in my tank water for my Penguin Filter during my water change tonight, I noticed the netting completely fell apart with the filter media falling out of the filter cartridge. Would it be safe for me to buy another cartridge without losing the bacteria ? Or is there something that I can put the cartridge in and still use it? For now I have the cartridge in a zip lock bag with some tank water. When I buy a new cartridge should I soak it first for a while in my tank water from my water change?

My tank is a 20 gallon high. My tank parameters are: PH 6-7,Nitrites 25,Ammonia .25,Nitrates 5. I have in it 1 Gold Gorami,4 Corys,1 Flying Fox,5 Platties,and 6 Black Skirts

Thank you
 
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Nitrites 25? Ammonia .25? They shouldn't be that high, they shouldn't be there at all. Have you cycled your tank?
 
The bacteria,although there are probably some on the filter cartridge,live on the bio wheel.You need to replace the cartridge before it completely falls apart.Anything the carbon removes from the water will eventually be released back into the tank if left in too long.This probably wasn't the reason for the ammonia and nitrite,IMO.Has the tank been cycled?How much and how often are you feeding them?
 
I personally feel that it would be safe. Your bacteria is mostly on the BIO-Wheel. I wouldn't worry. If anything you may have a small ammonia and nitrite spike, but waterchanges will fix that. I don't clean my filters in the winter. I just replace them. I run Whisper and Emperor and I never seem to have a minicycle.

Tetra changed who they get their filters from which is why they can't really be reused that easily.


p.s. FYI: Tetra owns Marineland.

Daniel
 
Thank you for your help. My tank never did a complete cycle.My tank paremeters have been pretty consistant . I have'nt noticed any spikes. I had to do a fishy cycle because my Gourami survived my earlier problem. I can't make it to a LFS until Monday because of work. Does Wallmart carry filter cartridges for my filter? I can stop there tomorrow after I get off work I never touch my BioWheel during a water change
 
Wal Mart does carry cartridges that will fit your filter,but are not made by Marineland.I can't think of what brand they are,but they are cheaper than the Marineland,and are the exact same thing.Just look at what they have for filter cartridges,and you'll see them.

EDIT: The brand is Aqua Tech,here is what they look like
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10313135
 
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how about a piece of nylon stocking/pantyhose to put over the filter frame? I would probably just 'gut' the frame and use the stocking as a mechanical filter.
 
If the filter material fell off in one piece, dump the carbon out and tie the filter material onto the cartridge with some fishing line or rubber band it on.
 
Thank you everybody for your help. I am going to go to WallMart either tonight or tomorrow and buy some new filter cartridges. I can't go any sooner because our other car broke down yesterday and my wife had to take one to work
 
67chevelle said:
Wal Mart does carry cartridges that will fit your filter,but are not made by Marineland.I can't think of what brand they are,but they are cheaper than the Marineland,and are the exact same thing.Just look at what they have for filter cartridges,and you'll see them.

EDIT: The brand is Aqua Tech,here is what they look like
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10313135
Click to expand...


Actually, they are made by Marineland/Tetra. If you look at the bottom of the box it will say Aquaria Inc. or Marineland or United Pet Group. All divisions of the same company.

It actually says it at the bottom of the wally world page. It is United Pet Group.

http://www.unitedpetgroup.com/

Regards,
Daniel
 
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