HELP please - I'm confused about filtration

[leeser28]

I have a Marineland Penguin 200 filter and a Whisper filter. I have always in the past replaced the "bio bag", and rinsed out the sponge (from the whisper) about once a month when I was doing one of the regular water changes (been doing this for over 5 years). Usually by this time the filter was clogged and as much water was coming out near the intake pipe as out of the actual discharge are. I was reading another thread and now I'm wondering if I was making a mistake.

I have a 40 gal tank that has been up now for almost 2 weeks -- it has the Marineland Penguin filter, and I was planning to take the whole "bio bag" out of its filter (tomorrow when my sand gets here) and put it into the Whisper filter of a 20 gal tank I'm getting back up and going and then putting a new "bio bag" into the Penguin filter.

So really, I'm just looking for wise words about what to do with aquarium filters. Thanks, Lisa

 

[paperdragon]

Rinse and reuse until it falls apart to the point that it's not catching anything anymore.

 

[leeser28]

Do you put new charcoal in??

 

[DrNo]

Replace charcoal (if you use it at all) every 2-2.5 weeks at the latest.

 

[dog_gone07]

Ok, don't mean to hijack the original posters thread, but I'm very new to this and I'm quite confused now as well.

I also have a penguin but mine is a 100. The only thing that I have in my filter is the cartridge and biowheel. I know I don't change the biowheel, but the cartridge isn't supposed to get changed either? is there something else that is supposed to be in there?

 

[leeser28]

Ok, don't mean to hijack the original posters thread, but I'm very new to this and I'm quite confused now as well.

Glad to know that I'm not the only one in this boat
Hopefully we'll be enlightened together!

 

[evelyn80]

well lets make this simple your in the midst of a cycle: (read this) http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84598
by replacing the bio-bag and replacing the cartridges you are destroying the cycle before it completes. to answer question NO you should not replace the bio-bag and wash your filter cartridges with conditioned water, not tap water. hope it makes sense but it should if you understand the link, just ask if have any questions at all

 

[dog_gone07]

I understand that changing the filter cartridge before your tank is established wouldn't make much sense, i.e. that's where your bacteria is. I was looking for info for the future once my tank is established. But doesn't having the biowheel (which to my understanding is what is going to hold onto the bacteria as well), give you the possibilities of changing the carbon cartridge every, say 4 weeks?
Or is there some other kind of media that should be put into the filter so that the cartridge can be changed without fooling around too much with the bacteria?

 

[leeser28]

well lets make this simple your in the midst of a cycle:

I'm actually a little more confused too now. I did read that article, multiple times, which is why I am using filter media from my established tank to get the 20 gallon going --

OK now I know where the confusion is -- my 40 gal has been established and stocked for 2 weeks, so it's not actually in the midst of a cycle.

So, I'm still a little confused - should I not take the bio bag out and put it in the new tank for fear of disturbing things in the old tank (which of course will still have the bio wheel. And... if I don't, how do I use media from the old filter to get the new tank going???

 

[red_wall]

Well, first off, make sure you NEVER wash the media with tap water, always with tank water or dechlorinated water, tap kills the BB. (You didn't specify if you did or not, just thought I'd let you know :] )

Second, you really don't need anything else in the filter than the sponge-y stuff, or some filter floss, and those little ceramic tubes work wonders. You don't need charcoal at all, really.


You could possibly start a mini cycle from moving your media.
To spread BB from your original tank to the new one, you could just cut off a piece of the established media sponge and put it in the new tank (in, or near the not-established media)