Okay, so on my 29-gallon tank I have a HOB Regent brand filter. Nothing I would have purchased myself (at least not now), but it was on the tank when it was left for me in my home by the folks who lived here before. It is designed to use the premade aquatech filter media from Walmart with a little bit of active carbon inside. I have always kept a box of them on hand.
Before I knew anything about anything, I used to completely change the filter media every time I cleaned my tank (didnt do regular water changes, just cleaned the thing up good with a scrubbing and stuff about once a month). I would take out the old cartridge and throw it away, and then put the new "clean" one back in its place. Knowing now about the bacteria issues and such, I realize that this was in fact, a very stupid thing to do. I definitely lost a lot of fish! So I'm learning...
My question now is this. I now do water changes at about 50% once a week (thank you whoever made the python!), and I don't usually even bother to mess with the filter at all. What I have been doing is about once every two months, changing one of the two filter pads out for a new one, and leaving on old one in. I keep them on a steady rotation, so that the next time I change, the oldest one leaves and the newer one which is now full of beneficial bacteria stays in, and so on and so forth.
Is this okay, or am I still doing a great disservice to my tank by just taking out one of the old filter cartidges and putting a new one in, or is it okay since I am still leaving a well-seeded one in? I'm not losing fish these days, so it doesnt seem to be a big deal. But I want the advice of the experts!
Thanks in advance!
Before I knew anything about anything, I used to completely change the filter media every time I cleaned my tank (didnt do regular water changes, just cleaned the thing up good with a scrubbing and stuff about once a month). I would take out the old cartridge and throw it away, and then put the new "clean" one back in its place. Knowing now about the bacteria issues and such, I realize that this was in fact, a very stupid thing to do. I definitely lost a lot of fish! So I'm learning...
My question now is this. I now do water changes at about 50% once a week (thank you whoever made the python!), and I don't usually even bother to mess with the filter at all. What I have been doing is about once every two months, changing one of the two filter pads out for a new one, and leaving on old one in. I keep them on a steady rotation, so that the next time I change, the oldest one leaves and the newer one which is now full of beneficial bacteria stays in, and so on and so forth.
Is this okay, or am I still doing a great disservice to my tank by just taking out one of the old filter cartidges and putting a new one in, or is it okay since I am still leaving a well-seeded one in? I'm not losing fish these days, so it doesnt seem to be a big deal. But I want the advice of the experts!
Thanks in advance!
