Can the common floss-surrounding-carbon filter cartridges as seen on models from Aqueon, Top Fin, Tetra, Marineland, et al be rinsed and reused like, say, the foam media found in AquaClears?
I know the carbon in the cartridges will eventually exhaust, but I am not concerned with that being that I'm not really worried about chemical filtration (I usually use packets of Purigen in my AC110 anyway), though there have been rumors of exhausted carbon leeching toxins back into the tank...
Anyway, in getting back to my question, I have an Aqueon QuietFlow LED PRO 75 and AquaClear 110 on my 60 gallon goldfish tank, and when cleaning my Aqueon, I have been just removing the stock cartridges from time to time and dunking them in removed tank water, which is the way I clean my foam in the 110. I have read that when you throw away these cartridges and replace them, you're throwing away beneficial bacteria, so I have been dunking and swooshing them around in removed water during water changes. Is this okay? The cartridges have a "stained" look to them, whether from debris collected or BB, and the gentle swooshing in the bucket doesn't really "remove" any of this discoloration, so maybe it's just bacteria.
Can cartridge media like this be reused the way I'm doing -- at least to the point that the floss isn't falling apart -- without worrying about toxins getting back into the water column? I never see a reduced flow rate from the Aqueon, so I assumed the cartridges weren't completely clogged up...