Question on cleaning canister.....

[BloodThirsty28]

I have a cascade and well this is my first canister filter. With my old (I think it was a whisper) I would just change the pre fitted carbon added filters every month. Well now that I'm back on here I learn that you are supposed to keep you media if at all possible. So anyway, my cascade has several trays of floss pad. Should I just replace a few of them at a time so I don't remove beneficial bacteria? Surely I shouldn't replace them all?

One other question, with that old whisper(now given to my sister) how should the media be changed in it? Thanks.

 

[beviking]

With any filter, you want to avoid changing more than 1/3 of the media at any one time and wait a couple weeks or more before doing so again. You are correct in that it removes beneficial bacteria and you need to allow time for them to recover within the media.
Many use reusable sponge pads that you simple rinse and put back in the filter. Fine floss generally traps too much and is too hard to rinse.

Depending on size of the filter relative to the tank and bioload (# of inhabitants), you may be able to change all the media at once but the above is a good guideline. The bacteria are everywhere in the tank but most concentrated whithin the filter.
Personally, I do water changes rather than spend money on carbon and would use a reusable pad in the whisper...if I had one

-Bill

 

[redtailfool]

dont forget to use stored water or water from the tank when cleaning your old filters.. using tap water will kill all the beneficial bacteria residing in there.

I also do not use activated carbon as regular water changes can do everything that ac does and more. The only time i use it is after medicating a tank.. It works well in removing the color of the med.

 

[Rbishop]

AC can remove the DOCs that are in the tap water. Not usually a big concern, but it does help, IMO. It is an added expense that most can do without. You need a large volume of it, more than most any filter comes with and frequent changes.