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From:Columbia, SC
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 08-22-2003 02:54 PM         

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I'm pretty new to aquariums so I'm trying to read up and learn some. Anyway, I was told you should probably change your filter media about once a month, but I know that all depends. I have a new 55g aquarium with only 6 pearl gouramis in there right now. I've had them for a little over 1 1/2 months and they are doing great. I plan on adding about 6 more fish tomorrow (haven't decided what kind to get yet...any suggestions?) so that will double the waste produced. How often do you guys change your filter media? Thanks.

Jeff

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From: Indy
Registered: Jul 2003

posted 08-23-2003 03:37 PM         

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your gonna get different opions on this. personally i have found that buying whole carteiges is a waste of money. about every two months i take out the cartrige, rinse it well with water siphoned from tank(sometimes brush it off with old toothbrush) and change the activated carbo (which you can buy seperate). it's been my experience that the activated carbon is the only part of the cartrige that loses its effect.never had o.t.s. (old tank syndrom)

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James (The Grateful One)

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From:Fgura, Malta
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 08-23-2003 03:54 PM         

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And you should do a water change when you clean the filter, is that right guys? I'm pretty new myself, but I read this a lot. Get a couple of books, they will help u a lot, and this message board helps as well.

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posted 08-23-2003 04:47 PM         

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Thank you gr8fuljames, I looked at this question and thought to myself , "this is like pointing a loaded shotgun at myself". Opinions on filtration are going to vary greatly. I agree with gr8fuljames and will try to explain why, while trying not to get into a doctorate disertation.
Every element of your aquarium, the filter, the water, the strata (gravel), and feeding, affect the bacterial filtration in your tank. Even after what we generally call the cycle period (when you get the peaks in ammonia, nitrites and nitrates) your tank is in a continuous cycle.
1) you feed the fish
2) the fish give off waste in the form of ammonia
3) bacteria breaks the ammonia down into nitrites
4) secondary bacteria breaks the nitrites down into nitrates
It is a continuous cycle. Every time you change something in the tank (changing water and changing or cleaning the filter) it changes these levels in your tank. That is the reason you perform these tasks to keep these levels balanced.
With regard to application:
Every week I run a Diatom filter and stir up the gravel to remove excess waste. I also do a 20% water change to remove built up ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. I then remove my outside filter media and rinse it out as well as possible. You will see that there is still some left on the inside of the filter bag that just doesn't rinse out, but it's not enough to be harmful. The carbon inside the filter bag should need to be changed approximately every 3 to 4 weeks unless your tank is heavily overloaded with fish. Remember activated carbon doesn't absorb it ADSORBS. That means that the toxins in the water attach to the carbon in all of the minute air pockets within the carbon. Once those air pockets are filled with contaminates the carbon no longer can function to remove toxins. With regard to the filter media or bag, you shouldn't need to replace it until it wears too thin to collect the debris in the water or it wears so thin that it won't keep the charcoal in. This is probably about every 4 to 6 months. (I know the filter manufacturers hate me for this one.) Hopefully this will help clear up some of the black magic about nitrate cycles and filtration, and will answer your question.

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From:Columbia, SC
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posted 08-23-2003 08:21 PM         

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Thanks for the ideas. I figured there would be lots of opinions on this one. But what kc5gvn said reminded me that one of the workers in the pet store I frequent told me that instead of changing out the whole filter element, I could just change out the charcoal inside of it. I guess this would be better for the bacteria and cheaper too. Thanks!

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posted 08-24-2003 12:27 AM         

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Thanks but gr8fuljames mentioned changing the carbon before I did. BTW gr8fuljames, Inever had o.t.s. either, just o.o.s. (old owner syndrome). If you decide you want to create more carbon surface filtration you might try this. I do it in my filters. Get a pair of your mom's, sister's, wife's or girlfriend's old pair of panty-hose and cut the foot off of them. (Make sure they're clean first.) Fill the footlet you've made with activated carbon and tie a knot in the open end. Rinse the carbon to remove sediment and then drop in your canister or external tank for added carbon filtration. I've found that this makes it much easier to change the carbon out.

As a side note for the experimenter the following information was given to me back in the early 70's. Since I have never found a sure way to tell how effective the carbon is working I haven't tried this, but in theory it sounds practical. If you decide to try this you do it at your own risk (or your fishes). What I'm refering to is how to reactivate activated carbon. Take your used carbon and boil it in water to remove the minerals and toxins it has adsorbed. Remember? They don't absorb into the carbon itself. They adsorb (attach) to the carbon in the airpockets within the carbon. After you've given it a good boiling to remove the toxins, wring out as much of the water as possible and then freeze it to reactivate the carbon. According to theory this process removes the toxins and kills out any bacteria attached to the carbon.
AGAIN, I HAVE NOT TRIED THIS PROCESS SINCE I HAVE FOUND NO SURE WAY TO TEST FOR THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE CARBON AFTER PERFORMING THIS PROCESS.

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From:canada
Registered: May 2003

posted 08-24-2003 03:43 PM         

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i rinse the "sponge" in the filter once a week and change the carbon bag once a month i was told you dont have to change the "sponge media untill it starts to break down is this true?

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From:Columbia, SC
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posted 08-24-2003 04:19 PM         

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Thanks for the ideas. I figured there would be lots of opinions on this one. But what kc5gvn said reminded me that one of the workers in the pet store I frequent told me that instead of changing out the whole filter element, I could just change out the charcoal inside of it. I guess this would be better for the bacteria and cheaper too. Thanks!

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From: Indy
Registered: Jul 2003

posted 08-24-2003 06:58 PM         

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Thanks kc5gvn for backing me up on that one. I was expecting a world of replies on mine about how I'm wrong and ignorant and so on. I also didn't know that about adsorbing I always thought or I guess assumed that they did absorb. I'm glad you mentioned that because some time ago I thought of just adding a little bit of carbon and changing it when it was full. Glad I didn't that might have been dangerous.Instead what I started doing is when the filter is brand new I add the carbon that comes with it plus more that I buy seperate. This is the reason I wait so long to change mine. Do you think that could be bad?

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posted 08-24-2003 09:45 PM         

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gr8fuljames, you were fine by adding more new carbon in with the old. You were adding more "adsorbing" surface. As to adding more carbon with carbon in a new filter, again your adding more surface and can go longer between changes. I've noticed on the prepacked carbon on new filters they're kind on chinche. I like more carbon than they pack. Probably the easiest way to tell that the carbon needs to be changed more frequently is, if given the same amount food at feeding time and doing your maintenance on the same time interval you begin to get increasing amounts of ammonia before you change the water. I know this is not a very accurate way to measure the effectiveness of the carbon but it's basically the only way I know of. That's why I've never tried the carbon recycle method I mentioned earlier.

I know I'm loading up the shotgun again with this one but I'm gonna say it anyway. "If you are a believer of the theory that carbon filtration can cause popeye, then a large amount of carbon could increase that risk. I personally don't buy into that theory. I still believe that popeye is caused purely from bacteria."

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From:Aurora, il, USA
Registered: Apr 2003

posted 08-24-2003 09:54 PM         

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Wow, that filter thing was a great idea. I didnt know all I had to do was change the carbon. Thanks gr8fuljames u just saved me alot of money.

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From:lincoln ne.
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 09-08-2003 08:53 AM         

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"I know I'm loading up the shotgun again with this one but I'm gonna say it anyway. "If you are a believer of the theory that carbon filtration can cause popeye, then a large amount of carbon could increase that risk. I personally don't buy into that theory. I still believe that popeye is caused purely from bacteria.""
I hear you on this one. I have heard alot of people saying carbon causes about anything. When my oscar's got hole in the head I read so many post at different forumns that the carbon was causing it. It seems to me that the first thing people say is that it is the carbon. Maybe they are just saying that because that first the the med. says is to remove the carbon, but we all know that is because the carbon will absorb the med.
About the recycling of the carbon, why would anyone even go through the work. Carbon is very inexpensive at the fish store.
And as far as changing the media, I find that I have to change it more often because my two oscars are very messy eaters. By the time they get done eating the pellets I give them the tank is filled with debris and the filter picks up most of it. Making the filter media very dirty. I try to wash it off but that only saves me a little time. I change the media once every 1 1/2 months. I just put a pictus catfish in the tank so hopefully he will help eat some of the food the oscars leave behind.
By the way I have a 75g with 2 oscars 4" and 7" a common pleco 8" a clown nose pleco 3" and a pictus cat 3". I dont know much about the pictus cat so if anyone has some info on it let me know. Meaning if it will survive in this tank and what kind of living conditions it likes.

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posted 09-10-2003 12:47 AM         

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Hello sfgiantsryan, You didn't specify what type of Pictus Cat, I'm guessing you are refering to Pimolodella. From my experience with Pimolodella Pictus they have very little tolerance for ammonia and the water must be kept very clean. Not exactly the best choice for an Oscar tank but it can be done. You just have to be very avid about tank maintenance.

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