midnightwolf

how often should i change my filter cartridge? is there any thing i should know about when i change it out? wouldnt it restart the cycle? please help me with my questions.

agabr123

IMO, never only change the cartridge if it is absolutely falling apart, and then you want to run the NEW cartridge and the OLD cartridge together in the filter for at least a month so that enough bacteria builds up on the new one to prevent you from going into a mini-cycle

CHoffman

Yup Yup, I agree with Alex..Only replace it if necessary..But it's a good idea to go ahead and buy one now and stick in in there with the other one. That way you have extra media and a back up if you need to throw that other one out..The only thing I would add is you need to check to see if there is carbon in your filter..It looks like little pieces of coal or black rocks..If there is you need to cut your filter, or open it depending on what kind you have and take it out. Carbon is good but it only last 3-4 weeks after that it can start to pollute your tank with toxins that is has absorbed. But other then that you can use filters until they are literally falling apart.

midnightwolf

i think i have a carbon filter then what should i do?

agabr123

if you just have the carbon "rocks" in your filter media, then cut a slit in the media and dump it out. if i were you, i'd save it in a plastic bag just in case, but you don't have to

midnightwolf

it also has small little rocks in it that i wouldnt be able to get out but is that okay?

agabr123

probably, just try to get out as many as you can now, it's WAY easier to get them out when everything is dry than when everything is wet!

midnightwolf

oh its already wet what should i do

agabr123

try and take it out, if you can't dont worry about it, just try to get it out again in a few weeks. you can cut a bigger hole into it if you cant get it out

midnightwolf

should i try to get filters without the carbon rocks in them?

agabr123

nah, you can either just buy biobags made for whisper filters (one of the sides of the bag isn't actually connected so you can very easily just pour the carbon out) or you can make your own with a mesh bag made for filters and pillow stuffing (with no dyes or anything like that)

tom28

oh wash your new carbon out to get some of the exess dust out. try to use water from your tank when your doing everything with your filter and dont use tap water that could kill the benificial bacteria that you need for breaking down the ammonium and nitrite.

midnightwolf

soo when i make a water change just clean the filter using tha water from my tank and i should be fine?

krismoore888

exactly

midnightwolf

even if i dont get all the carbon out?

agabr123

yeah, it should be okay. when you rinse it just try to keep getting more of it out

midnightwolf

ok, sorry but i want to get this right so, when i buy new cartdriges i empty all the carbon i can and put in in with my other one for a week then i toss the old one and repeat this every couple of months cleaning them in my filter water every week? i think i got it.