CWO4GUNNER

Hi friends I recently finished cycling and during that 6 week process I had to clean my filter (rinse/squeeze) every week. But since it cycled which coincided with another cleaning it has been working great and staying clean for two strait weeks (no belching out smelly clouds on restart) and yet I can see that after 2 weeks though the housing the outer course filter is covered about 25% with poo here and there. I do have a backup AquaTech 40/60 hang filter running also I cleaned last week so its still good. Today is my sched weekly water change of 50% and I am tempted to do both (Wtr-Chg/Mag350) using the old water to rinse/replace media as necessary. So based on your experience with canister filter supporting about 40-60ga and 30 fish should I:
(a) Do the water change and let the filter ride until its 50%+ dirty looking showing signs ammonia.
(b) Clean the filter now with minimal water for rinse (4ga) and wait a few more days for the big water change.
(c) Do both but clean the filter first then do the water change with a clean filter.
(d) Don't do either, pour in some Nitraban treatment and hold off for another month.
(e) get out of fish keeping altogether and ride that motorcycle in the garage LOL.

Shawnie

E. LOL ...im riding this summer for the first time so that sounded fine to me!!!!!!!!!

in my 75 gal, I rinse my media and canister parts once a month in old tank water....

CWO4GUNNER

Do you have any indicators that its ready to change or have you experienced spikes? I worry that its black inside and will just spoil a water change with expensive RO mix. But then again once a month sounds ideal. I suppose if there is no indicators that it needs a change, might as well see if I can go 2 more weeks.

Please do yourself a favor so that you can enjoy the sport for years injury free. Take a MSF course and take it slow with other experienced riders. If possible barrow an off road bike and go trail riding to get some good riding legs first, then you'll be able to much better focus on street traffic while the other part of your brain automatically knows how to control the bike. Control distractions is the number one killer of "never before new street riders". And wear your protective gear especially a helmet.

PS the molly molly with fin rot is doing fine, change her water yesterday with AQWA slowly match lowering then raising the temperature back to 80, no salts though. After 5 days Im supposed to stop, so far so good I guess big appetite.

Shawnie

I am taking the course in april id never attempt it without it...my bf got a new bike last year and im going to take over his old one..im so very excited as ive wanted to ride for years..as an avid snowmobiler, ive never had the oppertunity to ride a bike and now im going too...I so cant wait!! (im not a good "babe on the back" kinda gal..I want to be on my own machine)

in my tanks, which are established and have been for about a year, I do the maintence on different times...my 75 gal that I mentioned, gets cleaned once a month as its not overstocked and parims are perfect..but I do have a 20 gal overstocked that gets it once a week...of course the smaller tanks are harder to keep cycled and having it overstocked doesnt help...but prior on my 75 gal, I had huge oscars and had to clean every other day to keep the readings prestine..so its all going to be a personal choice either way

CWO4GUNNER

Well the snowmobile experiences will help and you know what its like to go down on a snowmobile. Just remember there is no such thing as a fender bender on a bikes especially at 70 MPH and everybody has one sooner or later depending on their experience. So save your pretty skin and face with protective gear and know how to work all the controls naturally without having to think or look down. You need all your concentration exclusively to avoid hitting obstacles and being hit as car drivers cannot see motorcycles, in their mind motorcycles don't register.

OK this thread has been abducted.