Stacie H.

Hi,

My tank has been active with fish now for about a month. I am relatively new to this, and noticed yesterday that my filter was very loud. Not the filter itself, but the water coming out...sounded like a waterfall! In addition, the bio wheel was hesitating a bit.

I opened the cover where the filters are kept, and realized that one filter was so blocked that the water wasn't going through, but being forced around it, hence the waterfall. I siphoned a bit of tank water into a bucket and put both filters in it and swished them around. It seems to have done the trick, because the tank has cleared up (it was a bit hazy), the wheel is spinning away, and it's totally quiet now.

My question is, should I continue as is for now, or go ahead and switch out the worst of the two filters? This is a bio wheel filter for a 50 gal tank. I know better than to replace both at the same time, but just wonder if I need to at all. Of course, now I realize I need to really keep an eye on the filters better!! :

Any suggestions will be appreciated!!

Thanks!

Stacie

Butterfly

I wouldn't replace anything until it absolutely can't be rinsed out and used.
Carol

chickadee

Keep rinsing until the water won't go through unless there comes a time when you need to have a medication in your tank for some reason and then put in one new filter. Until then use the old ones as long as you can.

Rose