MedicBiker

The HOB filter that came with my Wal-Mart tank setup has two cartridges. One has blue floss with a plastic carbon "cage" on it. The other one they call BIO-Fiber. The BIO-Fiber looks like a thready funnel cake. I know I'm never supposed to remove the BIO-Fiber, since that is where the beneficial bacteria are supposed to grow.

My question is this: Rather than changing the filter cartridge every 2-4 weeks as recommended, could I fust remove the bottom of the carbon cage and run it carbon-less? I have read that carbon vs. carbonless seems to be a bit of a personal preference. I am just looking to get rationale for both sides of the "argument".

Any input is appreciated.

sirdarksol

If you're going to use carbon, it should be removed frequently, I would say every 2 weeks. It does help polish the water.
However, there isn't that much of a difference (in my opinion) if you don't use carbon. I will be buying some ceramic or spun glass biological media to keep in the carbon slots in my tanks, to provide the extra biological filtration.

COBettaCouple

Yea, you can take the carbon out. We just run with filter floss and filter sponge in our filters, cleaning them weekly by swishing them in some tank water to clean any big debris off.

MedicBiker

Great. Thanks for the input. I am thinking that half of my problem lately was because I changed the filter cartridge after a vacuuming. I probably took too much of the BB out by doing so. The filter cartrige was nice and nasty looking. I was just going to rinse it with tank water, but remembered reading here that if AC wasn't changed out, it would release the toxins back. Next time the AC is due to be changed, I think I'll just cut the cage and empty the AC, rinse the cartridge, and reinstall.