Changing the filter

Well, I am a tiny bit confused. If you are supposed to change the filter, will that take all the good bacteria out, or will there still be enough in the water. I read that the filters with 2 types of filters inside are best, so you can do one at a time. My 20 gallon has 1 filter, and I was just curious about that. Now, with the 10 gallon tank it came with a little blue filter and a white different looking thing. I also was rinsing the filter in the tap to make it last longer, but now I read the clorine kills the bacteria. So, when I do a filter change, will my fish suffer?

Angie

 

Do you know what kind of filter you have? (Whisper, Aquaclear, etc?) It is hard to tell from your description. In general, the answer to your question is yes...changing your filter media does remove some of your good bacteria. Many manufacteres compensate for this to a degree with designs that allow you to change part of the filter media while still leaving part of it in place to keep your tank cycled. For example, in a Whisper filter, which is what I have, there is a cartridge that you periodically change. It is a white square/rectangular shaped cartridge of filter "floss" (white material) that is sometimes filled with activated carbon. However, there is also a black sponge that also sits inside the filter along with the cartridge. When changing the cartridge, you leave the sponge in place, with the idea being that the sponge will retain enough bacteria to keep your tank cycled even though the cartridge itself was changed out.

 

Rather than rinse things in tap water, you can swish them in a big bowl filled with treated tap water. I'd like to know your filter models too, so I could look at them and see what types of filtration they provide. Should either be lacking (or if you just feel like it), you could always add a sponge filter to the tank.

 

I got the 20 gallon kit from top fin. So, it is a top fin power filter 20. It only has the big filter. My 10 gallons both have the small blue and the white "floss". So, when I do go to change the filter, is there anything I should do to help keep some of the bacteria?

I know this is a subject change, but what about changing fish from tank to tank. Like, for example, taking the fry out of the big tank into the nursary tank. Will the stress of doing that kill them?

Angie

 

I went to petsmart's website and i'm guessing from the products listed that you're using the Bio 3 filter cartridges? In which case the blue part in the black frame would be the sponge for the good bacteria. Let me know if i'm wrong on the cartridge.

what we do is put the fry into a plastic baggie.. sandwich or bigger (so you can leave a lot of air) and float it in the tank they're going into. every 5 minutes or so add a little water from the new tank to the bag (the good ol' turkey baster is helpful here). After 30-60 minutes of doing this, release them into the new tank.

 

The blue ones in your ten gallons sound like they are the biological media. This is where the colony stays when you change out the floss-like media, which is your mechanical, and might also be your chemical (if they are filled with carbon) filtration. Honestly, you really just want to change out whatever is catching the bigger pieces of stuff that goes through the tank while leaving the other media in place. It doesn't really matter which is which, unless you are using activated carbon and care about chemical filtration (this is something of a disagreed-upon subject in fishkeeping, whether or not chemical filtration is necessary).
If the Top Fin filter didn't come with a separate sponge as biological media, things are going to be difficult to do, but not impossible. When changing out filters, I would take out about a quarter of the carbon from the old filter and add it to the new filter (along with the new carbon). In this way, you'll keep at least a portion of the colony going in the filter. Honestly, if you ever have a chance, you might want to get a new filter. Tetra's Whisper filter is pretty good. People on this forum have said that the bio-wheel filters are excellent. Both have a separate thing to provide a growing medium for the bacteria colony, allowing you to easily change out the chemical/mechanical without disrupting anything.

As far as moving fish, it may stress the fry out, but I think being eaten by Mom and Dad might be even more stressful

 

thanks for the advice. No, my filter is not blue. Its white, and is one of those big square ones that slide down into the thingy. Until I do go geta new filter, I will try your adding media idea. As for the others, I will no longer change both at the same time. Thanks again!
Angie

 

Top Fin uses floss for their filter media. This is where the bacteria grows...The mechanical portion of the filter uses a cartridge style biobag filled with activated carbon.

What you should do when doing a water change is periodically swish the floss media around in used tank water. This will not kill the bacteria and will loosen any sediment on the floss. Don't wring it out dry.....Carefully insert it back into your filter slot....Next, take your new cartridge and swish that around in used tank water to loosen any carbon dust. Swish it well because carbon dust can be harmful to the fish....Insert that into the slot behind the floss....The cartridge should be closest to the filter reservior while the floss faces closest to the tank.....

Hope that helps.

 

that does help on the tanks with this "floss" but my filter on my 20 gallon does NOT have any floss. It is a top fin 20, and the only thing in there is a big white cartridge that slips in there...no floss.

 

would adding a sponge filter to your tank be an option that you'd like? it would simply need a air hose connection and collect a lot of good bacteria.
- this is one that we have.

 

- Sorry if i'm repeating anything but I skimmed through the other posts and thought i'd share my experience. In no way to I condone these to be the proper techniques, but they have worked for me
- Put the new filter in place and the old one in the reservoir section so that the water contacts both. Though this may not be ideal, I found it didn't take but more than a day or two, more to be safe. Another option would be to use a media from a cycled tank in a similar fashion. The plants and other decor in the tank do retain some beneficial bacteria and will aid in the process. I have seen small spikes in Ammonia and Nitrite but nothing major.
- A better filter system would be ideal.

- I've also had success moving Molly fry from one tank to another. I have 3 cycled tanks, I started by doing my weekly water changes but using old water from one into another, and so on until I was comfortable with the testings that they were all almost identical water, now I do 10% water changes weekly in each. So it was only a matter of acclimating the fry to the temperature. Which I keep different to encourage gestation and such. Make sure they have some place secure to hide, like a thick plant even if the tank is free of predators, they will still want to feel safe. I do believe they'll experience much more stress staying in the original tank with other fish, even parents. I suppose a breeding net isn't a bad option either.

Hopefully somewhat helpful... Good Luck
_AB_

(PS - just got the pics so I have to attach one.. ;D)

 

that does help on the tanks with this "floss" but my filter on my 20 gallon does NOT have any floss. It is a top fin 20, and the only thing in there is a big white cartridge that slips in there...no floss.

The Top Fin 20 should have the floss insert as that is the bed for the beneficial bacteria...Something is missing from your filter. If I were you I would get a replacement from the pet store.

I am assuming that your cartridge is the bio-bag type?

 

Hi!

I'm just wondering when/how often should I change my filter? I have a 54Litre tank with a biologic, carbon and mechanical sponge. my tank has been set up for about 4 weeks. do I need to replace the filter media or can I just leave the same ones in?

Thanks!

 

Welcome to Fishlore.

The biological and mechanical can be swished around in a bowl of tank water weekly when you do a partial water change. The carbon should be replaced weekly, but I recommend only using carbon when it's needed to remove meds. When carbon wears out, it releases whatever it captured into the tank.

 

Thanks for the reply! So should I just take the carbon filter out altogether or replace it? Or put an additional biologic or mechanical filter in the gap it will leave in the filter? sorry just don't want to get anything wrong!

 

Well, I recommend not using carbon except when you need to remove meds. But if you want to run carbon, then I'd replace it weekly.

If you're not running carbon in the filter, you could replace it with additional filter floss or filter sponge.

Thanks for the reply! So should I just take the carbon filter out altogether or replace it? Or put an additional biologic or mechanical filter in the gap it will leave in the filter? sorry just don't want to get anything wrong!

 

sounds like you got it covered, hope it all works out.

 

Welcome to Fishlore.

The biological and mechanical can be swished around in a bowl of tank water weekly when you do a partial water change. The carbon should be replaced weekly, but I recommend only using carbon when it's needed to remove meds. When carbon wears out, it releases whatever it captured into the tank.

so then how often should the "biological and mechanical" filter be replaced then? or does it ever need to be replaced?

 

If ours fell apart or something like that, we'd replace it.. otherwise it just gets used until then. We get this:

and cut it to size for the filters. Really good and durable, not to mention inexpensive. And we have yet to need to toss a filter sponge. I like to have a couple sponges in each filter just in case though.

so then how often should the "biological and mechanical" filter be replaced then? or does it ever need to be replaced?

 

Well I think my tank is on its way to being cycled, I have a ways to go but it will get there. My question is how often do I change the filter? The box says to change it ever 2-4 weeks or something, and I have read on here to rarely change it. I have a Whisper power filter for 10-30 gallon tanks(I have a 10 gallon tank). In the unit there is the filter cartridge and then in front of it this mesh pad thing. How often do I really need to change the cartridge? And when I do change it does it take all the bacteria that I will have worked so hard to establish? If it does how do I keep it in the tank even though I have to throw the cartridge away? Ahhh, so many questions, thank you all!

 

We clean our filter media weekly by swishing it around in a container of tank water to get any big pieces off it and use it until it is pretty much ready to disintegrate.

We get this stuff and cut it to fit our filters:

It's really durable, works great and we've not had to replace one in over 6 months of use.

 

Same here, I just swish my cartridge around in discarded tank water. One of my filters has a built in carbon filter, I have replaced this one with one that doesn't have any carbon. The other is just a faber "bag" that you can add carbon to....which I don't add any carbon, unless I have used medications.

The bag gets so worn out after about 5 or 6 months that I replace them, but only one at a time (my filter has two of these bags, and two sponges, which I just rince and have never replaced).

 

Ok....so I threw the bag out because it has carbon in it and it had been in there for a couple weeks, and replaced it with the only other replacement I had, which also has carbon in it....But did I just throw all my bacteria away then? I still have the black wirey sponge thing in there...does that hold bacteria?

 

And if I did just do something stupid and basically throw all my bacteria away. What about when I have to throw the filter I just put in away? Since it has carbon in it I'll have to throw it away in a couple weeks right? So then I'll be back to square one again. I was thinking about buying biospira this week and adding it, but if I do this and establish the bacteria, but just throw the filter away again, will I have to buy biospira again?

 

Good discussion ... answered some questions I had too.

So you guys don't recommend carbon at ALL unless you're removing medication, or if there is a cloudy water problem? And the filter doesn't need to be actually replaced, just rinsed off, unless it is physically damaged?

 

Hey this is my post man, my questions only! haha just kidding. Yeah that's pretty much what they are saying, the carbon wears out after a week or something and basically makes everything worse. I'm gunna order this filter stuff of the link that was posted above, Cobetta said he replaces it every 5 or 6 months, basically when it is reduced to rags. Anyone care to answere any of the questions I asked though? I'm going to beat myself up if I just threw away all my bacteria, ha. Thanks

 

I guess I was just verifying everything I've read in other posts ... it's good to know for sure! I hope your tank cycles quickly. I doubt you threw away all your bacteria, but I wouldn't know for sure. I mean it's still living in the substrate too, right?

 

HI Phish...
well you did throw away a lot of your beneficial bacteria by doing that. Since it is a new tank, only two weeks with this filter media, you really didnt need to change it out. I'm not sure about your type of filter but on one of my filters, which is a top fin, it uses the bags that also have the carbon. I took out the bag and stuffed in a sponge, like the aqua clear filters use. Cheap money. In my other tanks, I keep extra sponges filling up with bacteria for if and when I need it.
Glad you got rid of the carbon tho, you didnt need it, unless as was posted, you are cleaning up meds from the tank water.
Not really necessary to swish your media in used tank water once a week IMO. I only give it a swish when its really clogged up. You don't have to replace them.. just rinse them out when needed. They last forever that way! Like CoBettaCouple says... til they fray and need to be replaced lol..
;D

~ kate

 

I wish I knew my friend. I'm just waiting for CObetta or Mike or someone who is endowed with the mighty knowledge of the fish to enlighten me.

 

HI Phish...
well you did throw away a lot of your beneficial bacteria by doing that. Since it is a new tank, only two weeks with this filter media, you really didnt need to change it out. I'm not sure about your type of filter but on one of my filters, which is a top fin, it uses the bags that also have the carbon. I took out the bag and stuffed in a sponge, like the aqua clear filters use. Cheap money. In my other tanks, I keep extra sponges filling up with bacteria for if and when I need it.
Glad you got rid of the carbon tho, you didnt need it, unless as was posted, you are cleaning up meds from the tank water.
Not really necessary to swish your media in used tank water once a week IMO. I only give it a swish when its really clogged up. You don't have to replace them.. just rinse them out when needed. They last forever that way! Like CoBettaCouple says... til they fray and need to be replaced lol..
;D

~ kate

Ah, thank you so much! so what should I do about the filter I just put in? Should I wait to add Biospira until I get this filter stuff in the mail?

 

hmmmm... that's a tough call. Right now you have fish in the tank, pretty much without any beneficial bacteria. Is this the tank that is a week old?
That bag that you have in the tank that holds the carbon and floss.. does it have a black clip on the top of it? If it does, you can slice the top and empty the carbon out, seal it back up under the clip and put it back in your tank and add the bio spira. Then when your order comes in with floss, just stuff some floss into the back of the filter. You can jam it in or add it to the bag. Without having to disturb the media in the process and start all over.
what do you think?

~ kate

 

Ah, you rock, good call! i'm in class for another 2 hours tho...if it drys out its no good right?

 

... right! :-\ ....

~ kate

 

It's all good, if it's dry by the time I get home then I'll just cut open the filter that's in there now and take out the carbon and go buy some biospira tomorrow and add it and it will all work out. I'll just do a water change tonight. If it's still wet then I'll be back in buisness and won't have to buy the biospira. THank you so much CapeKate, you rock.

 

..... glad to be of some help to you... good luck with the cycle! ;D

~ kate

 

k, well luckily I made it home in time I think. The filter that I had thrown away was still damp when I got home, so it should be ok right? Removed all the little black rocks that were inside which i'm guessing was the carbon? Hopefully it all works out! Thanks again Kate

 

If it was still damp, some but not all of the bacteria should still be alive. The sponge was left in though so you didn't set things back much at all probably.

I hate when they make the carbon part of the filter floss - that's one of the reasons we started using the blue-bonded.

 

Well thank goodness, I was worried! I ordered some of the blue-bonded stuff off that website you gave me, should get here next week sometime Do you think I should still get the biospira? My LFS is supposed to be getting some in today. My last readings after I tested were- Ph-7.2 Ammonia-0 NitrITE-0 NitrAte-5-10 I've had the tank set up almost three weeks now

 

The tank sounds cycled and with a continuous source of ammonia, I don't think you need Bio-Spira.. unless you wanted to add it.

 

SWEEEEETTT!!!! thank you