filter media changes

[inari]

I was looking for my shrimp this evening to show off to my finacee, and one of the places that I always look now is back in the filter...when I looked back there it was brown than than well my shrimp is this is the activated carbon media looking at how brown it is I was wondering if I should buy a new one or what? for those of you who don't know about my strugling tank (by struggling I mean that I have had more issues with it than I care to recall) I have a 10 gallon with the following:

3 panda cories
1 oto
1 betta
1 bamboo shrimp

it is a lightly planted tank heated and a filtered with an air stone that no one is liking lol anyway back to the subject any ideas as to if I should change my activated carbon media yet or at all?

~Inari

 

[Butterfly]

When you do water changes rinse your filter media in the used tank water. Are you using a filter pad or is the charcoal seprate from the other media. Most of us dispose of the charcoal after a couple of weeks since it doesn't work much longer than that.
Carol

 

[inari]

Do I ever have to change this media I know I have a black idk what to call it its a whisper filter for a 10 gallon tank

 

[Butterfly]

As long as the sponge will rinse out you can continue to use it. The carbon is useless after a couple of weeks so you can dispose of it. The sponge will suffice to filter your watr.
Carol

 

[inari]

u talking about the bag ok then sure I can do that and how do u remove the carbon just cut it open? sorry i'm still a pit of a noob at this whole fish keeping thing lol anyway thanx

~Inari

 

[Butterfly]

Is this like your filter media?

You can toss the part that has the carbon in it but keep the bio-sponge(#3), Then rinse the sponge in tank water at water changes. Carbon is used mostly to clear meds out of your water.
If you want to use the whole thing there is no harm in using the charcoal part and changing it about every two months(but don't change the sponge) but it can get expensive and not really necessary.
Carol