Replacing filter floss during cycle ok?

Hey guys, and gals!

Would it be alright if I took out the prepackaged filter floss stuff that came with my emperor 400 and replace it with a new one or should I just rinse it off with aquarium water? I'm slightly confused as to where the good bacteria is building up during the cycle. I thought it was on the bio wheel. If it's also on the filter pad... could I not, in addition to the filters within the pump, place some extra pads throughout my tank? I'm not nearly as concerned about the look as the speed of the cycling and the QOL of my fish.

Thanks.

 

normally it would be fine, but when your cycling I would not remove anything.

the BB will grow on anything. mainly your bio wheel but also that pad. normally its not a problem to remove the pad but when your trying to cycle you don't want to throw any BB away.

if it is really dirty I would clean it in aquarium water like you suggested. 2 weeks after your done cycling I would then throw it away and add a new one.

 

Noooooooooooooooooooo!

Don't change out any filter media right now. The beneficial bacteria is not only building on your biowheel but on all filter media, which includes floss. You can add as many filter pads as will fit into your filter housing. I cram all the biomedia into my filters as they will hold. I would not necessarily just place the pads within your tank. That's just strange.

I wouldn't even rinse out your existing media at this early stage. There should really be no reason to. Is it gunked up already?

the BB will grow on anything. mainly your bio wheel but also that pad. normally its not a problem to remove the pad but when your trying to cycle you don't want to throw any BB away.

if it is really dirty I would clean it in aquarium water like you suggested. 2 weeks after your done cycling I would then throw it away and add a new one.

I respectfully disagree with some of your statements. It's not a problem to remove a pad, but only once the tank is very well established. This is why people keep their pads for months on end and make them last by rinsing in used tank water.

I would definitely NOT recommend tossing the pads out 2 weeks after cycling.

 

Alright, thanks both of you. I will be sure not to throw them out.

It isn't "gunked up" necessarily but the water is still frustratingly cloudy. I think it's the result of not having washed that sand prior to putting it in, but it's been a month and it's still not cleared up. Obviously the extra padding in the filter isn't doing it. I'm considering making a sump filter to help clean it up.

I know some people say that the cloudiness can be a result of a bacterial bloom but I don't know. It just doesn't look right and it's been this way for a full month! Shouldn't it have subsided yet? I am still high on nitrite even though I've done daily water changes and just yesterday did a 50% water change. Still reading 2-5ppm I can't tell which one. It doesn't look exactly like either option on the card.

 

Water changes is your best bet. How often are you doing them now?

 

I water change every day, about 20% daily and about once a week a 50% as mentioned in my edit to try to help control my nitrite issue. I have also added a maintenance amount of bacterial booster (micro-lift, special blend) earlier along and as of last night to try to encourage growth of the beneficial bacteria.

Thanks again!

 

Do yourself a favor. Stop using the bacterial booster. Quite often, it will end up crashing your cycle.

All you need is your water changes and a good dechlorinator like Prime.

 

well the longer you keep it the better. I would say two weeks is the earliest.

if your doing a fishless cycle and adding slowly I don't think it would matter at all. dew to the fact you have built up so much BB. but considering your not gaining anything but active carbon you might as well leave it in.

I never used any of the BB additives so can't speak on it.