Should I change filter media?

I have an aqua clear 70 filter with the standard media it comes with, running in a 29 gallon tank. Every time I turn the filter back on after cleaning, it spews out large amounts of gunk. I have to clean it (the filter) often because the media will start to float and lift the filter lid due to being excessively dirty. Even when I clean the media, it stills spews gunk and becomes dirty again within a week. Is it time to slowly, one at a time as to not kill all the bacteria, replace the filter media? I had them for over a year now.

 

I replace my media filter monthly in my bio wheel filters. but I have two of them on my 55 gallon so I can rotate between the two. Swap one a month. Even when I had my smaller 30g, I only had one HOB and would change my filter out monthly. but I also had some pot scrubbers stuff in there behind the first mech filter. Worked good. BTW, the bio wheel is a better filter in my mind.

 

I have an aqua clear 70 filter with the standard media it comes with, running in a 29 gallon tank. Every time I turn the filter back on after cleaning, it spews out large amounts of gunk. I have to clean it (the filter) often because the media will start to float and lift the filter lid due to being excessively dirty. Even when I clean the media, it stills spews gunk and becomes dirty again within a week. Is it time to slowly, one at a time as to not kill all the bacteria, replace the filter media? I had them for over a year now.

If you’ve been cleaning the media for a year now!!! It’s probably time to swap them out. I don’t replace mine monthly as the filter company recommends. I do clean mine originally in tank water. But after reading many posts about using the force of the flow of tap water cleaning the media much better, I’ve been using tap with much better results. The chlorine in the tap isn’t killing the beneficial bacteria! Not enough time. In fact my nitrates are rising as my ammonia and nitrite is still 0 for a month now.

 

I wouldn't change the media unless you wanna risk losing your cycle and causing a spike just swish it around in a bucket of tank water very well then when you turn it back on have a net at the return to catch any large bits of gunk that comes out of your filter.

 

I’d also avoid replacing all the media if possible and clean using tank water. I alternate between filter parts.

If you’re using the Aquaclear as it comes, I’d recommend ditching the carbon and adding a second sponge internally. They usually fit 2 AC sponges plus the rings on top nicely. This also makes it easier to replace a sponge if you ever need to without removing all your biomedia. I also like adding a sponge pre-filter to the intake. It’ll catch a lot of that debris causing your biorings to float before it gets into the filter housing, keeping that part cleaner. Plus, it’ll add more surface area for the biofilter!

 

OK googling that filter I like its design, no proprietary carts.
Rinse your sponge regularly, that is where your waste is coming from. People will get in a fight as to whether to use tank water or RO or tap or Distilled, etc. My city water is great so I rinse in COLD tap. Yeah, keep it cold.
You can rinse your ceramics if you want to but that is just a bacteria home. If it is slimy or furry spray it off. if it just seems to be ceramic, don't worry about it.
Replace your charcoal. This stuff can only bond with so much. After that it breaks down (with age) and begins to return all the bad stuff to your tank. While you can never get rid of things like copper your carbon has taken from the tank I'm not sure if there is a temp you can bake it at to carbonize things like hormones to rejuvinate your charcoal. That said, I have a full pan I just baked for 2 hours at 450.. the house didn't stink.. that suggests it didn't work.. so higher temp next time. I'm pretty sure a clean cycle will ash the stuff.

 

The only thing I don't replace is my bag of Matrix bio media. Everything gets rinsed with tank water and gets replaced as needed. Never had any problems with my cycle.

 

The only time Ive EVER changed out media was when it was so old it was deteriorating and before taking it out I put new media in with it for at least a few weeks. Swapping out your media is a good way to have an ammonia spike kill all your fish.

Rinsing out your media properly every so often (maybe more often depending on bioload) is safe and helps keep the debris to a minimum.

 

My Aquaclears all have the original foam sponge blocks.

JordanR , how is the tank stocked?

You may want to look into putting a pre-filter on the intake tube. I like using the ATI FilterMax III.

 

Yeah a pre-filter may help out. I cut an ATI Hydro-Sponge Pro II to make it shorter, it fits right on the intake of my tidal filter and works rather well.