When should I be changing my filter media?

I have a few Juwel tanks (Rio 180, Rio 125, Lido 120), all of which have an internal filter with different types of sponges.

I'd either asked when to clean a filter before, when referring to a different non-jewel tank, and the answer was (paraphrased) "clean it when you see the flow of water outputted reduce".

I'm just not sure when I should be changing my filter media? Some of the instruction manuals say some of the sponges should be changed weekly, which seems excessive.

I haven't seen a reduction of the output flow, and my parameters continue to be perfect, so what indication should I be looking for to change them?

Thanks in advance!

 

Not sure what sponges you have, but my Fluval sponges for my AC 50 and AC 70 are already 3 years old and they are still just fine.
You don't change sponges, you clean them in tank water and replace them in to your filter housing.

 

Some of the juwel sponges are meant to be changed periodically like the carbon and nitrate absorbing one. I don't use any of those in my Rio 300. Just lots of regular coarse sponge and bags of ceramic and lava rock at the bottom of the filter.

Only filter media I replace is the fine floss pads but honestly I find they take many months to start deteriorating. I think for optimal water clarity the floss should be replaced ever few weeks.

 

You don't change sponges, you clean them in tank water and replace them in to your filter housing.

Yeah, that's what I thought; and the cleaning is prompted by water flow reducing, right?

Here's one of the sponges that you're supposed to use - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jewel-Filter-Wool-Poly-Compact/dp/B000G04LWM, which states

Juwel compact poly pad filter media for bioflow 3.0 filters (Rio 125, 180, 240, vision 180, trigon 190, lido 120 aquariums). cleans the water of large particles. Should be changed weekly.

Some of the juwel sponges are meant to be changed periodically like the carbon and nitrate absorbing one. I don't use any of those in my Rio 300. Just lots of regular coarse sponge and bags of ceramic and lava rock at the bottom of the filter.

Honestly, I've never been sure which pads to use and I've just gone by the manuals and what they state is "required".

Could you expand a little bit more on what sponges you use and what you mean by "bags of ceramic and lava rock" please ?

Only filter media I replace is the fine floss pads but honestly I find they take many months to start deteriorating. I think for optimal water clarity the floss should be replaced ever few weeks.

Is that the Biopad filter I linked above? Is that when you change it, when it physically starts deteriorating?

 

I’ve had a Rio 125 for a couple of years and it’s only the Biopad that I replace - after a few rinses it doesn't reshape back into an effective square any more.

I used to replace the Nitrax sponge according to their schedule, but gave up on it. I keep the nitrates in my tank in check with water changes and thought that the sponge smells nasty - plus they’re expensive. Suggest putting another blue sponge in its place.

All the others can be just rinsed in my view. I rotate cleaning the top and bottom baskets each 3 weeks or so. All the blue sponges are still structurally sound in my tank after 2 years.

I also added the Cirax basket of ceramic granules in the bottom basket for extra bio filtration - a better investment in my view than buying lots of new sponges!

 

I have large square cubes of corse sponge. Can't remember where I got it from now but its cut to fit in the filter housing. There's also old sponge media I have crammed in there to carry a cycle over from an old canister.

The bag of ceramic rings are sintomec brand I think, they are from a previous filter too and in a large plastic mesh bag below sponges. Below those I have lava rock balls that are just resting on bottom of the filter. Not sure if they are the most effective there but again these came from previous filter and I needed the cycle.

I'm not actually sure what I think of the internal juwel filter or if my DIY media is the best idea but it's working well for me.

Yes the biopad is basically floss. After a few months it will just clog up and go flat, still good media for bacteria but it won't be polishing the water like it will with a weekly replacement. And yeah I try to change mine every few months, if waters crystal clear I don't stress about polishing it.

 

I’ve had a Rio 125 for a couple of years and it’s only the Biopad that I replace - after a few rinses it doesn't reshape back into an effective square any more.

In the few months I've owned my Rio tanks, I've never even rinsed the sponges/pads because I haven't seen a decrease in water output.

How often are you rinsing yours, out of interest?

I used to replace the Nitrax sponge according to their schedule, but gave up on it. I keep the nitrates in my tank in check with water changes and thought that the sponge smells nasty - plus they’re expensive. Suggest putting another blue sponge in its place.

Yeah, my Nitrates never go above ~10ppm-20ppm because of plants and weekly water changes. Honestly, I just bought whatever my LFS told me to buy, but going forward I'll replace the Nitrax with a blue sponge, thanks!

I also added the Cirax basket of ceramic granules in the bottom basket for extra bio filtration - a better investment in my view than buying lots of new sponges!

Ah yeah, I actually bought this for my 120, but neither of the others have it I don't believe.

I have large square cubes of corse sponge. Can't remember where I got it from now but its cut to fit in the filter housing. There's also old sponge media I have crammed in there to carry a cycle over from an old canister.

The bag of ceramic rings are sintomec brand I think, they are from a previous filter too and in a large plastic mesh bag below sponges. Below those I have lava rock balls that are just resting on bottom of the filter. Not sure if they are the most effective there but again these came from previous filter and I needed the cycle.

Ah right ok! That makes sense! Thanks

I'm not actually sure what I think of the internal juwel filter or if my DIY media is the best idea but it's working well for me.

So long as it works, I suppose that's the main thing

Yes the biopad is basically floss. After a few months it will just clog up and go flat, still good media for bacteria but it won't be polishing the water like it will with a weekly replacement. And yeah I try to change mine every few months, if waters crystal clear I don't stress about polishing it.

Honestly, I'm not even that overly bothered with crystal clear water (or making sure my tank is a no algae zone); so long as the parameters are good and my fish are happy.

I've just ordered a sponge filter because I'm already using two air stones, and I might as well use sponge filters that do the same thing but add some more filtration haha.

So... TL;DR is I don't really need to be replacing the sponges.... is there anything I should be looking out for that would be an indication that they DO need changing, other than the biopad not going back to its original shape/clogging up?

Am I correct in thinking I don't need to rinse the sponges unless I start seeing a decrease in water flow?

 

Letting it pack up with poop until the flow is reduced seems misguided to me. There's no good reason to keep all that waste in the system for so long. Since we're rinsing media in tank water the necessary BB is being preserved.

 

In the few months I've owned my Rio tanks, I've never even rinsed the sponges/pads because I haven't seen a decrease in water output.

How often are you rinsing yours, out of interest?

Maybe I’m overdoing it, but I clean half of the sponges (top basket/bottom basket) every 3 weeks or so. So all of them are rinsed each 6-8 weeks. They do get quite grubby in that time - I have a messy BN pleco in there.

 

Maybe I’m overdoing it, but I clean half of the sponges (top basket/bottom basket) every 3 weeks or so. So all of them are rinsed each 6-8 weeks. They do get quite grubby in that time - I have a messy BN pleco in there.

OK, excellent, thanks for the advice!