Carbon Question

[FishBazzar]

Hi

I'm sorta a newbie in the whole filter area. Right now I am running a 44 gallon eclipse system tank. The filter consists of a blue floss with black carbon inside and a bio-wheel. I haven't replace the floss/carbon for a really long time. My fish are just fine. But on the replacement bags of filter media it says replace every month at least. Just wondering if it is ok to leave things as they are and if there is a way just to use floss and no carbon?

Also, how do you know when floss media needs to be changed?

Thanks

 

[Alien Anna]

As the old saying goes "They would say that, wouldn't they?"

Actually, you have to be careful about replacing filter floss because the filter's the place that houses a good proportion of your beneficial bacteria (the bugs that convert ammonia from the fish's waste to nitrite and then nitrate). Personally, I'd squeeze out the floss in some used tank water once a week and replace it once every 6 months, if that. Before I replaced it, I'd put the new floss lose in the tank, to get it seeded with beneficial bacteria first, for about a week.

I don't use carbon, except to remove medications on rare occasions, but carbon becomes useless anyway after a few weeks. It isn't needed in a healthy tank, so don't worry about it.

 

[Kossy]

I find carbon exteremly useful actually. Carbon saves me from changing the water on a weekly basis. I use a wool/carbon filter, I cahnge the water once a month (approx 1/3) and the water is quite ok then as well. I know I test it etc... I only change it when theres sick fish if you know what I mean.

 

[Kossy]

...Forgot to add. I change my filter when it gets scummy (around 3-4 weeks) I don't just rinse it I change the whole thing. There Is alot of bacteria in the filter but there also around the whole tank

 

[FishBazzar]

Thanks for the replies.

I will probably just keeping use the same filter for 6+months even though the carbon has worn out. The floss or whatever seems to do a pretty good job of cleaning by itself. Plus, I do a 25% water change once a week so everything is pretty clean.