Changing Filter Media

[dan19]

Hi all

I was just wondering how often it is that i should change the sponge in my juwel filter???

I often squeeze the sponges out in the bucket i use, in the tank water when i clean them out,

But when should i actually change the sponge, and im guessing i should only change half the sponge at a time as there will be no bacteria in the filter and would need to cycle again, which is obviously not good with already plenty of fish in the tank???

 

[waterdrop]

You don't change a sponge until the sponge itself begins to break down and have tears. This could be years. You are doing the correct procedure, squeeze it out in tank water, every couple of weeks or every month or certainly if flow rate slows.

When you do want to replace it eventually, consider this sort of procedure if its your only sponge/biomedia: Cut both the new sponge and the old one into thirds with scissors. Replace only one third every 2 weeks over a month and a half. If the sponge is a smaller percentage of your total biomedia, then of course you could be less conservative in the rate/amound of change.

~~waterdrop~~