changing the filter!

[Missie]

Hey Gang. I need some help again. It has been about a month since I last changed my filter. Some of you FREAKED on me when I said that I had replaced the old one with a new one. It had to do with the loss of good bacteria.

So my question is....what am I supposed to do? I feel like a doofus, but well, what else is new?


TIA! )


ooops, forgot to add, it is a Whisper filter that hangs on the back.....with the little cartridges that fit in it!

 

[appleblossom]

syphon out tank water in your regular water change, and rinse the rilter sponge around in the tank water you have removed. Then replace the sponge in the filter.!

If you really want to change the sponge then try cutting it, and the replacement sponge into 3 or 4 peices, and replace one peice at a time. This way you get a new sponge over a period of weeks, and you dont have ro start cycling your tank over again.

If you have carbon in your filter this does need to be changed as it removes toxins from the wayter, after a period of time when it becomes inactive it can start to leech them back into your tank water, so carbon usually needs changing every 4-6 weeks.

hope that helps

 

[StingrayKid]

Do you want to change to a NEW filter or change the cartrage or sponge in your currant one? If you're changing a cartridge, you can. Your filter is not the only source of beneficial bacteria in your tank. If you're changing to a whole new filter, I'm not sure why you would unless there's something wrong with it.

 

[Missie]

Sorry, Guys. I'm so fish illiterate that I'm having a hard time making myself clear. I just need to change the cartridge. It is one of those all in one cartridges, that has the carbon in the middle of it. Am I making any kind of sense yet???

 

[tstenback]

I have a couple of these filters as well. If the tank is well established then you should be able to just remove the old and insert the new (after giving it a rinse in your old tank water from water change). I have found that if the tank is not mature, doing this causes a mini cycle where i have gotten a nitrite spike (only .25ppm). So what i now do most of the time is do a water change, put the old cartridge in the bucket, peel off the sponge from the cartridge, rinse the new cartridge in the bucket, and place the new cartridge into the filter and then place the old sponge in the filter so that it lies against the new sponge. I then leave it there for about 4-5 days and then remove the old sponge. I know it sounds like a convoluted process but i have never had a spike doing it this way and it doesnt take near as long as it sounds HTH

 

[njnauticalnut]

I have a Whisper filter on my 5 gallon and I also just change the cartridge out with a new one, have not had a mini cycle in a long while, but the tank has been established for a several years. Tstenback, I like your idea as it is much more preventative.

Good luck Missie

 

[Missie]

Thanks!!!

I think I can handle that!

I really do appreciate the help.