Filter Question

[jeepie]

Hello, I guess I was one of the members who were deleted, that was not very nice of them to mess up the place. I have a question concerning filters and cleaning, I have a topfin 10 gal tank and filter, the filter material is a sock filled with carbon that slides into groves in the filter housing then the water flows through the sock. Where in the filter does bacteria actually form/live, is it only on the filter material ? I have to remove the filter material and empty out the carbon to clean it, if I rinse out the filter material in a bucket of tank water untill its pretty clean won't I remove all the bacteria ? Is there someother way to do this ? I was also thinking is it a good idea to run two small filters at the same time and alternate which one is cleaned every few weeks so you will always have one filter full of bactera ? I hope I am making sense here, I am trying to figure out what some of the stuff I have been reading here really means.
Thanks.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

to the forum.

The answer is that you don't have to worry. You're not supposed to use tap water because of the chlorine, but I don't think that the water would sweep the bacteria away. You can clean it out in the tank water, though I would suggest changing the pad.

 

[Billsjunkie]

I have two spaces for filter cartridges in my 330 penguin filter. I swap one out every two weeks and then take turns. There for you always have some bacteria on atleast one filter.

 

[Bol]

Where in the filter does bacteria actually form/live, is it only on the filter material ?

The bacteria will attach itself to pretty much any surface.

if I rinse out the filter material in a bucket of tank water untill its pretty clean won't I remove all the bacteria ?

All? no. Some? yes.

I was also thinking is it a good idea to run two small filters at the same time and alternate which one is cleaned every few weeks so you will always have one filter full of bactera ?

Not a bad idea, and like Billsjunkie said, if you have a little extra room in your filter housing, you could add some extra filter material (another filter cartridge, some sponge, or polyester batting) in the empty space, and then just alternate cleaning the two filters.

 

[DrOizo]

I personally wouldn't clean the filter media but I instead change one of the sponges every 6 months (not both at the same time though , new tank syndrome anyone? )

 

[thecichlidaddict]

if I rinse out the filter material in a bucket of tank water untill its pretty clean won't I remove all the bacteria ?

It will remove some, but not all of it. There is no need to clean it too rigorously.

I was also thinking is it a good idea to run two small filters at the same time and alternate which one is cleaned every few weeks so you will always have one filter full of bactera

Absolutely, I only have one tank with just one filter on it.

 

[jeepie]

Thanks for your help, I am probably going to add a second filter, since they are pretty cheap, I thinking either another topfin 10 ($11.99) like I have so the replacement filter material will fit both, or a small penguin bio-wheel ($14.99). Is the bio-wheel design a lot better than the topfin power filter design ? If I am understanding this in a bio-wheel filter the bacteria live on the bio-wheel and I should not have to touch that part of the filter when cleaning, just the filter material behind it, sound right ? If this is true then this sound like a much better way to go.
Thanks again for your help.

 

[Billsjunkie]

Thanks for your help, I am probably going to add a second filter, since they are pretty cheap, I thinking either another topfin 10 ($11.99) like I have so the replacement filter material will fit both, or a small penguin bio-wheel ($14.99). Is the bio-wheel design a lot better than the topfin power filter design ? If I am understanding this in a bio-wheel filter the bacteria live on the bio-wheel and I should not have to touch that part of the filter when cleaning, just the filter material behind it, sound right ? If this is true then this sound like a much better way to go.
Thanks again for your help.

That is correct. I have a dual biowheel 330 penguin. It has enough room for two filter cartiridges, and has two biowheels which do a awesome job. It also has two filter baskets for putting in whatever media you would like. My water is crystal clear and it does a great job of keeping a great cycle. I highly recommend it. Its only about 25.99 for the 330 which you can use starting on a 55 gallon tank and it gives the best oxygen ratio that you can get out of ANY power filters.

 

[Billsjunkie]

To clarify my answer, you NEVER have to change the biowheel.

 

[White Whale]

Are all the Penguin BioWheel models like that?

 

[Billsjunkie]

Are all the Penguin BioWheel models like that?

Well the biggest one that I have has two biowheels and the two filter cartridges with two baskets. The smaller ones only have one wheel, one basket and one cartridge I believe.