Filters

[Sheils]

How do you know when to change the filter?
I'm guessing not the whole unit but the inside of it.

 

[Moby-Krib]

How do you know when to change the filter?
I'm guessing not the whole unit but the inside of it.

Hi,
You pretty much DON'T!! if it is no longer a sponge its then done! still resembles one ? likely still usable.
Unless it is falling apart in your hand you are obligated to show it the love it deserves.
Until it has passed it provides you everything and even on its demise must pass its seed to the new host.

Truly, it has to be beyond reprieve before its spent. a swish in tank water, a blown kiss and put it back to its job.,

 

[mattlee]

as moby stated unless the sponges are falling apart then they are fine. they may look horrible and discoloured but they still contain your key to the stability of the tank. when you notice the flow rate of the filters dropping then its usualy time for a clean but dont clean them to look new just a swill in tank water is enough otherwise you will remove too much bacteria and may end up with a spike in the water causing stress on the fish and you...

if you have ceramic media in the filter then the same applies just swill it in tank water to remove any trapped particles of food and poop etc and place back into the filter. just be very carefull with any media sponge or ceramics than it doesnt dry out and is kept wet otherwise the bacteria will die off again causing a potential spike in the water.

if its an external canister filter then you probably wont have to touch it for a few months before you notice a reduction in flow rate. internal filters do clog up slightly faster due to them being much smaller. it all depends on the tank stocking levels and the amount you feed them really as to how quick a filter will clog. also messy eating fish like oscars and flowerhorns will drop more food than they eat sometimes which usually gets sucked into the filter and also high waste producers like panaque and common plecs etc will obviously help the filter clog quicker with their amounts of poop

 

[rachcake]

not sure if i can ask this on someone elses post but mine isn't sponge its more.. wool-like?? are sponges best? is it literally a case of buying sponge from a supermarket & cutting to size?

 

[Gvilleguy]

Hey rachcake - I have used both soap-free sponges from the grocery store, and also the plastic-but-looks-like-steel-wool type of sponge. I believe both are okay for growing bacteria and filtering gunk.

 

[Sheils]

Mine Hangs off the side. And is a top fin filter from pet smart. I noticed they do sell cartridges. That's why I ask

 

[mattlee]

what exactly is in the cartridges? if they contain the sponges or ceramic media then dont throw it away and replace with a new one otherwise you will be starting the filter cycle from scratch and will get ammonia and nitrite spikes which may harm or even kill your fish!!!!

just swill it in a bucket containing tank water to clean any gunk off it but dont get carried away as this will contain all your bacteria needed to complete the nitrogen cycle

 

[Gvilleguy]

I don't like to see you type "cartridge". That makes it sound like one of those fiber cartridges containing carbon. Those tend to saturate in only a few weeks, causing you to have to replace them. And in the meantime helpful bacteria has colonized the mesh of the cartridge, and you are throwing out helpful stuff. I have an Aqueon HOB, and I discarded the cartridge and plastic insert that held the cartridge, and filled the available space with pellets (on the left where the water intakes) and sponges (on the right where water flows up and out into the tank). Works great and the media lasts a LONG time.

Let me know if that makes sense. I can take and post a picture of how I set the media up if you like. Most HOB have the same basic flow.

 

[Sheils]

I don't like to see you type "cartridge". That makes it sound like one of those fiber cartridges containing carbon. Those tend to saturate in only a few weeks, causing you to have to replace them. And in the meantime helpful bacteria has colonized the mesh of the cartridge, and you are throwing out helpful stuff. I have an Aqueon HOB, and I discarded the cartridge and plastic insert that held the cartridge, and filled the available space with pellets (on the left where the water intakes) and sponges (on the right where water flows up and out into the tank). Works great and the media lasts a LONG time.

Let me know if that makes sense. I can take and post a picture of how I set the media up if you like. Most HOB have the same basic flow.

I understand what your saying, does make sense. This is the tank I got. http/www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3804446
It does have a cartlidge but I can't figure out what it is made of. It tells you to clean it or replace every 3-4 weeks. So far I haven't touched it at all. The water flow is fine. And this is all I could find on the cartridges. http/www.petsmart.com/product/zoom/index.jsp?productId=2752295

 

[fluttermoth]

Is there anything else in the filter, apart from the cartridges?

 

[OldMan47]

Do not try to use the typical sponge from your local grocery, it will not work. A filter sponge has an open cell structure to it, it is terrible at holding water. A typical grocery store sponge holds water very well with its closed cell construction. These are not at all interchangeable. You want an open cell sponge in any function in a tank filter. The open cell structure allows water to flow freely through your sponge while a closed cell structure prevents that flow.

 

[Sheils]

Is there anything else in the filter, apart from the cartridges?

Just did a water change last week and when I went to start filter back up again I had to jump start it a bit to get the water cycling through. But I did take a look inside and I only saw a cartridge. Although I didn't touch it . It looks to me to be a sponge. I noticed too that it was a bit discolored. The water flow is still fine (knock on wood) so I'm guessing not to touch (replace) it til I see water getting sluggish?

 

[Sheils]

Do not try to use the typical sponge from your local grocery, it will not work. A filter sponge has an open cell structure to it, it is terrible at holding water. A typical grocery store sponge holds water very well with its closed cell construction. These are not at all interchangeable. You want an open cell sponge in any function in a tank filter. The open cell structure allows water to flow freely through your sponge while a closed cell structure prevents that flow.

Thanks for the tip. No I wouldn't use any sponge but what goes with my filter. Next time I'm in petsmart I'll look at the replacement a little more closely.