Greetings From Montreal!

[l_l_l]

Good that you did not clean the media, then in that case all should be fine bacteria wise.
 
Carbon does have a short life, so yeah would say just to take it out.
Manufacturers do state this to replace every 2 weeks or so, this is really just a marketing gimmick to get you to keep buying their carbon. Not worth it. 
 
Carbon is really used for taking meds out of the water after you have finished treating sick fish or anything like that.
 
Just replace the carbon with more sponge media, that will do perfectly well.

Nice! Thank you!
I'll do that tonight

 

[l_l_l]

welp! one of my neons is starting g to separate from his school, his color is less vibrant, and is sometimes swimming a bit on the side.. I think he might have NTD. I'll monitor him tmrw.

 

[l_l_l]

Update:
I got the 75W Jager and my temperatures are stable at 25C, perfect!
I tested my nitrates as well after my water change, and they are at 20PPM.
Yay!
My neon is also not dead, and feeling ok.
Other thing: 
I have noticed that one of my female shrimp have molted, she no longer has the saddle, but I can't see eggs under her, does that mean she wont be pregnant?
 
Cheers!

 

[Ch4rlie]

Thats all good 

 
Glad you happy with sorting your heater issues, good one!
 
Normal for shrimps to moult and sometimes they do have saddles but no eggs, give the shrimps time they will get berried and have shrimplets when they happy and ready.
 
Just keep the water parameters good and steady and they will breed.

 

[l_l_l]

Another shrimp molted!
Update on nitrate levels: they are at 15-20..
No water changed since last time! Wew!!