Juwel Compact Media Swap Out?

[BenPursglove]

Hi all

I have been searching around here and elsewhere about this and found nothing so asking your advises...

I have Juwel Rio 125 tank with the obligatory juwel compact stuck on filter - I find that it works fine with current bioload, stable readings are; Am: 0, NI's: <0.1, NA's: Average 5 - 20, PH: 7.5 (ish). Water change is done as required.
Having read around here I guess a lot of folks don't like Jewel but this is what I have and the fish and water tests seem to like it so far. I may upgrade the filter to external / better later, but for now it does the job.

Being a freak I got one of the juwel cirax filter baskets. My current filter setup looks like this:

juwel white pad
juwel white pad
carbon sponge
green nitrate sponge
fine blue sponge
------------
cirax basket
coarse blue sponge
coarse blue sponge

Having learned that ceramic media gives more surface area so therefore a better bio-filteration media and also that the juwel green and carbon sponges are not really required, here is the new setup I am considering:

juwel white pad
juwel white pad
fine blue sponge
cirax basket
cirax basket
------------
cirax basket
coarse blue sponge
coarse blue sponge

Can anyone see a problem?

Subnote: The single juwel pad does not give enough mech-filtration IMO, I wash two juwel white pads weekly and rotate with the previous weeks washed and dry ones, still going good after two months - I aint buying a new pad per week if the previous ones work fine...

Juwel seal up their media basket's with media so you have to get another when the media inside is buggered (imagine my surprise ) but I plan on unsealing/resealing and replacing media as needed with something else

Stock is; 6 x zebra danio & 2 x small Bristlenose

Wanting to help future tank bud's to be well filtered with current filter...

 

[doresy]

Hi, I'm with you on the Juwel filter

Ok from the top this is what I have

White pad
coarse blue
Basket of noodles (explain later)
coarse blue
gap
1 medium blue
1 fine blue
1 fine blue.

The top section is for a faster flow filtration and requires a very gentle wash each water change.

The lower section is for a slower flow filtration and should be left for months without disturbing.

I prefer ceramic noodles to the cirax so I gently prized open the basket and replace the half full cirax and filled it with matured noodles when I first cycled it. The cirax was not wasted though, I put it in the old AquaOne where I took the noodles from.

This works well for my Tanganyikan/plec tank

 

[BenPursglove]

Thanks for the reply doresy, do you think my proposed setup is better than my existing one? I note that you have also removed carbon and green sponge thing?

 

[doresy]

Hi, like I mentioned the lower pack is for a slower flow of filtration so a finer media should be placed here. The upper pack is for a faster flow so coarser media should be used.

As mine was second hand I used what I had rather than would have been supplied when new. As with many filters they are supplied with stuff that you are meant to replace regularily for the makers to maximize profits but are totally unnecessary.

Carbon is used to very fine filter. This being when removing old medications when done but with regular water changes this is achieved naturally. Also carbon can be used to help remove water discolouration...ie from bogwood.

The green sponge is impregnated for nitrite removal but if the tank is cycled and properly maintained then nitrite will be processed leaving nitrate which will be diluted at water change.

These two medias need replacing very regularily if used so it's best not to use them.

As any 'pro' will tell you they don't replace their core media untill it literally falls apart which should be years and years! Good news for us but bad for LFS.
I've been doing it for nearly 6 years and I don't even consider most of my media even run-in yet!!

 

[MHunt]

I've never replaced any filter media apart from polyester pads for fine particle removal, and carbon when I use it. The corse media or bio material is reused untill it falls apart. In my fluval 205 I have

Corse pads
Ceramic basket
Ceramic basket
Polyester filter wool (donated from the filling in an old pillow!)

Any chemical media when used goes after the corse sponges and before the ceramic (according to fluval anyway unless anyone has a different opinion.)

I agree that the filter manufactrers are trying to get as much money out of us aftermarket, and unfortunately could potentially put the fishes health at risk if you unnecessarily disturb your bacterial media and cause a mini cycle. Rare I'll agree, but possible if you're constantly replacing filter media to an extent that it can't create a sustainable and mature bacteria colony.