Safe Way To Change The Filter Media?

[bronzecat]

Hi

I have the Aquamarine 900 (40g) which has the Marisys 240 filter unit. I have approx 30kgs of LR in the tank.

In the filter at present i have 3 white filter pads at the top which i wash in tap water once a week. Sandwiched between them i have my phosphate remover in filter bags which gets replace weekly.

In the next compartment i have changed the plastic bio-balls for Seachem Matrix

In the bottom compartment there are those ceramic rings, which i understand can be a NitrAte breeding ground too. Would it be best to replace them with LR rubble? If so, would it be safe to change it all in one go, or should i do it in stages?

Thanks

 

[ben1987]

if you got 30KG of live rock in 40G tank id say you could do it straight away and not worry. Just test the water a it for a couple of days if you want

 

[Crazy fishes]

Bronzecat, why are you washing filter pads in tap water? Are you just using them for mechical filtration because after you rinse them they are not going to have any 'filter' bacteria on them.

I would have to agree with Ben here 30kg in 40g is plenty of filtration, although I would like to add that unless you are having trouble with nitrates and phosphates I wouldn't bother messing with it. I have a filter on the back of my 24g which is crammed with bioballs, de-nitrate, Rowaphos, ceramic beads and sponges (artificial sponges not marine , although that might catch on). I have recently also added a huge clump of chaetomorpha and my nitrates are <0.2ppm and phosphates are unrecordable. It is worth every couple of weeks emptying the compartments and making sure not too much detritus is collecting there.
On the marisys 240, does that have the berlin style skimmer?

Anyways hope this helps

Regards

 

[bronzecat]

Hi
Crazy Fishes - No, i haven't got a nitrAte or Phoshate problem The nitrAtes are somewhere between 5-10ppm just prior to water change time.
(Phosphate = 0)

The reason i wash those pads, which are only about 1cm thick, is so i dont get a nitrAte problem, prevention rather than cure All i want them for is to filter out large waste particles and its a good high flow area to put the phosphate remover, which says to have it between thin sponges I figure that if i hadn't been rinsing them out my nitrAte reading would be higher than it is.

I have read loads of threads/articles that say those ceramic ring things are a nitrAte breeding ground, where as LR rubble isn't. I'd rather avoid the nitrAtes getting higher, then having to worry about them if they do

The Marisys filter does have a skimmer built in, which is working very well. It has a tube which lets waste run out of the collection cup and into a plastic bottle. I get out somewhere around an inch of mucky filth in the bottle every 10 days or so.

Ben - I thought that due to the amount of LR i have, there wouldn't be a problem but just wanted to check

Cheers