Should I Change The Filters...?

[tameem]

I setup a 55 gallon tank well more then a month ago. We started the fishless cycling method, but that proved unsuccessful for us. It was taking a long time, family increasinly impatient for looking at this new empty tank for almost a month.

So we decided to cycle tradionally with fish. I introduced tiger barbs couple weeks ago and we now have 12 tiger barbs and 3 cory cats. In more then a month now we have never replaced the two filter cartidges (we use the marineland 200 poer filter with activated carbon) for fear of effecting the cycling.
So basically we didnt have any fish in the tank during the one month, until 2-3 weeks ago. Should I replace the filter, or follow the one month schedule as normal begining when we added fist??

 

[Tolak]

You don't need to replace that cartridge until it is quite literally falling apart. Just rinse it in old tank or other dechlorinated water. Replacement cartridges are nothing but a big money maker for the folks who make filters, they make for plenty of unneeded return sales.

My personal record for a sponge in an Aqua Clear was 7 years, the sponge is still good, I don't use hob filters any more.

 

[cane76]

once the sponges have lost their shape they need to be replaced as the water will take the easiest route throughy the filter

 

[Tolak]

Marineland cartridges are held together by a frame, I have yet to see a plastic frame loose its shape. Ever run Aqua Clear filters? Those sponges do not loose their shape, after years they are still tight fitting rectangles. No telling with after market sponges, the AC sponges are made of some really tough stuff.

 

[tameem]

Let me be clear that Im talking about the filters in the frame, not the biowheel. Based on my readings, I understand that you really need to replace the chemical filtration (activated carbon) every month, or in some cases it can release bad stuff back into the tank. The filters I use have the frame, with the activated carbon. All the literature I have read says to replace the filters regularely, ususally once a month. If you have addiotnal spaces for them, you can replace in a rotation to maintain the biofilter. So I should not unless they are in real bad shape replace these filters>>!?? Just making sure.

Thanks for all your replies.

 

[Tolak]

I'll bet all the literature you have read is provided by the filter manufacturer. They would love for you to spend money on new media every month for the life of the filter.

Slit the filter bag, dump out the carbon. Use the pad until it is quite literally falling apart.

 

[Bignose]

Just a second voice here to back up what Tolak is saying. I've got a box of replacement cartridges for my filters, and after 5 years or so now, I haven't even touched half the box yet. I've replaced the cartridges exactly twice I think. I slit them open with a utility knife, dump out the carbon granules, and then stuff the cartridge full of quilt batter scraps from my mother's quilting business. This batter stuffed cartridge has lasted me up to two years. '

Just like many others, fishkeeping is a money-making business, and the filter manufacturers are trying hard to get you to spend a lot of money with them. So are the food makers, the water conditioner makers, the medicine makers, etc. etc. Much like a lot of things in life, take everything with a grain of salt and be skeptical. Just because it says something on the package 1) doesn't mean it is completely true and (this is the really big one) 2) doesn't mean it is what is best for your fish.

The good news is that there are many, many very experienced fishkeepers on this forum who are happy to help. So, be sure to ask about anything you are unsure of.

 

[tameem]

First off, for the record, literature that I am talking about are aquarium books. Several well-liked aquarium books that I read before getting back into the hobby. I didn't obtain the information off the package of a filter.

At some point I suppose the fiter will get clogged and all, and maybe thats when I can gently squeeze it in aquarium water to remove the debris and re-install the cartidges. Would it help if I open up the new cartidges and add them too? would this help with the cycle, as I believe Im still in the middle of it.

Also, Im getting contradictory information about water conditioners. For a while I was trying to cycle without fish, and I was using Amquel +, but I was not able to move the cycle along, and ammonia readings were not changing. Someone who is quite knowledgeable told me to stop using Amquel. because its just not ur average water conditioner. So instead I use Stress Coat. I always get .50ppm readings of ammonia, even when testing tap water WITHOUT dechlorinating it. I have no idea what's going on

Any advice please feed back??

Thnanks for all you help. I get responses on these forums, unlike some other forums on the internet.

 

[Tolak]

Unfortunately, and probably in part due to the internet, much info in general aquatics books is dated. Some of your better species orientd books are better, as they are more specific towards a certain species, and usually involve breeding techniques.

You are correct with the idea of filter cleaning, when the water flow has slowed down noticably it is time for a clean. Adding additional cartridges won't help with the cycling, it will help with keeping debris out of the water. If you have an open slot for extras it won't hurt to run them, I always doubled up on filter sponges in AC hob filters.

Your best water conditioners are Tetra Aquasafe & Seachem Prime. You get more bang for your buck with Prime, they both do pretty much the same thing. Some tap water does contain ammonia, a good water conditioner will convert ammonia to ammonium, a substance harmless at levels found in tap water or your aquarium, but used the same as ammonia by your bio filtration.

Without getting too technical, most any declorinator will remove chlorine & chloramine, you are often left with ammonia from this process. A dechlorinator that states that it removes or detoxifies ammonia takes care of this situation.

 

[tameem]

Tolak,

Thanks for your response.
Why are the two brands you mentioned the best water conditioners? The water conditioner Stress Coat that Im using does take care of chloramines, and detoxifies the ammonia. I like that it also helps with slime coat, although I'm sure others do as well. I suppose if this wasn't the case as far as chloramine, and it only treated say, chlorine, my fish would trully be suffering from the .50ppm level of ammonia. They certainly all look real happy and no signs of distress.
Is there any point where I can expect to get a 0 reading using my API test kit, or will it always be .50? Im concluding that becaue ammonia is being detected, the biofilter has not matured enoguh to take care of this?

Ive enjoyed reading aquarium books from people who are supposedtly authorities in the field, and I agree that many are quite dated, as evident by my recent visit to the library, but I do make a point to get books with a recent publication date. I am disapointed that despite the straight-forward approiach presented by all the books regarding cycling and monitoring, it was kinda of misleading because in real life its not as straight-forward. I have no idea where im at with my cycling. For all I know, it could have already cycled, or it barebly has begun. That's the most frustrating part of all this.

 

[Tolak]

Stress Coat, as far as I know, does nothing for ammonia. http/aquariumpharm.com/Products/Product.aspx?ProductID=43

Here's a good link for water conditioner reviews; http/64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:UWzw8...lient=firefox-a

Those two are the best because they cover just about anything you may find in tap water, and they do what they claim to do using the recommended dosage. All dechlorinators contain sodium thiosulfate, this is what nuteralizes chlorine, and breaks the chlorine/ammonia bond in chloramine. Plain sodium thiosulfate will leave you with ammonia.

To convert ammonia to ammonium, they use hydromethane sulfinate, this is a component Stress Coat is lacking. Most every large municipal water supplier uses chloramine now, so the remaining ammonia component must be dealt with.

Another concern is heavy metals, ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid, more commonly known as EDTA, chelates these metals out, binding them to a harmless form.

Prime contains a proprietary chemical that claims to neutralize nitrite, trying to get this chemical name out of them is near impossible, I've tried. Tetra is the same as Seachem when it comes to getting specific chemical makeup of their product, they guard this carefully.

Some years back we had a rep from Tetra do a program on water treatments at a club meeting, using a yellow tagging agent to mark chlorine & chloramine. Out of over a dozen products, Prime & Aqua Safe are the only ones to do what they claimed, many took double or triple the suggested dose to fully neutralize chlorine & chloramine. Prime is cheaper than Aqua Safe, this is the reason I use this product.

Cycling is odd, in that the time it can take to cycle can vary widely. There are many variables that can be specific to an individual tank, it can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to closing in on two months. In a cycled tank you will see no ammonia with commonly used water testing gear. I always suggest double dosing with a good water treatment, the extra will hurt nothing. Municipal water supplies will increase the rate that they add disinfectants for many reasons. Their main concern is the health of humans, they really don't care about aquariums & fish. Here's a link to a little chart, which shows how a cycle generally goes; http/home.elp.rr.com/markastone/n-cycle.gif

 

[tameem]

Thanks so much for your replies.
Im a bit worried about my cory's since ammonia is being detected. Although after a water change yesterday, I think im getting a .25ppm reading intead of .50. I', almost running out of stress coat, so I think I'll start using Prime.