Filter Changes

[betta blue]

I'm just posting this cause I'm sure there are more people like me, that I'm sure have to try to figure out where they find the time to take care of their fish. I work up to 15 hours a day. I come home exhausted, spend about 3 hours asleep and wake up to do water changes! I had asked why no one asks about filter changes...and still ask about that! I have logs for all my aquariums when I did water changes and what filter elements I changed when....getting too old to remember it all if I don't record it. I can't afford to do the chemestry (water parameters) on the aquariums on a regular basis...I've done it but will only do it again if I have a problem with fish. I've heard everyone talk about water changes...but then why do I do regular filter element changes. Does that mean it's not important? Sorry...but cleaning the filter and doing changes on the elements in it is harder than a water change especially in a 305 and 404 fluval for a 45 gal. and a 90 gal...but even the the small filters take more time than just a water change. Without doing the chemistry in the water, I think doing the filter changes are important to maintain a good water quality for my fish. Is it just me cause no one seems to address when was the last time you changed your filter media?

[andywoolloo]

all my cycled tanks get a 50% water change once a week. My BN Tank I do twice a week 50%.

All my HOBS get done once a month. As far as cleaning tubes and rinsing the sponge in used tank water. My canisters vary, some I have to do once a month, as far as rinsing media and some can go 3 or 4 months. Some of the tubes on my canisters I have to more often, depends which tank, specially on my BN tank and syno tank.

I keep a chart on a dry erase board. Of the date I change water in what tank and the date I clean tubes in which tank and the date i rinse the actual canister media in dechlorinated water. Also on the HOBs I keep a chart. Every week on my partial water change day I rinse the sponge in the HOBs in the used tank water.

Is this what you mean?

Plus, on all my tanks with pl*cos I clean the substrate of poo every night when I get home from work and every morning when I wake up. But I am a bit obsessive.

p.s. I check the water levels, A NI NA PH once a month. I know I should probably do it more often. But they are all cycled and I usually only have 5 ppm NA's. And every day I check their temperature to make sure I do not have a wacky heater malfunciton. And I make sure all the filters are moving every day as well.

[betta blue]

Thank you andywoolloo! All of my tanks have carbon, biomax and sponge(s). Every month I change one of them...the sponges, I just clean. I record them in a log cause I can't remember which one and which component I've changed. I do regular water changes and always clean my substrate as I vacuum up the water. I have live plants in every aquarium and 2 bristlenoses, common plec, chocolate plec, a huge apple snail (3-4") and now a rubberlipped bulldog soon to be two in his tank. I find I have to clean the motors on the filters as often if not more than water changes in the smaller tanks and the bigger tanks need cleaning the hoses at least once a month with the bigger plec's? I find water changes are easy but maintaining the filters, especially the two fluvals are tough.

[betta blue]

PS: I do check temperatures daily. Water levels are always maintained...only on occassion do I add water without doing a water change. I guess I should see if there is a cheaper water test strip but so far I've only tested my water very periodically and as long as I am vigilant in my water changes and changing filter media, it's an extra expense that I have trouble justifying. With 6 aquariums, those test strips can really add up.

[andywoolloo]

when you say clean the sponges you do it in dechlorinated water or used tank water or how? Just making sure no tap water cause that would kill the good stuff on there.

I think I figured out on my canister hoses its the tanks that get alot of food, like my BN tank, it has babies, so the hoses get gunked up more I think from food . Cause i do not want them to starve. Or it could be all the poo and stuff but I clean substrate when I get up and when I get home from work. Then I thought it was maybe cause the filters were too small for the tank and bio load. But all my readings are correct. The BN tank now has a HOB and the canister and I have and is doing well.

I really think the API freshater master test kit is well worth the money in the long run. You get so many tests from it. And petsmart will match the on line price if you bring the printed out internet page to the store I have heard.

Also I hardly ever change the media as in sponges and cocoa puffs or ceramic bits or cylinders, just rinse in dechlorinated water in a fish bucket. I change the sponges when I can no longer rinse them out tho. But that's months and months and months. But I always change the top fine filter out , I do not rinse that, just toss it, the fine pad that goes on top.

[MatsP]

I agree with Andys last comment. The "recommended change intervals" by manufacturers for sponges and such is really part of a money-making scheme (and the LFS don't mind). There is no technical reason to replace filter sponges unless they are really clogged. Longer lasting media, such as ceramics are literally indestructible - the only reason to replace it would be if the entire system is being redone due to some pathogen (illness) in the tank - even then, I'd say a bath in bleach followed by VERY THOROUGH rinsing with clean tap-water would do the trick of killing anything harmful in there.

Obviously, filter media that either reacts with or ab-/adsorbs chemicals from the water will need to be replaced when they are exhausted.

The only other filter materials that I replace on regular intervals is the soft "polyester wool" filter that (usually) sits on the top of the filter - as it doesn't clean up very well.

Of my 9 tanks, 5 have external canister filters, 2 have internal filters and two are on a combined sump-filter. The external canisters get cleaned about once every two-six months depending on the load in the tank. Internal filters are cleaned more regularly. The sump filter has yet to be cleaned, as it's only been running for a couple of months and is in no way needing to be cleaned yet.

--
Mats

[andywoolloo]

Obviously, filter media that either reacts with or ab-/adsorbs chemicals from the water will need to be replaced when they are exhausted.

yeah exactly, and I also do not use the carbon on a general basis ever. Which is one of the things Mats is referring to I think, I know there are many more, I do not use them, I only use carbon if I need to remove meds.

[MatsP]

Obviously, filter media that either reacts with or ab-/adsorbs chemicals from the water will need to be replaced when they are exhausted.

yeah exactly, and I also do not use the carbon on a general basis ever. Which is one of the things Mats is referring to I think, I know there are many more, I do not use them, I only use carbon if I need to remove meds.

Yes, carbon, zeolite, nitrate-removers and other such things have a capacity of how much of whatever they take on they can take on. So obviously, they need to be replaced when they are "full" or "empty" (depending on which way they work).

As Andy, I do not run carbon in any of my filters unless I'm actually trying to remove something in particular that is in the water.

--
Mats

[betta blue]

Thank you for your info. I think I'm screwing up here. I have no problems with water changes that I do regularly. In my 90 gal., I have mollies and platys that poop probably more than my 12" common plec. I think their poo is what keeps clogging up stuff. I have a 403 Fluval in that tank and it's the one I need my husband to help clean as well as the 303...I know, I should learn to do it. I change media in the filters in my 2-5 gal. tanks regularly. My two 10 gal. tanks need the motors cleaned at least once a week and I change their sponge filter biweekly. With the cost of changing media in my filters for the 403 and 303 fluvals, I just bought big containers of "Zeo-Carb" and "Carbon" I had someone tell me to use unscented kitty litter instead of the Zeo-Carb. I haven't tried that. Would just having the sponges in the filters be enough? The filters get so plugged with poo...each level? I do not replace my sponges...but have two extras for each filter. I clean them using water that has been sitting for about 4 days but always replace them with the extra two. My fish are surviving and I'm not experiencing any fish loss . If all I need in the filters are sponges that could certainly help financially. I'm starting to get depressed cause I think I'm over my head on taking care of the tanks. Sorry for sounding so pitiful but I just found out that I needed to move my 2 year old frog to another tank and buy another rubberlipped plec. Guess I just need to vent...but after all my venting, do I not need to do carbon or the Zeo Carb...Ammonia Remover stones in the big filters? or the small ones! Thank you for always being here for me when I just get totally inundatated in fishkeeping!

[andywoolloo]

I understand needing help to do the canisters, I cannot remove the clips from the hoses or the hoses from the plastic. I am not strong enough. It makes me frustrated to always have to get help.

My two 10 gal. tanks need the motors cleaned at least once a week and I change their sponge filter biweekly

what filters are on your tens and what fish are in each tank? I do my ten gal filter impellers once a month when I take apart the intake tubing and clean that with a tubing brush. Maybe your filters are too small or your fish load too high? What do you mean when you say you change the sponge media? Mine have a black sponge in front of the media bag, I rinse that black sponge in used tank water and put it back in, I never replace that ever. Least not yet been two years on the tens. Do you mean you are changing the media bag bi weekly maybe?

I have the media bags in my tens empty, if i have some store bought with carbon, I cut a slice in the top and take it all out of there before I use it. I have also purchased a cheaper product then the actual replacement media bags from http://www.drsfosterandsmith.com You cut them to fit, i think its this one i buy but I am not at home right now to check:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... catid=4231

I have not used them yet as I have an abundance of the regular store bought ones in boxes.

I do not use any other product in my ten gal filters that you listed, zeo carb etc. Just the media pad and the sponge in front. My sponges are like this in a frame, I have tetra filters

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... atid=12736

In my canisters I use the cocoa puffs and the sponges made for each brand of canister, I do not add the carbon. But the cocoa puffs are just my personal choice, there are alot of other good ones.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... catid=8983

I have these also

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... catid=3605

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... catid=5073

But I have not used them yet as I had so much extra Eheim stuff around.

In my canisters I hardley ever replace the sponges just rinse in dechlorinated tap water in a fish bucket. I have to sometimes dump and re fill and bucket two times till it rinses out clean. If and when I cannot rinse it clean I replace but only replace one at a time. And yes you do need the biological filter media, ie; cocoa puffs or ceramic rings or plastic stars etc in the other baskets, it's what the good bacteria grows on. You need the sponges and those and the top fine filter pad. And the top fine pad you cannot rinse out , you have to replace when it gets all brown and gunky. Or probably before that.