Hi,

New member here, great forums - very informative!

I have owned Juwel aquariums for almost 10 years now, two weeks ago I upgraded from my Rekord 70 to a nice new Rio 180. I'm currently running the new filter (with the new sponges) and the old filter (with old, well established sponges). I'm planning to run the two filters for about a month in order to get the new filter established. Thereafter, I had planned a "by the Juwel numbers" maintenance schedule, replacing the white, carbon and nitrate sponges at the suggested intervals and rinsing the blue ones.

While reading the forums for advice on the upgrade, I noticed a couple of posts from members who stated they were running their Juwel filters without the carbon or nitrate sponges. If I understand correctly, you have the white pad on top, a coarse blue in place of the carbon (cut in half to fit?) and another coarse blue in place of the nitrate sponge.

What are you running in your Juwel filter and what is your maintenance schedule with this setup?

Oh and while i'm here, the Nitrate sponge instructions suggest that water changes can be extended to once every four weeks!? Is this true/recommended? My old filter didn't have a Nitrate sponge so this is new to me!

Cheers in advance!

The 'no carbon sponges' brigade is gaining numbers all the time.
You're correct in assuming that if you take the black carbon sponge out, you can half a coarse blue sponge and use it instead - I've heard some poeple just omit the black sponge altogether and don't replace this with anything (I have not tried doing this though).

Even with a nitrate sponge, I still believe that water changing once every four weeks is not enough and I'm sure most people on here would agree.

I run the set up you're talking about in a similar tank and I still do 25% water change on a weekly basis.

Don't know if this helps

BTW - welcome to the forums

I have (from the bottom up)

Fine blue - never replaced - cleaned once a while in old tank water.
Fine Blue - never replaced - cleaned once a while in old tank water.
Coarse Blue - never replaced - cleaned once a while in old tank water.
White floss - replaced every week after a water change.

I have plants.

Andy

I have:

White top filter pad - replaced every other week.
2 x course blue sponges which have never been replaced. I just check them to make sure they are ok.
1 x fine blue sponge which has never been replaced, just checked on.

I do a 10 - 20% water change every week. I havent missed the green nitrate sponge at all and my nitrates are well under control with the water changes and real plants. My nitrate reading is around 10.

Alright, thanks for the answers. I think i'll wait until the new filter is settled in and then look at removing the carbon/nitrate sponges.

If anyone else has any input on this it would be appreciated.

Cheers guys.

why do you leave out the nitrate filter or replace it, is the blue one more efficient?

This post has been edited by chishnfips: May 16 2007, 11:48 AM

My Rio 125 has five coarse sponges, nothing else. They are over 4 years-old now.

No white poly-pad, no carbon, no nitrate, no fine sponges.

I clean the half the sponges every 2 weeks or so, in old water, alternating sponges.

Simple works, and it's cheap.

Juwel want you to spend more, obviously.

I don't have a Juwel as I have 2 AquaOnes with the canopy filter so my answer is irrelevant to the OP. I love 'em as you can sort them at any time without disturbing the tank at all. Also in the chamber where the water returns I keep a couple of sponges which are in the flow. Never know when you might need an extra bit of matured media For what its worth I have a weekly cleaned white fine media at the top (but renewed monthly) 6 mm coarse foam, double thickness layer of ceramic noodles and another 6mm coarse foam at the bottom. Times all that by 2 and thats my big tank and 1 in my litlun. All adds up to exceptionally clear water with very low and easy maintinance resulting in perfect stats., constantly. (no I am not an Aquaone salesman )

This post has been edited by doresy: May 16 2007, 05:43 PM

From what i've read, the Nitrate sponge effectiveness is currently unproven and the carbon sponge is only effective if you are removing medication from the tank.

I think i'll run with the full set of pads until my supply runs out then just go with white, 3 x coarse blue and 2 x fine blue.



Very interesting post, thanks.