Hi everyone,

Thanks to all the advice I've had about fishless cycling I have been and got my liquid testing kit, I've raised my tank temp to early 80's, put in my plants and am adding extra oxygen and i've put in my first batch of ammonia. hope that all sounds about right!

I know I'm jumping the gun a bit but I don't know when to change my filters for the first time after cycling and how ofter should I change them. I have a jewul rekord 96.

well i dont have a juwel filter but then you need to replace the media only change a third to half of the media so there is still enough bacteria in the media to support the tank.

Jayzee_B, you have obviously reading your owners manual and I'm sure it tells you to change the filter elements. The thing they usually don't tell you is that right after you remove the old filter and replace it with a new one you get to start your cycle all over. If your filter has multiple filter elements and you really want to change parts of it, do only one part at each cleaning and then wait a couple of weeks for your filter to recover before changing another part of the filter media. That way you'll always have a functional biofilter and not have to start all over again. You might get a mini cycle but it will recover.
My own approach is to take my filter apart and use a bucket full of old tank water to rinse everything out. I then put all the parts back into the filter, prime it and start it up. I took out the carbon the first time I did this and replaced it with biomedia but after that everything gets cleaned, not replaced. My oldest filter has been running about 4 years with only one replacement, that was when I took a filter element out of my old filter and put it in a new one to instantly cycle another tank, its sometimes called cloning a filter. The filter element from the new filter went into the old filter as a replacement.

You shouldnt "have" to change the media (the stuff inside the filter) until it wears out ! Manufacturers are there to make money... and want to flog you stuff you dont need.

Where abouts in Nottm are you ? I can supply some mature media to kickstart your cycle.

Can't you tell I'm a complete novice at this!! My fella has just put me straight it's a venturer adapter made by jewul! All i know is it makes bubbles! We live in Beeston would appreciate some mature media, thanks. Where bouts are you?

What media do you need ? I have a couple of air/sponge filters, and some Eheim Ehfisubstrat in a cannister.... maybe a bag 'o' gunk would suffice ? (I'm going to register that as a trade name !! LOL) which you would simply tip into the tank, near your filter(s) and it gets sucked into your new media - setting up a colony.
Whatever you decide, you are welcome !

We are in Strelley...

yay for mature media donation, that'll certainly get you on your way.

just in case you don't know what you should do is get the media into your tank, then continue to add your 5ppm of ammonia as with fishless cycling and test it after 12 hrs. sometimes when you add media it cycles instantly and you'll see the ammonia and nitrite drop to 0 in the first day, sometimes it'll just take a few days or a week or so. just keep adding the ammonia until it does. then keep adding ammonia to 5ppm for 1 week more to make sure the cycle's done and everything stable, then do a big 90% water change and add your fish.

regarding the original post, you hardly ever need to change your media. if you get rid of it you're throwing away your bacteria colony. after a couple of years your sponges may be falling apart, when this happens you can throw some away and replace them with new, but never change more than half the media and leave it a good month or so before you change any more.

I ran the record 96 for 3 years on all origional media before selling to a neibour. The tank is now about 5 years old, still with all origional media and fish
All I ever did, was squeze out one of the course blue sponges each month and the fine blue one every 6, but not with the course blues. The white floss pad on top needed changing weekly, and I cost cut here by using pond media cut to size. I did not run the carbon sponge, instead swapping it for another course sponge.
Despite what the manufacturers tell you, sponge only need replacing when it is literaly falling apart.

HTH
Rabbut

Thank you for everyones help and advice its good to know that there are always people there to help and donate (Thanks Rooster!) Becky