Amonia spike every time i change filter media

k2snowboards88

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Hi. I have a hob filter wihtout a bio-wheel. Every time i change filters, i get an amonia spike. I don't know how to avoid it, but i have clown loaches, so its really not a good thing. HOw can i avoid this every time i change filters?
 
Do you mean sponges.
 
No, my filter has 1 cartridge of floss meant to contain biological filtration. And another cartridge that has mechanical filtration and activated carbon inside. The problem is that the biological filtration grows on the mechanical filter. So when i change the activated carbon and mechanical filter i get an amonia spike.
 
Buy a filter with a better design, that one sounds rubbish.
 
But even if i buy a new filter, i'm still going to have the same exact problem. How would i transfer from one filter to another.\

edit: i thought all hob filters without a biowheel were exactly like that.
 
you change more than one cartrdige at the same time?

That would explain why your ammonia spikes every time. You're throwing away most of your good bacteria.

The sponge doesn't need to be changed very often anyway. It should last you many months. Just rinse it if it gets clogged in old tank water or at least, dechlorinated water.

Also, you could cut the sponges in half and only replace one half at a time if you want to change them often
 
The answer is dont use HOB style filters that require you to change a cartridge, we dont have these here in the UK and obviously for a good reason. Invest in a decent internal or external canister filter with bio media that can be washed instead of changed.
 
You mentioned your filter takes two cartridges, one mechanical and one chemical (carbon). Can you put two mechanical cartridges in? Then, when it comes time to change a cartridge, you only change one. That way you'll still have the beneficial bacteria in the other. By the way, what is the brand and model filter you are talking about?
 
I don't change the sponges. I never have. I change the cartrigde conaining the activated carbon and the mechanical filtration.
 
the sponge should actually act as your mechanical filtration

please tell me exactly what you have, top to bottom, and what cartridges you replace, and how often you replace them
 
Well i can't find the exact filter that i use, but here is the media that i change.


Mechanical and chemical filter media


Heres some photos i took of my filter. I change the blue cartridge because it contains the activated carbon. I never change the white bio media filter.

filter3.jpg

filter2.jpg

filter1.jpg
 
It looks like it could be a Regent Aqua-Tech. I think the blue cartridges contain your mechanical/chemical filtration and the white ones are meant for biological filtration. You change the blue ones but not the white ones. The water that gets to the white cartridges is already filtered. Since your filter has four cartridges, I suggest changing one blue cartridge and then waiting a month before you change the other one.
 
It is a regen aquatech. But they don't seem to exist on the web. I think they're the same company as penguin anyway.
 
Yes, they are made by Marineland and are the same as the Penguin filters except for the bio-wheel. I have a Regent Aqua-Tech 5-15 which is like the Penguin Mini. Yours is like the Penguin 330. As I mentioned, never change the white cartridges as they are meant to house the nitrifying bacteria. When you change the blue cartridges only do one at a time and wait a month in between. By the way, you can save a lot of money by rinsing the blue cartridges in a bucket of aquarium water. Did you, by any chance, purchase an aquarium starter kit from Walmart? That's the only place I've ever seen Regent filters. You can't find out too much about them on the web but if you do a Google or Yahoo! search you'll find some articles about them. The filters themselves are pretty good at mechanical filtration. I've been running mine for 4-5 months and I still get excellent flow through the original cartridge. I did cut out the carbon though.
 
CFC said:
The answer is dont use HOB style filters that require you to change a cartridge, we dont have these here in the UK and obviously for a good reason. Invest in a decent internal or external canister filter with bio media that can be washed instead of changed.
Penguin Biowheels are like that. I have a big one with 2 Compartments On each side so i change 1 Mechanical and ! Biological at a time. This works well because By the time The other needs to be changed The new One has a good Build up Of bacteria.


BobK When u rinse the blue Cartridges why do u do it in Aquarium Water. Wouldnt that be the same as leaving it in the tank.
 

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