External Filter Media Help Required

[Bristlenose]

Hi I have a question my new external filter has compartments for different media including ones that take ammonia and nitrite out of the water.

Can I ask, will this stop the tank finding it's natural balance? Beneficial bacteria from building up as if the ammonia is removed it does not get converted and again the same for those that remove a nitrite?

Please let me know!

also could either of these have cauesd my tank water to go white and cloudy? I have rinsed them.

 

[KittyKat]

Erm, no.. you're completely on the wrong track here. The beneficial bacteria live on the media, a filter is basically their home. Cleaning them under tap water will kill the bacteria, so you should only clean them in old tank water.

White and cloudy water is usually a bacterial bloom. Do large (50%+) water changes and it will pass in a few days. Did you do anything unusual recently that could have caused it?

 

[Bristlenose]

Erm, no.. you're completely on the wrong track here. The beneficial bacteria live on the media, a filter is basically their home. Cleaning them under tap water will kill the bacteria, so you should only clean them in old tank water.

Maybe I am not being clear or explaining it well sorry. I used to have an internal filter which was just foam pads as well as carbon etc when needed.

My new external filter has baskets and came with filter media that it says removes all ammonia nad nitrite form the water. My questionis if it is removing it or nutralising it in this way will that stop the growth of beneficial bacteria? and then once the media has been used up and if not replaced should I expect the ammonia and nitrite to spike? As it has not found its own balance. hope that is clearer

 

[The Taffy Apple]

Erm, no.. you're completely on the wrong track here. The beneficial bacteria live on the media, a filter is basically their home. Cleaning them under tap water will kill the bacteria, so you should only clean them in old tank water.

Maybe I am not being clear or explaining it well sorry. I used to have an internal filter which was just foam pads as well as carbon etc when needed.

My new external filter has baskets and came with filter media that it says removes all ammonia nad nitrite form the water. My questionis if it is removing it or nutralising it in this way will that stop the growth of beneficial bacteria? and then once the media has been used up and if not replaced should I expect the ammonia and nitrite to spike? As it has not found its own balance. hope that is clearer

I am pretty much in the same boat as you after upgrading from my 30L (internal filter) to a 110L (external filter) set-up.

I took some of the 'mature' media from my old tank (a couple of pieces of the 'dirty' foam pads) and put it into my new external filter baskets. I am still going to carry out a 'fishless cycle' just to be sure.

The media you will eventually grow will remove it via the 'nitrate cycle' process, which i presume you are familiar with?

regards,
Terry.

 

[Bristlenose]

Erm, no.. you're completely on the wrong track here. The beneficial bacteria live on the media, a filter is basically their home. Cleaning them under tap water will kill the bacteria, so you should only clean them in old tank water.

Maybe I am not being clear or explaining it well sorry. I used to have an internal filter which was just foam pads as well as carbon etc when needed.

My new external filter has baskets and came with filter media that it says removes all ammonia nad nitrite form the water. My questionis if it is removing it or nutralising it in this way will that stop the growth of beneficial bacteria? and then once the media has been used up and if not replaced should I expect the ammonia and nitrite to spike? As it has not found its own balance. hope that is clearer

I am pretty much in the same boat as you after upgrading from my 30L (internal filter) to a 110L (external filter) set-up.

I took some of the 'mature' media from my old tank (a couple of pieces of the 'dirty' foam pads) and put it into my new external filter baskets. I am still going to carry out a 'fishless cycle' just to be sure.

The media you will eventually grow will remove it via the 'nitrate cycle' process, which i presume you are familiar with?

regards,
Terry.

Yes Terry I am, but if the Special media is removing these harmful elements will it stop the beneficial bacteria building up and then being able to doing so without the special media nd just regular pads etc?. By this I mean something like ZEOLITE and there is another that removes Nitrite. Will having these in there stop it finding a more natural way of cycling?

 

[fluttermoth]

If your media is some sort of chemical filtration that removes ammonia and nitite not just 'normal' sponges or ceramic noodles, I'd get rid of it or keep it spare in case you ever have a cause to use it and repace it with sponges or some other sort of bio media.

Can you stick up a pic or tell us what the packaging actually says so we can identify the stuff?

Edit; sorry, Bristlenose; cross posting! Yes, save it for 'special occasions' and replace it with more of the 'normal' type

 

[Bristlenose]

If your media is some sort of chemical filtration that removes ammonia and nitite not just 'normal' sponges or ceramic noodles, I'd get rid of it or keep it spare in case you ever have a cause to use it and repace it with sponges or some other sort of bio media.

Can you stick up a pic or tell us what the packaging actually says so we can identify the stuff?

Edit; sorry, Bristlenose; cross posting! Yes, save it for 'special occasions' and replace it with more of the 'normal' type

Pictures would not cut and paste, but these are the three in the filter!


Fluval Biomax Bio Rings - 1100 g £15.41
Fluval Ammonia Remover - 540 g £10.10
Fluval Zeo-Carb - 450 g

the filters a Fluval 205 External Filter
[HAU206]

 

[fluttermoth]

I'd definitely replace the ammonia remover and zeo carb with more bio rings or whatever you can pick up cheaply

 

[Bristlenose]

Ok I will

Thank you.

 

[KittyKat]

As above, I use Biomax and they work well.