Filter Cartridge Switching Question

[squidsagirl420]

this may be a horrible place to ask this lol. but im new here.. and to forums.. is it ok to put my old filter cartridge behind the new one when i switch it? or does it even matter? my tank is still fairly new..

 

[fluttermoth]

What kind of filter do you have?

 

[squidsagirl420]

its a topfin power 30. 

 

[Akasha72]

I know nothing about the filter you have but if it helps - never throw away media (in your case cartridges) When the manufactures tell you to replace them every 3 months (or what ever - depends on the brand) this is just a way of making more money from you. In most cases you can just clean the media in some old tank water and pop it back. 
Now, I've never had a cartridge filter so I'm not 100% certain that this can be done long term but I can't see why not. To answer your question directly - if you are able to add a new cartridge and still keep the old one in there for a while then yes - do that. If you replace the cartridge and throw the old one away you will be starting your cycle from the beginning again which invariably means making your fish very sick or at worst killing them. 
 
Hope that's some help ... I'm sure someone with experience of cartridge filter media will be along to give you 100% accurate advice soon

 

[fluttermoth]

After having a quick look round the 'net, it appears your cartridge only has floss and carbon. While carbon does make a good home for bacteria, it can cause issues, if you need to medicate your tank, for instance, as you have to take it out then, leaving you with a completely uncycled tank
 
Honestly, I would recommend you find a filter sponge to replace it with, but do leave the old cartridge in, for at least a month, whichever option you choose.

 

[squidsagirl420]

so i can keep the same filter i just need a new media? (not exact on terms) do you have one you recommend for my filter?
 
i had put the old one behind and iv only changed it once. the tank is still new, (i probably shouldnt have even changed the filter yet, but i had done alot inside tank and trimmed plants and it was lagging bad. even stopping.
 
i do rinse in old tank water so im glad i did that right!  
 
i understand i need to keep all the good bacteria i can, so i felt like it was a good idea to stick the old behind when i switched to a spankin clean cartridge. but if the cartridge sucks, i need something better! lol.
i hear it stop up or something occasionally.. the thing is like.. maybe two months old.. i think its a crappy filter!...

 
what would be a good total filter replacement? so i can look into it. thanks guys!!
 
oh and i have had to medicate for ich already... ugh... noob problems. but i got a 10gallon so i wouldnt hurt my shrimp or plants. (it also had a carbon filter) so that was annoying... it had to run empty.. pretty useless.

 

[attibones]

The TopFin brand is a PetsMart brand. With it comes PetsMart quality. Expect this filter to fail in a few months. However, all hope is not lost. What I do like about these filters is that it is easy to access the impeller housing. You can quickly remove the housing, clean the impeller (which will clog often in this filter for whatever reason), and pop it back in.

If you want to try different media in this particular filter, good options would be some sponge and some ceramics (they come in several shapes, but I like ceramic balls or tubes). If you have some old stockings or special media bags (which can be expensive), just pop the sponge in the filter where the cartridge goes, or fill the bag with ceramic and place the sponge on top of the bag. You don't have much room for media customization with this brand, so it is a bit of a hassle, but it's usually necessary.

Fluval HOB filters have more room for different sorts of media. Sponge filters are some of the most reliable, low-impact filters you can buy or build, or you can move in other directions. I swapped one of these TopFin filters for a Fluval and was much happier with it. Then I added a few different filters to suit my stock.

Other better brands include Marineland Penguin filters, some of the Tetra line (the Whisper internal filters are junk), and others. These are just the ones I have tried. Shrimp do best with sponge filters, which are about as easy to make as they are to buy.

 

[squidsagirl420]

Thanks. i have been looking into the fluval aquaclear. i think that would be my next filter. is that sufficient? i have heard good things and like all the media options. and i have heard of making a sponge filter... how do i do this? or a link to such info? THANKS! 

 

[attibones]

I've used the aquaclear before. I liked it. I think my impeller or something broke during a move, but this was a year after I bought the filter. I was a little disappointed that I broke it, but I had planned on getting bigger filters anyway. Otherwise I had very few problems with the filter.

There are several ways to build a sponge filter. The first link below is a video tutorial of a sponge filter made from a soda bottle. I've built a couple of these. I like them. You can add ceramic media to them too so that makes them a little more than the average sponge filter. The next is more of the standard sponge filter design. You build a tube out of PVC pipe, connect one end to a sponge, and thread an airstone to it. Pretty basic stuff. I'm going to be building one of these for my new betta project.

Soda bottle sponge filter:
https/m.youtube.com/watch?v=ROkhHGIPwj4
And this is the PVC sponge filter:
https/m.youtube.com/watch?v=KrLYm-ZDGLw

 

[squidsagirl420]

great videos! thanks