Filter media changes

[Flamethrower]

First off I would like to say hello. I am new to the site. I search for tips and such here from time to time.

I have owned freshwater tanks for a number of years when I was growing up. Nothing larger than a 55 gal with no more filtration than a hang on back filter. Then I joined the service and got out of the hobby for a while.
Now I am back into it again and I find that I enjoy it now, as much as I did in my earlier years.

I am getting to the point. When I had a hang on filter it was easy to know when to change the media/carbon. Once a month. That easy. Now I am treading in slightly unfarmiliar waters as far af filtration goes and need some advice.

My set-up
Community tank
125gal Perfecto long (6')
Won brs. 350 watt Ti heater
1 Cascade 1200 canister with spray bar
1 cascade 1500 canister with directed nozzle
No-U/G filter
Custom canopy over glass tops with 4-48" 5500K T-8 lamps with reflector, on an electronic balast. Also built by me.

The Cascade 1200 trays are set up starting in the direction of flow
tray 1 carbon pad
tray 2 floss pad, with nylon bag filled with carbon/Zeolite mix on top of floss pad.
tray 3 floss pad, with nylon bag filled with carbon/Zeolite mix on top of floss pad.
tray 4 ceramic cylinders for biological filtration.


The Cascade 1500 trays are set up starting in the direction of flow
tray 1 carbon pad
tray 2 floss pad only
tray 3 floss pad, with nylon bag filled with carbon/Zeolite mix on top of floss pad.
tray 4 floss pad, with nylon bag filled with carbon/Zeolite mix on top of floss pad.
tray 5 ceramic cylinders for biological filtration.


To the questions.
How often should I expect to change the carbon/Zeolite? Is there a way to tell when it is time? Should I change it when I clean out the filters? Which I have been doing about every 6 or so weeks.

Second question. Am I to assume activated carbon is activated carbon? What I am getting at, is I am thinking of going to the local Culligan location and buy a 50lb bag of activated carbon. I figure if their carbon is good enough for drinking water filters it should be good enough for aquarium filters.

Any help would be great.

Thanks,
Flame

 

[Flamethrower]

Thanks for nothing then.

 

[konrad05]

How often should I expect to change the carbon/Zeolite? Is there a way to tell when it is time? Should I change it when I clean out the filters? Which I have been doing about every 6 or so weeks.

Second question. Am I to assume activated carbon is activated carbon? What I am getting at, is I am thinking of going to the local Culligan location and buy a 50lb bag of activated carbon. I figure if their carbon is good enough for drinking water filters it should be good enough for aquarium filters.

Activated carbon loses it's functionality after about 1-2 months, you can tell as the water becomes tinted. Unless you dont have a properly sealed canopy, I don't recommend using carbon, I haven't used it in over 6 months. Activated carbon should only be used to remove unwanted medication or chemicals that have accidentally fallen in. Otherwise there is no purpose and it's a waste of money.

 

[Flamethrower]

Then what is it that you use as filtration?

 

[FishDan]

I use carbon only because it is inside my mechanical filter pads (I use a hangon back filter and am too lazy to jury rig pads to a holder for strictly mechanical filtration). You can fill the media basket with something else, or leave it empty. Or, if the carbon is also a part of the mechanical filtration (a pad with carbon inside) simply don't change the pad so often. I use my pads about 6-7 months before I feel the need to replace them. I just rinse them off in the bucket of water I remove during water changes. This cleans the gunk and allows the mechanical filtration to keep up it's work. The carbon is long since rendered ineffective, but it won't harm anything. I generally don't use carbon either. If I do need it I have a media basket that fits in my filter and some carbon that I can add if needed.

\Dan

 

[konrad05]

I clean my sponges under tap water and my eheim substrate filter media in a bucket of tank water. I had to change the order of the filtration in my canister filters though, it's a lot different filtering a heavily planted tank than a fake-non planted tank.