Help, Eheim External Filter Problem

[arobinson1984]

Hi,

I've just performed my 6 monthly clean on my eheim professional 3 filter, model 2075.

When putting it all back together I can not find the pre-filter sponge anywhere, the only thing I can think of is that I accidently left it in a bucket of murky tank water after cleaning it and its gone down the outside drain, quite surprising as anyone with an eheim will know they are a decent sized sponge.

Anyhow, I'll have to run the filter without it and order another, I just wanted to know if it will have any effect on the beneficial bacteria and cause a mini-cycle? I'm hoping somebody with experience of eheims will be able to help because I'm not sure how much of an effect it will have seeing as its only the pre-filter sponge and the floss is still present with the bioballs.

Any advice would be great

Thanks

Andy

 

[mattlee]

if the sponge piece has been in the filter for 6 months then bactaria will have colonised on it for sure. i normally change or wash mine once a month or so which means the tank doesnt really miss them as part of the media with colonised beneficial bacteria.
if it has been in for 6 months then maybe feed slightly less and watch the water stats for a few days. although saying that isnt it possible to remove 20% of the media and still be ok....? if so no worries about the missing sponge

 

[arobinson1984]

Hi Matt,

Just ordered another pre-filter sponge and done some reading up on it, the sponge is for the mechanical filtration rather than biological so hopefully it wont have too much effect. Also I havent changed the filter floss in there, just cleaned it so hopefully that will help keep the balance a bit

Cheers

Andy

 

[markandhisfish]

shouldnt really make too much difference , you still have all your other media intact , the amount of bacteria you will have lost would be negligible really .