Help With Juwel Aquarium Filters Please!

[j mac]

Hi
Please could anyone confirm or advise on the changing of Juwel filters - this is what I currently do:
White poly pad - weekly
black carbon sponge - monthly
green nitrate sponge - every couple of months

I would be grateful of help here as I have read so much conflicting advice

(I have a Juwel 55l tank with mixture of tetras and minnows (14 total). I have had the tank running for approx 1 year.)

Thanks in advance for any help!!

 

[Man of fish]

Do not change the filter media because you are getting rid of your beneficial bacteria by throwing them away meaning you can't process ammonia to nitrites and nitrites to harmless nitrates. So just leave it until it's falling apart.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

By all means change the thin white pad[sup]*[/sup] every few weeks, this will be collecting up any fine debris going through the filter, give it a good squeeze in removed tank water at every water change. But as for the other layers, they should not be replaced for years, get a routine to give different layers a gentle rinse in removed tank water each week.

As for the carbon layer, it will only be adsorbing compounds in the water for roughly the first week after installation, so in that sense you only add it when you want to remove the final bits of medication after a treatment and a large water change. If kept in the filter, it will simply become another layer for the bacteria to attach to.


[sup]*[/sup]Rather than buy the official Juwel white pads, you can buy huge sheets like Koi wool for <£10. Cut them into squares, if it is thick stuff like mine (~1.5cm), you can then get at least two pads per square by seperating them by depth.

 

[j mac]

Thanks so much for the advice - yet another example of wasting money following manufacturer's recommendations changing filters so often.
Cheers!!