How Often Should I Change Filter Cartridge?

[HYJ]

Hi, I have a 5 gallon eclipse aquarium..and I think my tank is fully cycled now because the neons has stopped dying since 3 weeks ago or so.

By the way, I was wondering how often I should change the filter cartridge.

Since it is eclipse aquarium, there is the biowheel.. and it is supposed to be never changed according to marineland.

It also has a filter cartridge which is supposed to do with carbon or something...and marineland recommends changing this every month or so.

But then on the internent, I find some people saying that one shouldn't change the filter cartridge because it would remove most of the beneficial bacteria, and it will cause a lot of trouble in the tank.

On the other hand, marineland ppl say that after a month or so, the filter cartridge will be useless and I will have some problems in the long run.

Which is true?

Would I really have problems with ammonia once I replace the filter cartridge?

I have been using the same filter cartridge for about 2 months now.

Thanks

 

[hyperdeficit]

yeah im having something of the same problem. not with filters but when I ask a question at one store, it always seems like someone at another store wants me to do the complete opposite.

My advice is see what people say and if you trust someone at a petstore then listen to them. Dont make the mistake I did and just pick from the five things five different people say because they might not know what they are talking about

 

[OldMan47]

What you are facing is a common dilemma. The filter cartridge does contain some of the beneficial bacteria that are protecting your fish from ammonia poisoning. The manufacturer is saying to replace the cartridge partly because it will look nasty by now and partly to replace the trace of carbon they put into it. Both of these factors do put money into Marineland's pocket so they will be quite insistent.
What we usually recommend is that carbon is only needed in a filter if you are trying to control an odor in the tank that you have yet to figure out and correct or to remove medications after dealing with sick fish. Unless you are in one of these situations, the filter need not be replaced. What you do instead is save a bucket of used tank water when you are doing a water change and you rinse the cartridge in the used tank water before putting it back into the filter. The idea is not to get the cartridge looking like new but to get the worst of the material build up off of it. It will be stained a yellowish brown by the bacteria colony on it, so don't even try to get that stain off.

 

[HYJ]

What you are facing is a common dilemma. The filter cartridge does contain some of the beneficial bacteria that are protecting your fish from ammonia poisoning. The manufacturer is saying to replace the cartridge partly because it will look nasty by now and partly to replace the trace of carbon they put into it. Both of these factors do put money into Marineland's pocket so they will be quite insistent.
What we usually recommend is that carbon is only needed in a filter if you are trying to control an odor in the tank that you have yet to figure out and correct or to remove medications after dealing with sick fish. Unless you are in one of these situations, the filter need not be replaced. What you do instead is save a bucket of used tank water when you are doing a water change and you rinse the cartridge in the used tank water before putting it back into the filter. The idea is not to get the cartridge looking like new but to get the worst of the material build up off of it. It will be stained a yellowish brown by the bacteria colony on it, so don't even try to get that stain off.

so..are you basically saying that it would be safer to rinse off the cartridge using the tank water than replacing it with a new one?

 

[OldMan47]

Unless you are trying to remove medications or control unknown sources of odor, I would say yes. You should only rinse out the filter media that you have using tank water.
There are always exceptions to the rule but that is the rule.