Important Question

[matchstickman47]

please dont be put off by the amount of writing

when should i be changing the filter pads
i usualy just take it out and clean it but when it gets covered completly in poo i change it
when should i be doing it i usualy try o long it out to avoid spending to much money
i change it about every two weeks?
my filter is the one that comes with a tetraaquaart 60 i think its a tetratec 60 or somthing like that
il admit tank is a bit overstoccked but fish are fine regardeless
iss there anyway i can make it cheaper

also wanted t know just about where the 'good bacteria' colony is in my filter cause i add nutrafin cycle every week after a water change but if im taking the filter pads doesnt this take out the bacteria too
or do they live in the little grooved balls in the box at the bottom( i couldnt think of any other use for tem in there)

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[Craster]

You only need to change the pads when they start falling apart, to be honest. No more than every six months, and then only one pad at a time. Give them a good wash out in water from the tank - you should be able to get 90% of the solid muck off them.

The bacteria will live in both the sponges and also the bioballs.

 

[OldMan47]

You need to be as cheap as I am MatchstickMan. LOL I never change the filter materials in my filters. I refuse to change anything but the final filter floss. If the filter can possibly be cleaned out in old tank water, that is what happens, then back into the filter it goes. I have cartridge type filters that are about 3 years old and canister filters that have 5 year old media in them and I see no need to spend any money replacing them. I have plenty of tank water in a bucket and, if it gets too nasty while I am cleaning, there is more water in the tank that can be drained and used. I don't try to save anything on dechlorinator or fresh water but I'll be darned if I'll throw away good money and my hard earned bacteria with filter media. The ball things you are looking at are probably holding some of your bacteria but so are the miscellaneous filter pads and sponges or whatever else is in the filter.

 

[matchstickman47]

thanks guys loads o help
they are cosing me like 8 pound every two weeks just wondered if its worth it obv not so thanks