Mechanial Filter Replacement Monthly, Or No?

[tameem]

How do I know when a filter media should be discarded? I have a marineland 200 power filter and it uses the biowheel for biological filtration. But, what about mechanical filtration? I understand that you really dont need to replace this every month, as the manufacterer recommends, as long as you make sure its clear of debris and stuff. Is that correct?

But, unless its falling apart, if I just gently rinse it in tank water, is that sufficient?

The powerfilters have additional capacity to hold one extra filter, so I took advantage of that and added another filter.

I guess what I need to do know is, should I not worry about replacing mechanical filters monthly, unless they are falling apart? It doesnt hurt to keep a really old mechanical filter in place?

Thanks.

 

[Scotty001]

I had this trouble when i first got into fishkeeeping, the "manual" that came with the filter said to replace the media monthly, as the filter was internal and the media was all part of one pice, it meant changing the ENTIRE filter media and starting a fresh each month i thought this was a little odd, after reading here and posting few times asking how you keep doing a fishless cycle when you have to replace the entire media each onth which will mean fish in cycle every month.


I was told that this is just a money making scheme and only to replae the filer media when it was in such condition it was falling to bits or bits of filter media were being found in the tank. Otherwise just rince out in tank water if needed when at maintainnace time.

Since then i have got 4 more tanks all running off external filters (mainly tetratec EX700's) and one Aquvital Avex 800, the Avex800 is my longest standing filter with the same media thats been there just under 1 year and still going strong and not once changed the media just rinsed out in tank water.

Scott

 

[andywg]

I keep rinsing until you can't use it any more. However, I wouldn't mess around only cleaning it in tap water, stick it under a mains pressure tap or showerhead. Killing bacteria doesn't matter as it is there to trap detritus, not hold a bacteria colony. It's then much easier to get it cleaner, and cleaner mechanical media means less waste breaking down.

 

[tameem]

yea, I figured most of my bacteria are on the biowheel Although some on the mechanical filter, I thought its main purpose was to trap large particles, waste and debris.

If I clean it under tap, Im afraid of the chlorine in the water. If there is water left in the filter, wont the amoutn of chlorine effect the tank?

 

[Corleone]

I'm also paranoid about chlorine, but there's alternatives that are better than just swishing it. How much force do you get out of your siphon hose? I recently started using my siphon hose to clean it, and I get a lot more gunk out of it than I did just swishing it in the bucket. If it's really bad, I pour the old water over it when I dump the bucket out.

 

[andywg]

The amount of chlorine left in water on the media is going to be minuscule. It certainly hasn't affected any of my fish in the last 3 years.

 

[doresy]

If you clean mechanical filter media when you do your weekly water change then any trace chlorine will be processed by the dechlorinater You can get a roll of it off ebay at a fraction of the price that the big names charge. Then you can cut it to size and replace as you wish if you are paranoid over cleaning

 

[celaeno]

i have a marineland bio-wheel filter as well. what i do with the filter cartridge pads is rinse them in a bucket of tank water i'm about to dump into the sink. i rinse it until most of the gunk is gone, then i just put the cartridge back into the filter.

i used to change cartridges every 2 months, now only once every 6 months.

 

[brads]

Hi all, I also have a few questions about filter media. I'm running a Rena XP2. Over time I have replaced most of the sponges in the bottom section with Fluval bio max rings. so I have half the sponges in that section than what I had when I started out. In the top section i have more rings, bio chem zorb and a miro filtration pad. Am I right doing the right thing What dose the bio chem zorb do and do I still need it?

Cheers Brads

 

[tameem]

Well and the concern I had was I didnt want the mechanical filter so clogged that it started to put pressure on the filter causing it to break down. I think the idea of using the water flow from the siphone to clean the filter is a good one. Usually I just clean it in the old tank water. I just didnt want the benefit of the filter to be reduced as far as trapping debris and particles.

Isnt it true that most of the bacteria live on the biowheel, anywway?

 

[OldMan47]

If you have a filter with a wheel, it does contain a large part of the biological action in that filter.