You are not r/Aquariums, but can you help me out?
January 29, 2016 3:26 PM Subscribe
I have a new aquarium and an even newer Reddit account. I can't post my question to r/Aquariums till 5 days from now. I have a question about replacing a cartridge in an hang-on back filter and cycling.
The aquarium is 6 weeks old and almost fully cycled. Water parameters: freshwater, pH 7.8, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 5.0 ppm, temp 76 F. Equipment: Penguin 150 power filter (hang on back) with biowheel, Aqueon heater, LED white light strip. Decorations: artificial plants and artificial driftwood, round quartz type gravel. Fish: 6 zebra danios, 2 false julii corydoras. I have an API freshwater test kit and have been testing daily, making partial water changes (20% week, 10-15% every two or three days).
Now the Penguin filter cartridge is beginning to clog and water is coming out the overflow spout which empties into the aquarium tank. Do I replace the cartridge? Will putting in a new cartridge de-cycle my tank?
I'd like to keep the beneficial bacteria in the cartridge: should I put a fresh cartridge in the filter and put the used cartridge in the tank so as to keep the bacteria?
The aquarium is 6 weeks old and almost fully cycled. Water parameters: freshwater, pH 7.8, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 5.0 ppm, temp 76 F. Equipment: Penguin 150 power filter (hang on back) with biowheel, Aqueon heater, LED white light strip. Decorations: artificial plants and artificial driftwood, round quartz type gravel. Fish: 6 zebra danios, 2 false julii corydoras. I have an API freshwater test kit and have been testing daily, making partial water changes (20% week, 10-15% every two or three days).
Now the Penguin filter cartridge is beginning to clog and water is coming out the overflow spout which empties into the aquarium tank. Do I replace the cartridge? Will putting in a new cartridge de-cycle my tank?
I'd like to keep the beneficial bacteria in the cartridge: should I put a fresh cartridge in the filter and put the used cartridge in the tank so as to keep the bacteria?
Taking out the old cartridge will definitely remove some beneficial bacteria from the tank, and is pretty risky in a tank with such a young cycle and fish inside. Hopefully there is some bacteria living on the biowheel, but it's hard to know how much and whether it can compensate entirely for the removal of the old cartridge.
Is there room in the filter to fit two cartridges at once? Least risky option would be to put the new cartridge in front of the old one for a few days/a week before removing the old one. If there isn't room for both whole cartridges, you could even cut off the floss from the old cartridge and just kind of jam it in there with the new one.
If there really isn't any spare room inside the filter at all, yes you could try leaving the old cartridge in the tank, keeping it near the filter intake.
posted by Orca at 4:01 PM on January 29, 2016
Is there room in the filter to fit two cartridges at once? Least risky option would be to put the new cartridge in front of the old one for a few days/a week before removing the old one. If there isn't room for both whole cartridges, you could even cut off the floss from the old cartridge and just kind of jam it in there with the new one.
If there really isn't any spare room inside the filter at all, yes you could try leaving the old cartridge in the tank, keeping it near the filter intake.
posted by Orca at 4:01 PM on January 29, 2016
Yes, replace the filter. (Throw it away! Don't put all the stuff you just filtered back into the tank!). The good bacteria should be thriving on your bio wheel and floating around the the water.
I'd also advise you change the water less often. Once as a novice, I killed some fish by overzealously changing water. Not an expert by any means, but I have a 45gal and a 10gal tank going for a couple years. I do 30% water changes once a month.
posted by gnutron at 4:09 PM on January 29, 2016 [1 favorite]
I'd also advise you change the water less often. Once as a novice, I killed some fish by overzealously changing water. Not an expert by any means, but I have a 45gal and a 10gal tank going for a couple years. I do 30% water changes once a month.
posted by gnutron at 4:09 PM on January 29, 2016 [1 favorite]
I agree, the whole point of the biowheel is that it is a concentrated place for bacteria to live -- way more effective than the filter cartridge. You can replace the cartridge.
BUT I would assume you're NOT done cycling the tank. It always seems to take longer than you expect. I'd be cautious about adding fish for a month or so.
Also not sure why you're changing water so often. If you are testing for ammonia, I'd basically do zero water changes for the first month or two unless ammonia becomes a problem.
posted by mmoncur at 7:17 PM on January 29, 2016 [1 favorite]
BUT I would assume you're NOT done cycling the tank. It always seems to take longer than you expect. I'd be cautious about adding fish for a month or so.
Also not sure why you're changing water so often. If you are testing for ammonia, I'd basically do zero water changes for the first month or two unless ammonia becomes a problem.
posted by mmoncur at 7:17 PM on January 29, 2016 [1 favorite]
Next time you do a water change, take out the cartridge and "wash" it in the old tank water. That way, you can rinse/shake any gunk off of it without losing any of the good bacteria. You can be pretty rough with it, tbh. Then put it back in the HOB filter.
Does the cartridge have any activated carbon in it? Because activated carbon will hinder the tank's cycle.
At this point, if this cartridge started out with activated carbon in it, it's probably "used up" by now and nothing to worry about. So you should be able to keep this cartridge in the HOB without worrying about the carbon. But definitely don't replace this old filter with a new one that does have activated carbon in it. If you do, you'll be continually hobbling your tank's ability to cycle.
posted by rue72 at 9:06 PM on January 29, 2016
Does the cartridge have any activated carbon in it? Because activated carbon will hinder the tank's cycle.
At this point, if this cartridge started out with activated carbon in it, it's probably "used up" by now and nothing to worry about. So you should be able to keep this cartridge in the HOB without worrying about the carbon. But definitely don't replace this old filter with a new one that does have activated carbon in it. If you do, you'll be continually hobbling your tank's ability to cycle.
posted by rue72 at 9:06 PM on January 29, 2016
« Older Can you find the DIY couch instructions with the... | Making sugar scrub favors with canola oil? Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by PorcineWithMe at 4:00 PM on January 29, 2016