How often do you change the filter? Like add new sponge, new charcoal and new biomedia? I haven't changed it in a while and am curious on how often I should change it to keep everything healthy.

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Tank: 29g:guppies, balloon mollies, swordtail, 2 mollies
Hex: opaline gourami
10g 1F. betta

well I don't really change my filter, per say. I just clean mine off/out in the sink/a bucket and get as much of the gunk out as I can. I don't buy new filter cartridges until mine are almost falling apart. Since some of your good bacteria is in your filter, it's sometimes a hassle to completely replace the filter as often as the manufacturers would want you to

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Frontosa Fanatic

I don't use mechanical filters-- Just live plants.

Sorry I couldn't help










or did I?


my .02

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fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

I always love your answers beaslbob!

Mechanical filter, just clean it out, and reuse it until it's falling apart or it's clogged to the point that it's no longer doing its job.

Carbon needs to be replaced often to be useful. (Once a month?) But Carbon usually isn't useful.

The bio media you'll never change out. That's where you want your bacteria and cleaning/replacing defeats that purpose.

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100 Dirt + Stuff. To be Angel baby tank.
37 Planted. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f45/pla...nal-20774.html
29 Tall community tank. 5+ Years up and running.
15 Soon to be RCS tank.

On my planted tanks I don't use carbon - strains nutrients out of the water your plants may need, and counteracts any fertilization you do. I also don't change the filter material until I can't tell it's filter material anymore - my 10 gallon's Tetra Whisper 10 has more moss growing in the filter cartridge than anything else. My shrimp even climb up into the filter to scarf off the media.

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Officially fishless until after the move....tune in later for details!

When ya do have to clean your sponge filters.. DO NOT RINSE in tap water.. In the normal course of doing a w/c or vacuuming the tank.. just squeeze your sponges in aged tank water.. you are just trying to get the particulates out and preserve most of the bacteria.. Bill in Va.

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12 Tanks, 900 gallons. Discus/Angels/Malawi/Lake Victorias. Just added a 135 & 2 - 29's..