Cleaning changing filter media

[maverick786us]

I've been watching a lot of videos in which people take extreme precautions while rinsing or changing filter media so that they don't end up loosing beneficial bacterias. A practice that I never used to follow in the past (I always rinsed it to make sure that the filter media is super clean)



I can understand the beneficial bacterias reside in the filter media and the substrate and in a new tank using old filter media will cycle the tank faster. Fair enough. But in a planted tank the majority of the beneficial bacteria reside inside the substrate, the lava rocks, the gravel or any other hard scape material. So what she is saying in this video, that we will loose a whole bunch of beneficial bacteria which can cause death to the fishes. So while cleaning the filter if I mistakenly rinsed it too much and lost the beneficial bacterias, the ones that reside in the substrate will continue the nitrogen cycle and form colony in the filter again?

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

So what she is saying in this video, that we will loose a whole bunch of beneficial bacteria which can cause death to the fishes. So while cleaning the filter if I mistakenly rinsed it too much and lost the beneficial bacterias, the ones that reside in the substrate will continue the nitrogen cycle and form colony in the filter again?

They should do, but a lot depends on stocking density, gas exchange surface area etc. - <"The Great Mechanical Filtration Experiment">

I usually give the prefilter a good regular clean, but just briefly rinse any media inside the filter, and I don't open the filters very often. I don't think what she does is wrong, but her tank is distinctly sub-optimal and I can't imagine why any-one <"would continually replace"> their filter media etc.

The companies that sell these "products" aren't interested in the welfare of your fish, they are interested in <"retaining their revenue stream">. (Mentioned about 10 minutes in in the <"Aquarium Co-Op"> video).

Have a look at:



It is also slightly different for <"the UK"> (and Europe), because our tap water is much <"less highly chlorinated than in the USA">.

cheers Darrel

 

[maverick786us]

Hi all,

They should do, but a lot depends on stocking density, gas exchange surface area etc. - <"The Great Mechanical Filtration Experiment">

I usually give the prefilter a good regular clean, but just briefly rinse any media inside the filter, and I don't open the filters very often. I don't think what she does is wrong, but her tank is distinctly sub-optimal and I can't imagine why any-one <"would continually replace"> their filter media etc.

The companies that sell these "products" aren't interested in the welfare of your fish, they are interested in <"retaining their revenue stream">. (Mentioned about 10 minutes in in the <"Aquarium Co-Op"> video).

Have a look at:



It is also slightly different for <"the UK"> (and Europe), because our tap water is much <"less highly chlorinated than in the USA">.

cheers Darrel

Thanks man you made my day. It will not only save my $$, but the real problem is availability of those cartridges that can actually fit into these filters. I think I can somehow optimize my canister filters too using course sponge

 

[FrozenShivers]

It blows my mind that in a hobby that's based around nature, companies are selling completely unnecessary and wasteful "cartridges" that need regularly replaced, when the alternate is free, less work, and less wasteful. Money talks I guess. Anyway, just to give you an example, both my filters run pre-filters, I clean those every 2 weeks in normal tap water, I just cleaned the main filter recently after a year (I track it) using aquarium water, the main sponges weren't even that filthy, I could have easily went longer without cleaning the main compartment.

 

[Aqua sobriquet]

Fitting a sponge on the inlet pipe really reduces the amount of cleaning required for the rest of the filter.

 

[hypnogogia]

Fitting a sponge on the inlet pipe really reduces the amount of cleaning required for the rest of the filter.

Exactly this. Filter doesn't need to be opened for a few months if there is effective pre-filtering.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

It blows my mind that in a hobby that's based around nature, companies are selling completely unnecessary and wasteful "cartridges" that need regularly replaced, when the alternate is free, less work, and less wasteful. Money talks I guess.

It really p*sses me off, it is the "payday lender" mentality by the companies that sell these products. I know that the Aquarium Co-Op <"sells sponges">, but they aren't trying to sell you a totally useless product with pseudoscience.

... I like his "buy our crap" tag line.

I don't have a lot of time for the business models of many of the vendors of aquarium supplies, they act more like payday lenders, where they attempt to confuse an aquarist and then extract as much money as possible out of them before they suck them dry and move onto the next mark.

<"Bedside Aquarium">

Fitting a sponge on the inlet pipe really reduces the amount of cleaning required for the rest of the filter.

It honestly is a <"game changer">.

When I originally got a canister filter it hadn't occurred to me that people would use the <"intake strainer without a prefilter sponge"> and I was amazed that people actually liked the idea of their filter sucking up all the <"faeces, dead leaves"> etc because it keeps the tank "clean". Add in <"filter floss"> and the <"denitrifying media"> concept, and it is a recipe for disaster.

cheers Darrel

 

[mort]

I saw the latest money making scheme was biodegradable filter sponges. If you want them for washing up, I think it's a great idea but in a hobby where the sponges can last decades, it's just a ploy to pull on the "green credentials" con.

I'm kind of torn by the industry as a whole because it doesn't make any/much money out of me and I think it's the same for experienced aquarist, who know they don't need to buy anything but obviously to develop products, the companies need to make a profit.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

it doesn't make any/much money out of me and I think it's the same for experienced aquarist, who know they don't need to buy anything

That is an issue, some years I just don't buy any aquarium related products at all.

but obviously to develop products, the companies need to make a profit.

They do, but developing the hobby, so people don't feel <"ripped off and disillusioned">, would be a better model? There are companies <"with integrity">.

cheers Darrel

 

[Aqua sobriquet]

What really surprises me is the high cost of filter foam in the LFS, some of them are tiny.

 

[maverick786us]

This thread opened my eyes and I saw some more videos on optimizing the filter and save $$
The usage of mechanical sponge and ceramic rings instead of carbon filter making the life easier and saving a lot of $$.
You pay a premium on good filters like Fluval, Eheim or Biomaster fair enough. But spending money continuously on these filter medias provided by the vendor, can make someone like me give up on this hobby. I am so glad that there are ways that will not only solve this but make the filters more efficient. But what surprised me in this video is the way he filled those filters with sponge and bio rings, there is less room for air, wouldn't it affect the performance of the filters?

 

[Le duke]

This thread opened my eyes and I saw some more videos on optimizing the filter and save $$
The usage of mechanical sponge and ceramic rings instead of carbon filter making the life easier and saving a lot of $$.
You pay a premium on good filters like Fluval, Eheim or Biomaster fair enough. But spending money continuously on these filter medias provided by the vendor, can make someone like me give up on this hobby. I am so glad that there are ways that will not only solve this but make the filters more efficient. But what surprised me in this video is the way he filled those filters with sponge and bio rings, there is less room for air, wouldn't it affect the performance of the filters?

The air that is in the WATER (dissolved oxygen, specifically) is what is going to impact the performance of the filter. Adding sponge to the filter body is going to change the volume for water in the filter itself, but not going to do much to alter the rate of water flowing through it, which is the limiting factor here. Keeping the water flowing through it at a decent rate means more oxygen circulating through the aquarium, which has a multitude of benefits.

 

[maverick786us]

Yes after watching few more videos I realized that I also have to be careful while selecting a filter media that doesn't affect the water flow. For me Water flow, surface agitation is important.

Yesterday I saw this video. No doubt, those tiny bio gravel balls are very good filter media but like he said in the video those gravels will reduce the water flow. About ceramic ring, I think I have a mixed opinion, it all depends from who you are buying those rings. Good quality ceramic rings with less density should have big porous to pass water and those porous should store beneficial bacteria. "Biohome ultimate" that he used in these video are good but freaking expensive. I think these ceramic bio balls should be a good replacement for those expensive Biohome.

 

[Little]

What really surprises me is the high cost of filter foam in the LFS, some of them are tiny.

Pond stores often have massive stacks of filter foam for very cheap. I have lovely clear water from just using course sponges. However I have very low levels of stocking.

Edit, I never replace sponge, just give it a gentle shake in a bucket of water change water and pop it back in.

 

[Teleos]

Yes after watching few more videos I realized that I also have to be careful while selecting a filter media that doesn't affect the water flow. For me Water flow, surface agitation is important.

Yesterday I saw this video. No doubt, those tiny bio gravel balls are very good filter media

No.

but like he said in the video those gravels will reduce the water flow. About ceramic ring, I think I have a mixed opinion, it all depends from who you are buying those rings. Good quality ceramic rings with less density should have big porous to pass water and those porous should store beneficial bacteria.

Porosity is not important. As soon as heterotrophic bacteria have overgrown the pores, the pores are completely insignificant. They are simply no longer there.

"Biohome ultimate" that he used in these video are good but freaking expensive. I think these ceramic bio balls should be a good replacement for those expensive Biohome.


View attachment 225937

The filter medium MUST be flown through. Water does not flow through a stone. No matter how many pores a stone has.

 

[Teleos]

I never replace sponge, just give it a gentle shake in a bucket of water change water and pop it back in.

The best way to go.

 

[Teleos]

The whole thing with the little stones and baked glass rolls started with the Raschig Rings. However, these were and are used for completely different purposes. Here we have one example of Raschig Rings. They are available in all kinds of materials and sizes. And they are very cheap in large quantities. Do your own research.

 

[maverick786us]

No.


Porosity is not important. As soon as heterotrophic bacteria have overgrown the pores, the pores are completely insignificant. They are simply no longer there.


The filter medium MUST be flown through. Water does not flow through a stone. No matter how many pores a stone has.

I didn't know those "bio home" a trademark of boimaster for which it has a premium price are solid stones from inside

 

[Teleos]

I didn't know those "bio home" a trademark of boimaster for which it has a premium price are solid stones from inside

They are baked together from the cheapest materials. If you like that, then buy them. They don't have any special features. There is no proof of the advertising promises that are made.

 

[Little]

I didn't know those "bio home" a trademark of boimaster for which it has a premium price are solid stones from inside

Biohome is nothing to do with Biomaster.

Biomaster are filters from a company called Oase. Oase is hugely respected.

Biohome is just sintered glass from a company called Aqua-Bio UK. My understanding is a well known YouTuber had a financial interest in the product and started pushing it hard on his channel (without declaring the financial interest).

I think people like spending money and people like earning money so despite options that work… these products will stay popular.