Replacing Filters

[bielbugs]

I have a Top Fin filter that came with my aquarium and have read about taking the carbon out of the filters. Do you put anything else in the pouch?

Also how often do you change/clean them? Would I do both cartridges at the same time or should I alternate?

[Lady Hobbs]

Depends on how long your tank has been set up. I change both filters at once but my tank has been set up for awhile and there's lots of biological bacteria in the gravel. If your tank has been set up less than 4 months or so, I would change one at a time with a week between.

Rather than remove the charcoal, since those filters are expensive I would just save them for when you may want them for removing medication from your tank. It's a waste of money to buy those expensive filters then tear them apart. You can buy filter floss cheaply and use that if you wish.

Some people prefer to use the charcoal filters. Because some of us here don't care for them, it doesn't mean they are a bad thing particually. (People have had fish for years and probably used them the whole time.) It just means we prefer other means of filtration ( like me) LOL

Some fish do not do as well with carbon filters and it's been written that it MAY contribute to Hole in the Head disease. I suspect that may come from people who don't change their filters often enough and just keep rinsing the thing off for months.

You can also buy empty bags and add your own filter media. For me, I like clean filters as well as clean water so I opt to go with other means of filtering other than charcoal.

[bielbugs]

Well my tank has be running for a month is cycled and stocked with fish. I have been using the filter cartridges that came with it which contain activated carbon. Should I be changing the filters yet? If I use the filter floss, does it go into the filter cartridge? This is one thing that I haven't looked into much at all.

[Abbeys_Mom]

I've never had that type of filter. With the AquaClear's it's easy to remove the carbon, because it is a separate bag. I also have a penguin biowheel and it has the pre-packages "all-in-one" cartridge. I don't worry about the carbon in thoses, because it only works for a few weeks and then it's not active anymore. If you rinse the cartridge and put it back, it doesn't make the carbon work again. Since I clean my filters once a month, I find I can use the same cartridge for 6 months or so, and if I need to use carbon, I have a box and just pour some into a bio bag, rinse it, and pop it in the filter.

[Lady Hobbs]

Personally, with a new set up such as yours, I would just rinse the filters off in used tank water (or dechlorinated) for now. Tanks are pretty touchy the first few months.