Marineland Biowheel filters inquiry.

[Blackmantis]

Hi everyone,

So I decided to buy a Marineland Penguin 100 (biowheel) for my 20 gallon tall. I got it because I heard it was a step up from the Top Fin 20 filter that came with my aquarium and because I'd like to be able to add an extra 2 or 3 skunk corys to my aquarium.

I'm starting to regret my choice of filter and the use of carbon media now. I hear that you have to replace the media every 1-2 months. I haven't used Marineland filters, so I wanted to know if the changing of the carbon media every month / other month would initiate another cycle (or even a microcycle) in my aquarium.

I'm planning on running the two filters adjacent to one another for about a month to acclimate my new filter. Will this speed up or slow down the new filter's acclimation process (good bacterial colonization)? Would there be any repercussions when I remove the Top Fin 20 filter?

I'm also going to use bulk media to replace the carbon media on my new filter as it deteriorates (using the cut out and rubber band method) because it's cheaper but have no clue as to what kind of media (material / brand) to get or where to get it from. Can anyone offer advice on this?

[gadget228]

Quickest way to seed your new bio-wheel would be to take the bio-media from your old filter and put it in the new filter. Running both filters side by side will also work.

Other than current there is no reason you can't just run both filters all the time, A good rule of thumb is 5 times an hour minimum with 10 being better. Both of your filters are factory rated at 100GPH with actual flow closer to halve of that.

You can reuse the filter pads that both filters use by as you said slitting them open and dumping out the carbon, Carbon used too long can leech toxins back into the water and isn't needed unless you have meds or other toxins that need to be removed. Rinsing the pads in used aquarium water won't kill any of the BB that they contain.

You only need to replace the floss pads when they show signs of falling apart and E-bay is a good place to check, you can buy it in rolls or pads that you cut to size.

[Blackmantis]

I'll be cleaning my old filter tonight, so I'll probably stick the used media up against the new filter's media for 2 or 3 hours before continuing to run them together.

Do you know where I can buy carbon media in bulk?
I've searched on google but have had little luck so far.

[Sarkazmo]

Really, unless you're trying to remove colouration of water or remove meds from the tank you really don't need activated carbon. If you still want bulk carbon try WalMart's fish section, Drs Foster and Smith, Big-Al's, Petco... ummm just about any place that sells fish for aquarium items.

Sark

[xasuma]

i found some at animart last time.
at list where i live, but if they have it in one, i bet they do in other animarts..

[Blackmantis]

Really, unless you're trying to remove colouration of water or remove meds from the tank you really don't need activated carbon. If you still want bulk carbon try WalMart's fish section, Drs Foster and Smith, Big-Al's, Petco... ummm just about any place that sells fish for aquarium items.

Sark

Hmm, I don't think I can use any other type of media with the Marineland Penguin 100 filter I bought.

I'd rather not have to buy another filter. Any suggestions on a way I can circumvent all this or am I stuck with the choice of spending money changing media each month or spending money on a new filter?

[korith]

That whole thing about changing your filter media each month is more of a marketing ploy rather than being necessary. You can remove the carbon in the filter like others mentioned, you can choose to replace it or not. To clean the filter media, you can just dunk it in a bucket of dechlorinated water to get it reasonably clean. You don't want to clean it too much either by the way, you want to preserve the bacteria on it. Then just place it back into your filter.

Replace it when it's completely falling apart.