suggapuddin
I own a fish bowl
Posts: 2
Posted: 4/24/02 8:45 am
Filters
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Could someone tell me if you should change filters? I have the kind that hangs on back and the tube inside the tank, if so how often? Thanx
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Luvmyfish
I buy my fish at nnnnnn
Posts: 23
Posted: 4/24/02 9:22 am
Re: Filters
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Do you have the Aqua Clear filter? If you do, then you don't need to change the filter media very often. Taking it out of the basket weekly and rinsing it in the siphoned off tank water during your water change should be enough to keep it going. My foam insert has been inside my filter for over a year and still working strong. The carbon insert needs to be removed when adding any type of medicine such as Melafix into the tank, otherwise it removes it from the water when filtering. If you read the directions on any medicine box/bottle it should advise you when/if you need to remove the carbon insert.
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jsrtist
Goldfish Supporter
Posts: 878
Posted: 4/24/02 9:27 am
Re: Filters
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Sorry to jump in, but how often do you change the carbon? I always rinse mine but I dont know how long it stays effective. Anyone?
PS I have two Aquaclears now and I love them!!
~ Jenny~ and my babies • Right? • Meeko • Buck •
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Luvmyfish
I buy my fish at nnnnnn
Posts: 25
Posted: 4/24/02 9:39 am
Re: Filters
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I only change mine twice a year. I've heard that some people don't even use the charcoal, they just put a second foam insert in it's place. I haven't experimented with this idea yet though. Also, I once purchased the combo charcoal/? bags that supposedly help remove ammonia build up from the tank (can't remember their name). The media inside is black/carbon and white/?. Do you ever use this?
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jsrtist
Goldfish Supporter
Posts: 883
Posted: 4/24/02 9:45 am
Re: Filters
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Weird, I didnt know some people didnt even use charcoal! And if you only change it twice a year then I dont feel bad now! I think the white stuff you're talking about is Zeolite. It looks like white charcoal. Yes, I've used that. I bought C-100 which is little pillows full of it. When I used them my ammonia readings were always 0, so I guess they worked well. However I just read recently if you use then while your tank is cycling it wont let it cycle right, because I guess you do need some ammonia in there. Oops.So now I'm not using it.
~ Jenny~ and my babies • Right? • Meeko • Buck •
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Florissa
Goldfish Disease Moderator
Posts: 689
Posted: 4/24/02 12:10 pm
Re: Filters
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I used to just put 2 foam inserts in but now now. I find the carbon very helpful in my 2 aquaclears. I change my carbon every 1-2 months, my amrid 1-2 months and my carbon once a month. I hate when I can't hear the fizzing noise from the carbon...it just tells me it's not working
~Sara~
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Lahela
I built my fish tank
Posts: 252
Posted: 4/24/02 1:09 pm
Re: Filters
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It takes about two weeks for the carbon to wear out and no longer do anything. Or so I've been told.
~ Lahela
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suggapuddin
I own a fish bowl
Posts: 3
Posted: 4/24/02 1:24 pm
Re: Filters
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thanx to all you guys for the advice, I hope my babies will be ok. Can one do a 50% water change if the water dosent get any better?
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kevkoi
I buy my fish at nnnnnn
Posts: 37
Posted: 4/25/02 4:21 am
Re: Filters
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By all means do a 50% water change if you find ammonia in your water, but remember to add declorinator or a water conditioner. To be safe, some people would suggest doing 25% at a time. I just do 50% every week on both my tanks and never had a problem.
I'm a big believer of biological filtration and no chemical filtration. I don't use charcoal or zeolite. I find it very costly to replace these. Both charcoal (or activated carbon) and zeolite act in an adsorbtive way (it's ADSORB and not absorb). The chemicals in the water just basically 'stick' to the surface of the carbon or zeolite (got to do with +ve and -ve charges of the chemicals, but I won't get into that). Once the surface of these material have completely been 'stuck' on to, it doesn't work any more. In the case of zeolite, you can 'recharge' it by soaking it in a high concentration of salt water. But you got to keep replacing the carbon. If your bio filter is functioning fine, u really don't need to put in and keep replacing the carbon. May as well get more synthetic filter material for the good bacteria to colonise and keep your water clean naturally.
Well, that's just my opinion. (Oh, and yes, activated carbon does remove dyes from the water so if you have drift wood that keeps leaching, u might have an argument to keep the carbon in the water.)
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