I've got a biowheel (penguin?) filter and usually the filter cartridge replacements involve some activated carbon & floss.

Should I bother replacing it once a month (as directions on the packaging indicate) or should I just rinse it out? How good exactly is activated carbon?

Opinions from anyone would be much appreciated.

Seeing as your filter holds most of your beneficial bacteria you really dont want to be replacing it all the time. Just rinse it out in some dechlorinated water, NOT normal tap water as this will kill all that bacteria you strived to create

I dont use carbon along with many people on this board. I only ever use it if i need to remove some medications or smell from the water, i believe it only lasts a few days and then basically becomes inert. Its generally not needed.

For my HOB (whisper triad) that i have on my tropical tank, i've had it for over 5yrs and i've only bought a new cartridge once, i've just rinsed it out every now and again in the water i siphon out during a water change.

Please don't throw out the media in your filter box. It only ever needs a rinse. they last for years before eventually disintegrating. I use sponge filters and rinse them every few weeks. the box tells you to replace them so you buy more

Has everyone has stated they jus say buy a new one to make money, If u buy a new one you wont have a cycled tank, Media in a filter last years has people have said just rinse out in a bucket of water from the tank when you do a water change, dont rinse everytime u do a change.

For instance.

If you clean it once every week say on the 3rd week water change give it a quick rinse, Thats the way i do it and its probally the best way to do it also as if u use tap water it will kill everything u need in filters to make it a cycled tank.

Hope this helps a little.

When that blue cartridge material gets all shaggy and there are some thing spots in it, then you will need to replace it. But not before.

If you are going to slit the blue floss to bang out the carbon, slit it on the bottom. That way the blue floss will not sag over time.

If, as in the case of many of the smaller Penguin filters, you only have the bio-wheel for your media, and no baskets for extra media, you wish to add more media, you can do this, using the filter cartridge.

Slit the top open and knock out all the carbon. Then take pieces of sintered glass, ceramic cylindars or sponge pieces and poke them down into the cartridge. It will hold them perfectly well, where they can populate with beneficial bacteria and become an even stronger biological filter for your tank.

Clean the filter cartridges by rubbing and pumping it in a bucket of used fish water. When you do change cartridges, bang out the media, slit the new cartridge and drop the media inside it.

Do not be afraid of cleaning the mulm off the filter cartrige blue floss, though. That mulm is waste that must be processed. By removeing as much as you easily can, you are reducing the amount of waste that needs to be processed by your biological filter and the amount of nitrate that eventually will need to be changed out of your tank.

Thank you so much! Everyone's advice has been very enlightening & educational.

Now I can't wait to teach my little brother how to clean the filter while I'm away at college.

I hope my fishies survive without me...

A reward system works well, as opposed to an addd "chore". I brag on my kids when they do what is required, and make sure they know I am. I have a friend who has had success in sending his sister little thank you "cards" from the fish every month or so - with a coupon for a cd or a sandwich or a slurpy or something for her. It has worked well.

Have fun at college! With any luck, you can move your fish with you when you are more settled.