# How to properly change filter media



## fishbone (Jan 15, 2007)

I have a Tetra canister-type filter with activated carbon. It's in a 10g brackish tank with about 5 gallons of water in it. I've heard two things regarding changing the biofilter. Some say it should be done once a month while others say it should not be changed because that's where the biggest part of the bacteria colony resides. I've had this filter running for 2 months and it's come to the point where I cannot simply rinse it with water and put it back. Also, I had to replace the activated carbon in it because it started releasing ammonia and nitrates back into the tank. The tank has been completely cycled for two weeks now.

Here's my question. How should I go about replacing the filter media? Do I just put the new one in, or if I do this will I run the risk of triggering another cycle?
Here's what I actually did. I simply dressed the old filter media into the sleeve of a new one. I'm going to let it run this way to give the bacteria colony a chance to inhabit the new filter. After a week I plan on simply discarding the old media and keeping the new one. Is this a good way of going about things? Is a week enough time for the new filter to develop it's own colony and keep the tank from cycling again?

Thoughts? Advice? How do YOU go about replacing your activated carbon filter media?


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## goodie (Sep 2, 2005)

I wasn't even aware that Tetra made a canister filter. 

If your getting Ammonia readings it's not because the carbon is releasing it back into the tank, it just doesn't work that way. Either your not cycled or your so overstocked that your filter media cant convert the Ammonia to Nitrite to Nitrate fast enough.

As far as changing filter material just change one thing at a time Mechanical(floss/sponge), Chemical (carbon,resin,ect..), or if you REALLY need to do it you can rinse your Biomedia in a bucket of tank water. Just don't do all at the same time. 

As far as using carbon I don't use it unless I'm removing meds and thats only been maybe a couple of times in the past 8 years.


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## fishbone (Jan 15, 2007)

The filter looks like this
http://tetrapond.com/catalog/product.aspx?id=280
The filter media looks like this
http://tetrapond.com/catalog/product.aspx?id=56
No way the tank is overcrowded, I only have one red clawed crab in there. Ammonia has actually gone back down and so are nitrates. Alright, so I'll just change one thing at a time.


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## girth vader (Apr 24, 2006)

My buddy had that thing on one of his tanks (15g). It actually worked well and was very quiet. We really didnt change the media all that often, just rinsed it well in a bucket of tank water (on water change day) to keep the flow going through well. Keeping the bio alive and well. The actual carbon in those bags are VERy minimal so you're not getting much chemical benefit from it but more importantly the massive amounts of beneficial bacteria colonizing in it. However if need be you can fit 1 old and i new filter bag in there at the same time. so keep them both in there for a cpl weeks then remove the old one, if you really feel you want to change out the old one for that little bit of carbon. But as stated, unless your removing meds, that carbon isnt doing a whole lot with that water besides more bio.


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## fishbone (Jan 15, 2007)

Yeah, I always wondered what that small amount of carbon really did. I think they designed it in such a way that it would be replaced fairly often, once or twice a month.
So you think I should leave the new filter in for 2 weeks instead of 1?


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## goodie (Sep 2, 2005)

If it has the bio-foam in it like the other whisper HOB/HOT filters you can just rinse your floss filter pad and reinsert it back into your filter. You don't have to replace it with a new one. It will save you $.


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