Aquariums: Filter Question: If your filter looks like this, is it finally time to change or still good for the environment?
Filter Question: If your filter looks like this, is it finally time to change or still good for the environment?
Posted by InternationalWish210
9 Comments
KinkyLatexCat on
I uh, hm…
You should look into getting reusable filter. I’m impressed that water still flows through that and it hasn’t disintegrated.
No_Guidance4538 on
if it’s keeping the water clear and your paramaters are 0 ammonia / 0 nitrite then yeah it’s technically doing its job. that brown sludge is just trapped waste + beneficial bacteria.
clear water doesn’t mean it’s perfect though. once it gets that packed it can start restricting flow and just sit there slowly breaking down into nitrates.
i’d just rinse it in old tank water and squeeze some of that gunk out. don’t scrub it spotless you wanna keep the bacteria, just remove the excess buildup
secretsaucyy on
If it’s a filter with carbon, those need to be switched out periodically. They’ll leech chemicals from the carbon back into the tank.
Switch to a sponge pad or filter floss. I also add bio balls so there’s always healthy bacteria in the filter, even after rinsing out the filter.
yjcrawler on
Technically its fine as long g as your parameters are good and tank is clear. You can do a water change and give it a rinse in the tank water you removed and clean it up a bit but I hardly ever do. I do recommend you start trying to add some filter foam in if you can fit it and work to replace the cartridge though. My cartridges always break down and fall apart so I replace them with filter foam and bio rings once I get them and slowly worked towards replacing them by adding them behind the cartridges on the existing one for a month to get the new media seeded with good bacteria. I added a picture of what foam I use but anything similar works. You can even use polyester backing or filling from a craft store.
Goop is good. Embrace the goop until it restricts flow and then shake the cartridge off in some tank water
thoboy on
when i buy filter with a sponge thingy like that, i trow that out and replace inside of filter with actual filter sponges, and other filter medium so you dont have to throw most of the filter out when cleaning. just wash the sponge in old aquarium water and back in it goes. for years really
SgtPeter1 on
Fill a bucket halfway with tank water. Then squeeze it between your and the bottom of the bucket. It’ll force water through and rinse it out. Then put it back in. You should only replace it when it’s literally falling apart. That tire has a lot more miles on it!
Morgue707 on
You should be able to kinda rinse it off in a bucket of old fish water?
It’s good until it falls apart/ stops allowing water through it.
Sugarcanepasta on
Fine until it starts to melt. I had one like this that I tried to rinse like usual but it had been sitting for wayyyy too long, and as soon as i tried to take it off it immediately fell apart.
9 Comments
I uh, hm…
You should look into getting reusable filter. I’m impressed that water still flows through that and it hasn’t disintegrated.
if it’s keeping the water clear and your paramaters are 0 ammonia / 0 nitrite then yeah it’s technically doing its job. that brown sludge is just trapped waste + beneficial bacteria.
clear water doesn’t mean it’s perfect though. once it gets that packed it can start restricting flow and just sit there slowly breaking down into nitrates.
i’d just rinse it in old tank water and squeeze some of that gunk out. don’t scrub it spotless you wanna keep the bacteria, just remove the excess buildup
If it’s a filter with carbon, those need to be switched out periodically. They’ll leech chemicals from the carbon back into the tank.
Switch to a sponge pad or filter floss. I also add bio balls so there’s always healthy bacteria in the filter, even after rinsing out the filter.
Technically its fine as long g as your parameters are good and tank is clear. You can do a water change and give it a rinse in the tank water you removed and clean it up a bit but I hardly ever do. I do recommend you start trying to add some filter foam in if you can fit it and work to replace the cartridge though. My cartridges always break down and fall apart so I replace them with filter foam and bio rings once I get them and slowly worked towards replacing them by adding them behind the cartridges on the existing one for a month to get the new media seeded with good bacteria. I added a picture of what foam I use but anything similar works. You can even use polyester backing or filling from a craft store.
https://preview.redd.it/15iphm0t1qjg1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=589f54a97438c8cd514b11457ff9dcf57ad275a5
Goop is good. Embrace the goop until it restricts flow and then shake the cartridge off in some tank water
when i buy filter with a sponge thingy like that, i trow that out and replace inside of filter with actual filter sponges, and other filter medium so you dont have to throw most of the filter out when cleaning. just wash the sponge in old aquarium water and back in it goes. for years really
Fill a bucket halfway with tank water. Then squeeze it between your and the bottom of the bucket. It’ll force water through and rinse it out. Then put it back in. You should only replace it when it’s literally falling apart. That tire has a lot more miles on it!
You should be able to kinda rinse it off in a bucket of old fish water?
It’s good until it falls apart/ stops allowing water through it.
Fine until it starts to melt. I had one like this that I tried to rinse like usual but it had been sitting for wayyyy too long, and as soon as i tried to take it off it immediately fell apart.