How often do you change filter?

HeatherRW · Post by **HeatherRW** » Mon Dec 31, 2012 5:32 pm

I have read so many different things. Several sites have said to keep it until it is literally falling to peices. Others say once a month. I know puffers are very messy and need high water quality. Also should I just buy some sheets of filter material or get the refills with carbon? It's a HOB filter.

Thanks for any help.

Post by **bertie 83** » Mon Dec 31, 2012 5:59 pm

I only replace filter floss. Pads etc get replaced when they fall apart on removal. I add filter floss to polish my water and change it fortnightly.

defool89 · Post by **defool89** » Mon Dec 31, 2012 6:07 pm

The sponge, change it Never. lol But do check it maybe every two months for any accumulated dead matter and rinse it. The carbon, once every two months to keep the water clear, but you really dont need carbon for functionality of the tank. the white pebble rocks in a mesh bag, never, just rinse it when it has black smelly stuff covering it entirely.

Did i describe your filter correctly? Ive seen some HOB filters with Cotton slip in filter sheets instead of the 3-tier filtration.

the reason you dont want to change out your sponge if youre wondering: it potentially un-cycles your tank by eliminating the bacteria colonies, consequently it will cause your puffers to die, very slowly and uncomfortably breathing in a suddenly un- established tank.

HeatherRW · Post by **HeatherRW** » Mon Dec 31, 2012 6:46 pm

I have the tetra ex70 whisper filter. I don't know what filter floss is. My filter has bio scrubbers and the filter pads with the carbon inside. The water flows through the pads then past the bio scrubbers and back into tank.
Right now I'm treating for gill flukes

so I took my filter pads out and stuffex polyfill in it until I finish the treatment. I put my filters in a bucket of water and put a pinch of flake food in it every couple days. Does this sound right? I know if my filters dry out the bb will die.

Post by **sgtmyers88** » Tue Jan 01, 2013 1:51 am

defool89 wrote:The sponge, change it Never. lol But do check it maybe every two months for any accumulated dead matter and rinse it. The carbon, once every two months to keep the water clear, but you really dont need carbon for functionality of the tank. the white pebble rocks in a mesh bag, never, just rinse it when it has black smelly stuff covering it entirely.

Did i describe your filter correctly? Ive seen some HOB filters with Cotton slip in filter sheets instead of the 3-tier filtration.

the reason you dont want to change out your sponge if youre wondering: it potentially un-cycles your tank by eliminating the bacteria colonies, consequently it will cause your puffers to die, very slowly and uncomfortably breathing in a suddenly un- established tank.

Precisely it is like draining the oil from your car engine while it is running. Disaster will follow.

Post by **RTR** » Tue Jan 01, 2013 10:41 am

All of my filter media are permanent. Various media are rinsed weekly to monthly, depending on the particular medium.

Post by **Pufferpunk** » Fri Jan 04, 2013 5:03 pm

Get yourself an Aquaclear filter. The sponge gets rinsed out monthly. I add 1" cotton floss to "polish" the water crystal clear. The biomedia on top gets rinsed every few months.

Arny · Post by **Arny** » Fri Jan 04, 2013 8:12 pm

rinse all your filter media with tank water so as not to kill the bacteria

joey90 · Post by **joey90** » Tue Jan 08, 2013 8:08 am

Filter floss is almost impossible to clean and not expensive so I just replace it once its starting to get blocked.
As for bioballs, filter foam etc. just give them a rinse out as required (depending on the bio load of the tank) in used tank water. Just keep doing this until they start to fall to pieces, also be careful of disturbing the filter media to often.

Post by **Pufferpunk** » Tue Jan 08, 2013 11:40 am

I have AC filter sponges >20 years old... Just bought a bunch of replacements from Amazon for $4 ea.

Post by **RTR** » Wed Jan 09, 2013 10:04 am

I too have many filter sponges well past 20 years old. Quite a few of those are rinsed weekly and have be in constant use >25 years. Some are rinsed even more often. I gave up floss >25 years ago.

Like my good quality canisters and bio-media, quality sponges are effectively forever. But then, I do still have one tank which has been in operation since the 1950s...

Post by **Pufferpunk** » Wed Jan 09, 2013 10:27 am

I buy huge bags of pollow stuffing at the sewing machine stores (or Walmart), & layer 1" in all my AC filters, between the sponge & biomedia. It does a fantastic job of "polishing" the water crystal clear.

boosted23 · Post by **boosted23** » Thu Jan 10, 2013 11:55 am

I would change the filter in my 36 gallon everytime it started to overflow from the drain part of the hob filter. My water was always cloudy, couldn't figure out why. I then researched here and on the net and it said not to change, just clean. I did that and now my water is clear. I have now learned NOT to change filter like the box says...lol

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