The Puffer Forum

Few of us actually change the media, I believe. Doesn't need to be changed unless its ungunkable or starts to fall apart. Just rinse it weekly when you do water changes and stick it back in.

Yep, I just do a rinse. I do change filter floss (pillow stuffing) when it gets gunky just because its so cheap, but for my biomedia and sponges, they just get rinsed out and put back in.

What are you using for media?

I have been using a HOT filter, _ clear, forgot the name. However, it is/was a three stage, sponge, carbon, and bio. I say was because I took the bio out and replaced it with a silicate/phosphate sponge to deal with the brown algae, thinking since I do not have an undergravel filter, the bacteria would live in the gravel without need for the bio media. I have decided to do without the silicate/phosphate sponge and go back to the bio media. I'll also take the advice regarding rinsing and not replacing the sponge/bio media. But I believe I should change the carbon.

Hopefully more frequent water changes will take care of the brown algae.

I'll also only use the RO for evaporated top offs.

I think you will be best off replacing the carbon with the phos/silicate sponge. It has little to no value unless bad odors or medication need to be removed from the water, and does little after a week or so anyway.

Nick is right on. Carbon is pretty much useless after a few days, and even then when its good, its used to absorb medications or odors.

So basically it sits there doing nothing, after a while it will start to grow some bacteria (its actually a good biomedia), then you chuck it and replace it with new stuff that will basically give you no help and you just tossed a bunch of good bacteria.

Aquaclears are awesome filters though. Most of us use them with the sponge on the bottom, put a 1/2" thick layer of filter floss (pillow stuffing, make sure its not treated with any chemicals to make it flame resistant or anything) and then the biomedia on top. Rinse the sponge and biomedia and change out the floss when it gets really gunky. Just make sure not to put too much floss or the filter can plug up and overflow, but this will give you really clear water.