Filter cartridge replacement?

[girl_interrupted]

The filter manufacturers want you to throw away the "old cartridge" and purchase / put in a "new cartridge" every 1~4 weeks, depending on which one you ask...

Many hobbyists have learned we can save a ton of money on "new cartridges" by dismantling our old ones and simply replacing the the media and recycling the frame.

Most people will turn off the filter, remove the cartridge, clean the cartridge, replace the cartdige and turn on the filter... a few times before rebuilding/replacing the cartridge...

Many people will swoosh the cartridge around in water removed from the aquarium during a water change to clean it. This will protect the bacteria that is in/on the cartridge keeping it in your system.

Personally, I accept the notion that bacteria grows on surfaces throughout the system, not just on filter media, and I thoroughly wash my sponges/cartridges in hot tap water to maximize how thoroughly I clean them. In a new tank / set up I am much more cautious with bacteria than I am a mature set up...

I feel that cleaning the physical waste out of the cartridge often is beneficial. Physical waste will break down into pollutants and removing them from the system as early as possible in this process minimizes pollutants in the water. Therefore I think washing the cartridge weekly is a good idea... but replacing them weekly would be an unnecessary expense...

Sorry to re-post on this semi-old thread of mine but let me get it straight.. again I can
1) put two filter cartridges in, and remove one and replace it with a new one each month while the old one stays.
2.) swoosh the filter media in tank water (separated)... but then how long can I keep doing this?
3) Replace the stuff inside the cartridge/filter media... those little black things (carbon?) and tada?... how long could i keep doing this?

SORRY you guys but I want to be a good fish keeper. My goal is to be a MFKer

 

[Toby_H]

1) yup... just stagger the replacement/cleaning... clean one/leave the other... next time clean the other one /leave the first one...

2) Theoretically, you can keep doing this forever, but eventually it will get worn out. When it appears worn out, rebuild or replace it...

3) If you are going to use carbon you should replace it weekly. I don't use carbon at all... There are a lot of things you could put in the middle, carobon, purigen, etc... or you could just use cloth/cotten media. Different things can be used for different amounts ofg time. Carbon should be replaced weekly... purigen lasts quite a while, should be monitored and "recharged" as needed... cloth/cotton media can be used until it's worn out (worn out is when it has holes in it or it otherwise stops trapping particles).