Filter Cartridge

[Licantrop]

Hello everyone!

I'm currently looking into possible ways for me to stop using filter cartridge's. I've seen people use foam sponges and bio rings on you tube. I'm wondering if there are other options that I haven't seen or if the two that I mentioned are the best ones to use. I'm looking into this as the motor in my filter is starting to get "finnicky" after water changes so I'm looking to replace it soon.

I currently have 10 gallon planted tank. The tank is home to 2 cories, 2 mystery snails, and 6 guppies.

Any information/tips is greatly welcomed.

 

[HarleyK]

Howdy, I moved your post into the filtration forum. It would help to understand which filter you have/want. I am partial to Eheim canister filters that you fill with lose media that can be rinsed out.
I hope this helps
HarleyK

 

[jjohnwm]

When you use the term "cartridges" it implies to me that you are using either HOB or small internal power filters. Those proprietary cartridges are one of the biggest scams in the hobby. Stupidly expensive, an ongoing expense that just keeps you buying, buying, buying...it's like an addiction.

Most or all of those filters can be used with simple foam/sponge pads or blocks that are easily removed, cleaned and re-used, saving you lots of money and often increasing filter effectiveness as well. Canisters, as stated above, are easily used with loose media that is also reusable. Some types of filter need minor modifications, others can simply utilize a piece of foam cut to the appropriate size.

If I were buying a new filter today, of any type, one of the prime factors I'd consider in deciding which one to get would be its adaptability and ease of use with DIY media as opposed to those wretched cartridges.

 

[skjl47]

Hello everyone!

I'm currently looking into possible ways for me to stop using filter cartridge's. I've seen people use foam sponges and bio rings on you tube. I'm wondering if there are other options that I haven't seen or if the two that I mentioned are the best ones to use. I'm looking into this as the motor in my filter is starting to get "finnicky" after water changes so I'm looking to replace it soon.

I currently have 10 gallon planted tank. The tank is home to 2 cories, 2 mystery snails, and 6 guppies.

Any information/tips is greatly welcomed.

Hello; If I understand your post, you hope to avoid buying the store-bought replacements. Depending on the particular style of cartridge there may be DIY fixes. The last decade or few I have been buying sheets of filter material at fish shops. I then cut it to fit. I use the original plastic frame after cutting away the old filter material.
There likely are similar materials which can be found in stores such as Wal-Mart. Back when using the old Metaframe HOB filters I used what I called polyfill in the filter box. In one old power filter I used glass marbles behind the polyfill. The marbles being my nod toward making a home for the beneficial bacteria.

Yes, you can run most any tank with sponge filters. I have done so many times. They have limited mechanical filtration but since water changes (WC) are pretty much universally recommended you can siphon out the detritus during a WC.

I know a common thing on here is the suggestion to "gently rinse" the old filter material in old tank water and then reuse the nasty filter in a tank. Same sort of approach about cleaning a filter body. The thinking being somehow the main place necessary beneficial bacteria (bb) live is in the filter.
Not exactly correct. Some bb do colonize the filters. Many other colonies on other surfaces throughout the tank. So, I do occasionally take a power filter off and do a cleaning. Not too often but without fear. A cleaning of the filter body, the impeller and inside the siphon tube can restore a filter to good working condition. A brush which fits inside the tubes helps. I also like to clean the hole in which the magnet & impeller fit.
I rinse with tap water, usually my garden hose. Some will be aghast at the thought and insist to rinse only with used tank water. No matter. Rinse with old tank water if you like.
To me reusing old filter material is similar to taking a shower and putting dirty underwear back on. I can suggest a strategy I use on some bigger tanks when someone goes off on removing the bb when throwing away dirty filter material. On one tank my HOB filter has two chambers. I replace only one chamber of filter floss at a time. That filter also has a removable grid I think is to house the bb which I leave alone.
In my smaller tanks with only one power filter, I run a secondary under gravel filter (UGF) or a sponge filter. Those provide surfaces for the bb to colonize and create some water flow.

Welcome and good luck.

 

[jjohnwm]

Hello; If I understand your post, you hope to avoid buying the store-bought replacements. Depending on the particular style of cartridge there may be DIY fixes. The last decade or few I have been buying sheets of filter material at fish shops. I then cut it to fit. I use the original plastic frame after cutting away the old filter material.

Absolutely! This ^ is the way to go. Reduce, reuse, recycle...and save money at the same time.

To me reusing old filter material is similar to taking a shower and putting dirty underwear back on.

Nonsense! If you want to use this analogy, it would be more appropriate to say that after taking the shower, you then put freshly-laundered underwear on your freshly-washed body, as opposed to buying new underwear and tossing it after wearing it once.

Personally, I always launder new underwear and most other garments before ever wearing them; I'm rarely worried about killing beneficial bacteria in my underwear.

 

[duanes]

For mechanical filtration I use the material below from Swiss Teopicals, and have been using the same panel for over 5 years.

It covers the entire height and width of the 125 gal sump used to filter a 180 gal cichlid tank, and was bought in 2020, never replaced, and rinsed periodically to free it of gunk.

It was cut to form a fitration wall in the heavily planted sump.
With periodic rinsing (along the the planted section, and a few 3 ich bags of rings, this method reduced ammonina and nitrite to zero, and nitrate to almost undetectactable levels.


Between rinsing, the sump harbors a cadre of freshwater shrimp that police up thelarge chunks that get caught, and help break them down, to more accesible compunds in the planted section.






hear is a full sump pic.

 

[skjl47]

Nonsense! If you want to use this analogy, it would be more appropriate to say that after taking the shower, you then put freshly-laundered underwear on your freshly-washed body, as opposed to buying new underwear and tossing it after wearing it once.

For mechanical filtration I use the material below from Swiss Teopicals, and have been using the same panel for over 5 years.

Hello; I expect some pushback. There are some distinctions to be considered. One being I do not toss filter parts which can be reasonably cleaned. Using the analogy to underwear laundry, I would consider tossing worn undies if the poo could not be cleaned out. So if the filter material is sturdy enough to stand a decent cleaning I do reuse it.
I suppose the stuff I toss is possible to clean, but it would take much more than a gentle sloshing around in old tank water. Also, the sheet material I use is not all that sturdy. Maybe could survive a decent cleaning or two. But such is not the main point I tried to make.

My take is the majority of the detritus captured by the floss is fish poo. A popular opinion posted many times over the years on this forum is to "gently" rinse used filter floss & similar filter material in a bucket of tank water. During a WC e collect the old tank water in a bucket then gently slosh the loaded filter material in that bucket of water. Sure such will dislodge some of the poo, but not all that much. Put such a rinsed filter panel back in the filter and it will still have load of poo and other detritus.
Now the stuff duanes posted looks to be sturdy. Looks to still be in good shape after five years. I will guess it holds up to more than "gentle " sloshing. Correct me if such is wrong. I would consider that material as cleanable.

The point, as I understand, it over the years is a fear aggressive cleaning or the tossing of filter floss disrupts the colonies of bb (beneficial bacteria). That since the bb are needed to maintain a "cycled" tank such tossing or cleaning is a no-no. Such an idea leaves out the fact the bb colonizes many surfaces throughout the tank.
Ther could be some bb lost with the floss to be sure. An important point, to me, is there will be much more on other surfaces. The bb colonies are sesile which means they "stick" to solid surfaces. My understanding they stick well. I keep the plastic frame of my filters and throw away the floss which wraps around the frame. The bb ought to stick on the frame. I do not normally scrub the filter body, impeller and tubes so the bb colonies are left intact on those surfaces.
In addition, we can add solid structures in filters & sumps which allow the bb places to live. In the 1970's I used marbles among other things.

Let me rehash the main point. The main reason, as i understand it, to gently rinse loaded filter floss is to preserve bb colonies. I have not read of some benefit of keeping a portion of fish poo around to put it back in the tank. We each get to run our tanks any way we want. i have been tossing poo loaded filter floss for well over fifty years so far. I take care to not toss the floss and to scrub a filter body and parts at the same time outside some emergency.

I often keep a sponge filter running full time which I can toss into a tank. Sometimes I bury the sponge filter in the gravel and keep it running with an air pump.