Filter intake

[Confidence]

Right. Either make them last forever (good luck) or replace them one at a time. You can also, after gently rinsing the old filter pad one last time, leave it in your actual tank so it can fade out slowly while bacteria colonize your new filter pad.

What I've done with mine is, once the blue pad is torn and old, wrap the plastic frame with nylon mesh (paint strainer bag) and fill the middle with a sponge. This new arrangement will far outlast the original and can be rinsed the same way.

when u say leave it in the tank you mean leave it in the filter or the actual tank water in the open..

 

[knifegill]

Leaving it in the tank is what I would do. The reason is that it still contains live culture and those bacteria will still be helping you even as the new pad begins to colonize. Then the old pad will eventually have less and less bacterial activity since it's not exposed to the air as well and can be removed after a week or two with less of a shock to the system. But if you're well understocked, there's really no reason to fuss over the old pad too much. Understocking = free magic medicine of glory!

 

[david503bk]

I rinse/squeeze and reuse my mechanical pads in hot tap water with no problems. But using tank water is fine too. I used to use tank water and its too much work for me.

 

[knifegill]

I rinse/squeeze and reuse my mechanical pads in hot tap water with no problems. But using tank water is fine too. I used to use tank water and its too much work for me.

Then either your tap water has no chlorine and your bacteria are related to the thermal vent colonies, or you are nuking your bb colony every water change and your fish are bathing in ammonia right now. Of course, if you are also using a UGF, or other filters where bacteria aren't being destroyed, that's a different story entirely.