Filter question.

[Drumm22]

So i have a regular HOB filter. It has a white filter with carbon in it and a blue slide with holes and little pegs. Someone suggested to remove the carbon filter and just add a sponge. Does this sound correct?? Or should i slowly remove both and just add a sponge and lava rocks or something? They also said tk add quilt batting to make water crystal clear.

any suggestions or input

 

[Oughtsix]

The carbon provides chemical filtration and needs to be changed regularly since it stops being effective once saturated. I would venture a wild guess that over half the members on this board run no chemical filtration at all, me included. If you change the pads regularly the carbon is beneficial to your tank.

The majority of the bacteria providing biological filtration is spread throughout your tank. It is generally quite safe to change the filter pad and not have to worry about loosing so much bacteria that you will cause a mini-cycle (high levels of ammonia and nitrites while the bacterial colonies build back up in your tank).

Re-configuring your HOB filter to be mainly a mechanical filter does make some sense. One of my favorite features of a HOB filter is easy maintenance. If you want to go to cheap batting that will provide mechanical (as well as biological filtration) and change it often to remove the debris before they are broken down to Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates this makes a lot of sense to me. If you buy a big bag of cheap batting and change it weekly my guess is that it will be beneficial and help more than a cartridge that only gets changed monthly or every few months.

Nothing you can really do with filtration will keep you from needing to do periodic water changes.

 

[Drumm22]

The carbon provides chemical filtration and needs to be changed regularly since it stops being effective once saturated. I would venture a wild guess that over half the members on this board run no chemical filtration at all, me included. If you change the pads regularly the carbon is beneficial to your tank.

The majority of the bacteria providing biological filtration is spread throughout your tank. It is generally quite safe to change the filter pad and not have to worry about loosing so much bacteria that you will cause a mini-cycle (high levels of ammonia and nitrites while the bacterial colonies build back up in your tank).

Re-configuring your HOB filter to be mainly a mechanical filter does make some sense. One of my favorite features of a HOB filter is easy maintenance. If you want to go to cheap batting that will provide mechanical (as well as biological filtration) and change it often to remove the debris before they are broken down to Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates this makes a lot of sense to me. If you buy a big bag of cheap batting and change it weekly my guess is that it will be beneficial and help more than a cartridge that only gets changed monthly or every few months.

Nothing you can really do with filtration will keep you from needing to do periodic water changes.

I kinda like doing the water changes. But im trying to figure out which filtration setup is the easiest snd most cost effective. Right now i have the carbon filter, a sponge, and the blue slide. Should i just remove the carbon filters in all?

 

[BIG-G]

I don’t use the cartridges that’s provided with most HOB.
You can, lots of people do. To me it’s not cost efficient.
I cut a sponge block to fit.
Then just rinse it when I do maintenance.
They last for a couple years in my experience.
Way cheaper and actually better filtration.

 

[Luke tomkinson]

Hope the filter goes well!!

 

[Drumm22]

I don’t use the cartridges that’s provided with most HOB.
You can, lots of people do. To me it’s not cost efficient.
I cut a sponge block to fit.
Then just rinse it when I do maintenance.
They last for a couple years in my experience.
Way cheaper and actually better filtration.

So you think j should remove the carbon and just leave the sponge?

 

[Oughtsix]

I kinda like doing the water changes. But im trying to figure out which filtration setup is the easiest snd most cost effective. Right now i have the carbon filter, a sponge, and the blue slide. Should i just remove the carbon filters in all?

If the carbon is over... uh... 3 months old (just a WAG)... it is probably saturated and not offering any chemical filtration.

 

[BIG-G]

So you think j should remove the carbon and just leave the sponge?

What I’m saying is once the original filter pads th at come with it are used up I toss them.
It’s just throwing money away to keep buying new ones.
Plus every time you replace them you are throwing out some of your biological.
The only time I use carbon it to eliminate medication. I use to use it for clearing up tannins water(Like when you add a piece of wood and it stains the water) but I don’t even do that any more.
Like Oughtsix said if it’s used up it’s not doing anything anyway. Except maybe giving a place for bacteria.
A sponge is more effective and less costly in my opinion.

 

[Drumm22]

If the carbon is over... uh... 3 months old (just a WAG)... it is probably saturated and not offering any chemical filtration.

I replace it every month

 

[Drumm22]

What I’m saying is once the original filter pads th at come with it are used up I toss them.
It’s just throwing money away to keep buying new ones.
Plus every time you replace them you are throwing out some of your biological.
The only time I use carbon it to eliminate medication. I use to use it for clearing up tannins water(Like when you add a piece of wood and it stains the water) but I don’t even do that any more.
Like Oughtsix said if it’s used up it’s not doing anything anyway. Except maybe giving a place for bacteria.
A sponge is more effective and less costly in my opinion.

Ok perfect. I replace the carbon every month but like you said, its just throwing away money, where as the sponge i can just keep. Im more curious about if i remove the carbon would i need lava rocks or something in addition to replace the carbon itself