i have a 55 gallon tank with cichlids in it and the tank is stocked somewhat heavy. right know i have a emperor 400 power filter, aqueon 55 power filter, and a 80 gallon sponge filter. the aqueon filter sucks it came with the tank and i started going threw a set of media every two weeks. well im tired of buying media for the filter they are so expensice and i want to get ride of it. my question is should i replace that filter with something else or so i just not get a new one to replace it since i have the other 2 filters.
filters
- Thread starter truck_317
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Why are you replacing the media? Unless it is disintegrating, you shouldn't. If it's clogged, rinse it in old tank water, but that brown gunk is the good bacteria that processes the ammonia and nitrite.
2 weeks ago i put new filters in it and today i cleaned them out and i put them back in the filter and the water starts to over flow in the filter. i do not want a canister filter the question is should i get another power fiter to replace that one or not since i already have a emperor 400 and a 80 gallon sponge filter
Well you would need to test your water parameters after removing the aqueon. Likely there is not much bio filtration provided by the aqueon so you water params would be OK. You may find that you'll need add more mechanical filtration though.
You're probably fine, but yeah, I'd be testing a little more often just to be sure. Even if you do end up needing more filtration, it shouldn't be anything that more frequent water changes couldn't handle until you got another.
You could just take the media out of the aqueon and fill it with scrubbies or bioballs and use it as a bio-filter.
you know you could look into pond filters that is what i got for i 125 and it's less work. you would be cycling your water more than what is recommended. and pond filters last a lot longer between cleaning times. but I'm trying to run mine without change for a while. Koi are the most dirtiest fish i know, and the lady that told me to do this have a business in koi and she has the cleanest tanks. she had one she had not changed in a few years, but it's a huge filter.
Then stop it..
Plenty of alternative media available. Most require some cut to fit work. Do a google and see if you don`t come up with page after page of ideas..then sort through the good and bad.
gt1009;3141437; said:
I like this idea. Scrubbies or other biomedia won't clog up and overflow the intake area (or if it does, it'll take considerably longer. Then all you do is rinse them in a bucket of tank water and then re-use). If you rinse them w/ tap water it'll kill your beneficial bacteria.