Carbon Filters

[Meleemaker]

I purchased a 55 gallon aquarium and had wanted to set it up for some black fin sharks, I purchased all my supplies at a local wallymart(worst mistake ever but we dont have a LFS within 160 miles) and I had a 55 gallon tank so I purchased a 30-60 gallon filter or somthing. Well my sharks didnt last too long. The condition they were in when I got them was pretty pathetic and unfortunantly I lost them both in a week.

Well I got some female bettas and dropped em in( after acclimating them) and I have had 9 female bettas in the tank. The filter cartiges are giant and Im using two in my filter and it suggests changing them after 2 weeks which I have been for te past 4 months. With only 9 fish do I have to keep changing the filter as much or should I wait a little longer?

I do plan on putting one 4 or 5 inch tiger oscar in the 55 gallon tank sometime today and moving the females to a couple empty 10 gallons. If that further describes my situatio n

THANKS!

 

[ryanoh]

Do you know about the nitrogen cycle and cycling your tank before adding fish?

 

[Meleemaker]

Yes, I know all about that, dont you love biology class Thats actually what got me into fish last year was my biology class when we set up a tank for fish and went over the nitrogen cycle, adn the fish tank was HUGE like some 90 gallons and it was awesome cause we had like 3 or 4 tetras in it after we cycled it.

(I cycled the filters in other tanks running two filters on one tank for the past 2 weeks to prep them for the empty tank and most of the nitrite, nitrate, and ammonia levels are fine)

I just want to know if I need to change out the filters from having only 9 fish ammoniating and deficating in my tank with filters meant to handle much larger quantities of fish

 

[lauraf]

No, you don't need to change your filters. Active carbon isn't needed unless you are removing meds or tannins from your water, and the filter material itself - depending on your setup - is often where the most beneficial bacteria accumulate, so changing the entire filter can put your tank into a mini-cycle. However, it is important to keep your filter unclogged, so that it can, well, filter the water to keep it clear. Just rinse out your filter media in old tank water when you do a water change to get rid of the clogging muck . . . .

 

[Meleemaker]

So basically backwater it in laymans terms?

Thinking about it, my 55 gal doesnt have a bio filter. I should probably only change one of the filters at a time so not through my tank into a dreaded mini-cycle....At least there is enough substrate for my ONE tiny fish to hopefully make it even seeing as I have a 4 inch oscar in it...

 

[OrangeCones]

So basically backwater it in laymans terms?

LOL, yea, basically.

Thinking about it, my 55 gal doesnt have a bio filter.

What type of filter do you have?

The filter's media provides a place for the beneficial bacteria to live and breed, and it becomes your 'bio filter.' The hard surfaces of your tank also will provide a surface for the bacteria to live on.

 

[Meleemaker]

Its an tetra 30-60 gallon mechanical filter. I know with an aqua-tech filter it contains a floss to house the benefitial bactera so you can change the carbon filter every so often. But I guess im learning somthing new every day.