[bigredbellyfellor]

Ive two fluval 2s in my tank of 3 redbellies, ive been cleaning them both every week finding them quite dirty, if i rinse them in clean water is that keeping enough 'friendly bacteria' in them? Should i leave them longer before cleaning? Finally how often do you change sponges? Cheers, Chris

 

[kiddynamite]

WEll , having 2 filters helps. what i do , is every waterchange , i rinse only ONE of the two sponges in old tank water , then the next water change i do the other , this way you always have one that has plenty of bacteria on it and the other is nice and clean. as far as changing for new ones, i never do , as long as it still has its shape and there arent any defects of its not rediculously dirty , i just re-use my old one all the time.

 

[Guest]

Yes this is the best way, one and then the other. Always make sure you squeeze them gently and in old tank water ( as stated above ). Agressively squeezing/washing them and using water from the tap will kill your colony of bacteria. Washing them both at once and in water from the tap will mean you will have to cycle over and over!

 

[Fido]

I don't know where you guys get this from, but the sponge only holds a small ammount of bacteria from the tank. EVERY time I clean my tank I clean out my sponge squeezing it hard and flushing it with fresh cold water. Every time I test the water after that, its as if I never touched the sponge--normal.

Beneficial bacteria is in a lot mroe places than the sponge...

 

[Grosse Gurke]

Damn....way too much work. I do filter maint. when the flow rate is slowed down, not every fricken water change. On my canisters that means about once every 6 months....or longer, and on the power filters this is usually every 3 months or so.
Some of you people make this hobby a lot harder than it should be imo.

 

[Grosse Gurke]

90% of the bacteria will reside in the filtration and if you only have sponges, like in my ac500, that is where it all is.

 

[Guest]

If he has another better source of biological filtration what you say is true. Mind you, you may as well not harm the bacteria in the sponge even if he has. There was no mention of other filtration

GG answered before me!!

 

[MR HARLEY]

Damn....way too much work. I do filter maint. when the flow rate is slowed down, not every fricken water change. On my canisters that means about once every 6 months....or longer, and on the power filters this is usually every 3 months or so.
Some of you people make this hobby a lot harder than it should be imo.

[snapback]830290[/snapback]​

exactly ..

I change once a month on my cannisters sometimes even longer , thats where alot of my bacteria is besides in my rocks...If you wash every week your takeing all the bacteria out ..

Is that all you have running is 2 fluvals ? If so no wonder why it gets so dirty so fast

 

[Fido]

Damn....way too much work. I do filter maint. when the flow rate is slowed down, not every fricken water change. On my canisters that means about once every 6 months....or longer, and on the power filters this is usually every 3 months or so.
Some of you people make this hobby a lot harder than it should be imo.

[snapback]830290[/snapback]​

I clean about every other week because my fish have been more finicky about eating plankton. They dont barely eat it sometimes and it get sucked into the filter before I can grab it with my net. If 90% of bacteria is in the sponge, then how can I maintain proper water params after cleaning out the sponge?

 

[MR HARLEY]

I clean about every other week because my fish have been more finicky about eating plankton. They dont barely eat it sometimes and it get sucked into the filter before I can grab it with my net. If 90% of bacteria is in the sponge, then how can I maintain proper water params after cleaning out the sponge?

[snapback]830316[/snapback]​

Were talking P's here filo

 

[Grosse Gurke]

If 90% of bacteria is in the sponge, then how can I maintain proper water params after cleaning out the sponge?

[snapback]830316[/snapback]​

This really depends on what type of filtration you are using. If you have canisters then you probably have a bio-media besides just sponges that will house most of the bacteria. If you have an emp400 then the bio-wheels house most of the bacteria. But if you are using an ac500 then most will reside on the sponge and walls of the filter. You must understand that bacteria is not free floating and the water with amonia/nitrites must pass over the bacteria. This is why most resides in the filters where the water is forced over the media. If you just rinse out the sponges in tank water you will not kill all the bacteria and if there is another medium for the bacteria to reside than you would be fine.

 

[Fido]

This really depends on what type of filtration you are using. If you have canisters then you probably have a bio-media besides just sponges that will house most of the bacteria. If you have an emp400 then the bio-wheels house most of the bacteria. But if you are using an ac500 then most will reside on the sponge and walls of the filter. You must understand that bacteria is not free floating and the water with amonia/nitrites must pass over the bacteria. This is why most resides in the filters where the water is forced over the media. If you just rinse out the sponges in tank water you will not kill all the bacteria and if there is another medium for the bacteria to reside than you would be fine.

[snapback]830343[/snapback]​

thank you. This book im reading didn't explain all that very well.