Question about my filter - aquaclear 30

[TropicAZ]

To start off, I got a 25 gallon with a Hagen AquaClear 30 on it. If anyone remembers some of my other posts in the beginner section, you'll remember that I'm still in the process of completing my fish in cycle. Stupid choice on my part, but that's another story. Anyways, I remember reading in the instructions that the foam insert should be cleaned once a month and replaced every two months. I'm about at that point, but is it ok to change the foam when my tank is still cycling? Will this just prolong the cycle?

Question number two. Do any of the other components of the filter ever need to be changed? The chemical or bio media?

Also, I've noticed within the last week or so that the entire media box has started "floating" out of the housing, and it keeps popping the lid off the filter. Has anyone else experienced this? I've just been keeping something heavy on top, but I didn't know if it's anything worth mentioning.

Thanks for any info!

 

[homebunnyj]

Your media's probably clogged. The water can't pass through it as easily, thus the floating. How's the water flow? (I have the same filter.)

I don't change the sponges, I squeeze them out in a bucket of tank water at water change time, or you could dechlorinate a container of tap water and rinse them in that. You don't want to change them out during the cycling process, you'll toss a bunch of your carefully cultivated bacteria in the trash if you do.

What are you using for chemical -- carbon? If so, you do need to change that out. I only run it if there's a need -- say, filtering out meds after a treatment, or maybe for a day or two before critical guests show up just to make sure there's no odor and the water is colorless -- otherwise I don't bother with it. Changing it out all the time is too much bother for very little benefit.

The bio-media can get kind of gunked and clogged too, but never clean/change the sponge and the bio-media at the same time. Do one or the other to avoid disturbing the bacterial colonies too much.

In short, I would rinse the sponge and maybe remove the carbon and see if that doesn't improve the media-floating situation.

 

[TropicAZ]

I'm actually not using the carbon, I bought an ammonia neutralizer media when I bought the filter. I'm going to clean the sponge this week though and I'll probably change that out to regular carbon once the tank is completely cycled... or just take it out completely. My tank is crystal clear and I don't see a real need for the carbon. The unit still flows pretty well, but obviously not as good as when I first got it.

 

[homebunnyj]

I'm not sure you should be using the ammonia neutralizer during your cycle. After all, ammonia is the food source of the bacteria you're trying to cultivate. So when you take it out, you won't have built up enough bacteria to consume the ammonia your fish excrete.

You're much better off removing that and controlling ammonia levels with frequent water changes while you're trying to establish your tank's cycle. I don't really think it will fully cycle until you do.