Should I upgrade my filter?

[Punkrulz]

Hey guys,

I presently have a HOB, a Rena Smartfilter (Rena SmartFilters Hang On Power Filters by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals). Since converting from gravel to sand, I've been wanting to change out my filter media. I would like to do it now, because I do have a stocking with the old gravel in it and I figure it would be the easiest way to break in the new filter.

Unfortunately I'm not sure if I should upgrade my entire filter or not, as when I bought it I did not research what was good and what wasn't. Besides some strange issues with how it mounts occasionally (based on where the tank is against the wall) I have not had any issues with it, performance or otherwise. I think the biggest thing that bothers me is the LFS that I like to go to does not carry it nor it's media, and this one was purchased at the local petsmart.

Am I ok staying with this one? It does not appear that I have choices for the different kinds of media... just their bio-zorb media. Will that affect things?

Edit: While I don't know what is physically located at Petsmart around here, looking online I do not see any filter media for the Rena Smartfilter; only the Smartfilter itself. So the question is what should I upgrade to (if I have to)?

 

[FishGeek]

Ive never used this filter. If you arent having problems with it then the only one that can make the descion to change it is you If you have the money and the want to do so then why not. LOL. It really cant hurt anything. I would just run both filters on the tank for like a week and you shouldnt cycle at all.

 

[d3sc3n7]

My .02c

Thats a pretty good filter you have. You may have to order the media online or find it elsewhere, but how long have you had it? I would not really change it out if its doing the job well. Thats just me though.

 

[Punkrulz]

This is the second one I have had so far. The first one had a mishap, not quite sure how it occurred but I believe it repositioned itself so it wasn't getting water, and began to burn out the motor. Thank god himself I was home when it happened, or I may not have a home right now. I've had this model filter since the inception of the fish tank itself... and if I got a 2nd one, I am not sure how I'd be able to run both as with the top on the tank I'd have no where to put it... would have to leave the top off for a week or something.

We'll see how far this works. Are there any guides anywhere that state what kinds of media are good for what applications? Would I benefit at all from a change in media types?

 

[jediinthedark]

For what it's worth I've become a fan of Aquaclear for HOB filters and Fluval for canister (although I also like my Ehiem Pro 2).

Media types:
You usually don't get more then a few choices with the pre-packaged style media packs.
Carbon is useful for removing chemicals from your water.
You may find Coarse media and Fine media.
Coarse is usually used for grabbing gunk out of the water.
Fine media is used for grabbing small gunk. This is sometimes called polishing.
Was that what you're looking for, or do you have different media options?

 

[Punkrulz]

I wasn't looking for anything specific right now. I do know that I can order the media I need online... and there do appear to be different types. I wasn't sure if my product was considered outdated or if there have been issues in the past. Typically as it stands right now, once a month I fill my bucket with a bit of tank water, remove the filter media, and rinse it off in the bucket. The water in the bucket turns black with all of the stuff I'm removing. The media continues to hold up physically, so I replace it back into the tank and off I go. Wasn't sure if that was good, bad, recommended, or otherwise. I've had this piece of filter media since the filter's inception approximately 1 year ago.