When to replace filter

[laxdudeee]

Hello,
I have a 5 gallon tank at school right now and was wondering when I should change the filter. The fish have been in the tank for about a month now and didn't want to go too long without changing it, if I already have. My tank has a biowheel and filter and currently has 1 goldfish and 3 neon tetras as well. Thanks
-Eric

 

[go_dawgs]

umm i cange mine every 3 to 4 weeks

 

[Seleya]

You don't want to change your media until it's literally falling apart. Your biowheel shouldn't ever need to be replaced. When you perform water changes, slosh the media in your bucket of tank water and put it back into the filter.

With the fish you have in your tank, you need to do water changes *very* regularly. The goldfish will need to go elsewhere soon -- the tank is too small, the neons need much different water conditions and the goldfish will eventually snack on them anyways.

 

[laxdudeee]

I do water changes (30%) weekly, the goldfish is quite small (1.5") and seems to be doing fine along with the tetras. What are the ideal fish (type and quantity) for my setup of 72 degree water and 5 gallons?

 

[ninamarie]

Try this site?


http://images.search.yahoo.com/sear...pg&p=bio+wheel&type=jpeg&no=1&tt=503&ei=UTF-8

 

[FroggyFox]

5 gallons and 72 degrees doesn't give you a whole lot of options. If you go get a little heater for the tank your choices go up immensely, I'd suggest doing that. There are a lot of little fish that would do well in a 5G, but not many coldwater fish that are ok in a 5G. Some fish (like bettas) will survive without a heater...but they really prefer that temperature to be up around 78.

Your neons (maybe add a few more), an apple snail and maybe a couple of ghost shrimp would be a great 5G tank...but you need to take the goldfish back and get a heater.

 

[ferkix]

You don't want to change your media until it's literally falling apart. Your biowheel shouldn't ever need to be replaced. When you perform water changes, slosh the media in your bucket of tank water and put it back into the filter.

With the fish you have in your tank, you need to do water changes *very* regularly. The goldfish will need to go elsewhere soon -- the tank is too small, the neons need much different water conditions and the goldfish will eventually snack on them anyways.

If you're using the filters that come pre assembled with the carbon already int hem, you really should change them every 3-4 weeks. Any longer and you run the chance of the carbon becoming saturated with toxins then releasing them back into the tank. Not a fun time.

I personally never use carbon in my tanks unless it's to remove some med or another.

*edit* Yes, return the goldfish. And go with Froggy's advice about the snail and neons. I also would maybe add a betta for color.

 

[Seleya]

Better yet, if you get the filters with the bags you can assemble yourself (i.e., Whisper) leave out the carbon and stuff in some filter floss or some lava rocks (I use Matrix in my extra slots in my Penguins and floss in my Whispers) Save the carbon for when you really need it.

Some aquarists *like* old carbon for biofiltration because of its surface area (David Burochowitz (?) the editor of TFH recommends leaving it in in his book) I would imagine regular water changes would negate the worries of the carbon discharging whatever it had previously adsorbed. I've certainly left ancient carbon in tanks with no ill effects but I'll leave this argument to the chemists.