Changing filter media to often?

Question

This is probably a super dumb question! But... I currently have an emperor 400 and a penguin 350 for my 55 gallon tank. My tank houses an Oscar, jack Dempsey, parrot fish and a pleco. In my emperor I use 1 slab of the rite size cut to fit filter pad per side and in the media containers I fill one side with carbon and the other with polishing fiber. Then in the penguin I use 4 rite size c filters which have the pad and built in carbon of course. So approximately once a month I change everything! When I do the cleanings I put the bio wheels in the fish tank Just to maintain their wetness and change ever thing in the emperor. Then in the penguin I just rotate the one in the back forward and put a new one in behind it.
My problem is... My water quality levels are usually off. And the water is usually a little cloudy... Although I vacuum the gravel about once a month and do water changes once or twice besides that. So I feel like I'm cleaning way more than necessary but I cannot get the levels maintained or the cloud out!
Even the one time my water was crystal clear! But I cleaned it because it was time for the routine... After vacuuming and refilling my tank was now cloudy :-(
Could I be cleaning my tank or changing my filters to often?
Does anyone have a suggestion on cleaning schedules, filter media setup, and filter media cleaning/replacing schedule recommendations?

Answer 1

I agree with the others that you should not change all the media at once, but one filter one month, the other filter the next month. I think that may help with bacteria blooms. However, I don't think changing a filter media each month is too often; it may not be necessary though. Consider changing them every two months instead, and do your water changes MORE often. That should considerably improve your water quality (parameters and cloudiness), by doing more water changes. If your fish are filthy enough that it looks like your media needs to be changed monthly, then you should DEFINITELY be doing more frequent water changes, especially vacuuming the gravel! If necessary, do it every week. If you have a lot of loose debri and disentegrated food, then it makes sense that changing the water or the filter would stir up debri and make the water look cloudy for a day or so. And if there is that much excess debri that you aren't removing every week with the vacuum, then it makes sense that things like your ammonia and nitrites would be off.



Additionally, be sure that when you change the media, you aren't removing decorations/plants and cleaning them with tap water (this would surely kill/remove too much beneficial bacteria and cause bacteria blooms and the presence of ammonia and nitrites). I'll add this as well: if in fact you are cleaning the appropriate amount, or you do as I've suggested and the ammonia levels (which I'm assuming are present based on what you said about water quality levels being off) continue to be present or get worse, I'd suggest testing your tap water for ammonia and even nitrates, as sometimes these things are already present in your tap water before you add it to your tank. If it is, then its definitely contributing to your undesirable parameters; in which case, you should consider a different source of water.

Answer 2

You are definitely changing the filter media too often, perhaps once every 3 or four months. however, NEVER, EVER change ALL filter media at the same time, Since you have two filters, do one filter at a time, wait a month, then change the other one. This is probably the reason your tank is cloudy, Why? because you're eliminating the very important bacteria that grows in the filters that eliminates ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates (You SHOULD know about this) causing your tank to go into a cycle or mini-cycle (explains cloudyness, also known as "Bacterial bloom". Also, every time you change the water, you should vacuum the gravel.

Answer 3

When it is falling part. Most filter media will last for couple of years without any problem. During your regular water changes simply rinse the media in the same water you just took out and replace it back in the filter. While the activated carbon can be replace as often as your like. Although nitrifying bacteria is also present in the carbon but the amount is small compared to what in the media. Please keep in mind that the activated carbon must be removed often or else the substances that was absorbed by the carbon will released back to the water once it reaches it saturation point. And this can potentially deadly for your fishes.

Answer 4

Daily:

remove uneaten food

check temperature (for tropical tanks)

check equipment (filters, air pumps, lights)

check fish



every 7-14 days:

partial water change (20%)

remove dead vegetation

remove debris from substrate

clear condesation

clean front aquarium glass to remove algae



monthly:

clean the filter

vacume clean the gravel



every 6-12 months:

service air pump

service filter motor (change filter media as well)

replace lighting tubes



change one filter at a time (eg: one one months, the other the month after)



hope this helps