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After cleaning my room i realized i threw away my AquaClear manual so i am not sure when i should replace each insert. I know there are specified intervals in which you should replace them. Also i was wondering if i need to buy the AquaClear brand filter inserts, or is it more economical to make my own carbon and sponge, etc. inserts? What does everyone else use for their aquaclear? Any suggestions? I am planning on adding more fish so i was thinking of adding the BioMax insert but i am not sure when the ammonia one should be removed! Here is the link to the new fish ideas which i am still looking for help on:
http://fishprofiles.com/files/forums/General%20Freshwater/53441.html?200501212307
Thanks everyone in advance!
~Tory~

No need for instructions, they're usually wrong anyway.

IMO, the maint on any AC filter should be as follows:

Once every 4 weeks, replace the carbon insert. Unless you dose meds that require you take the insert out during dosage. (If the meds are a multi week treatment, replace media, if the carbon needs to be out for just a couple days, keep it submerged in tank water instead.) The AC sponge should never be replaced, it should be rinsed out in a bucket of tank water once every four weeks as well, or on an as needed basis. Never replace both at the same time, you risk killing a whole lotta beneficial bacteria and sending your tank into a mini cycle.

I don't DIY my own filter media, so I can't answer that question.

In my AC's I use the media they sell.

GL

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

Thanks so much for your quick response! I am just wondering if anyone makes their own carbon filter inserts?

i dont run a aquaclear but my filters pads do come with carbon inserts. i actually cut the backing and dump all the carbon out of my inserts. i know many others who also practice this. this way i can use the same insert over and over and over by simply rinsing it. my pads are about 8 months old now give or take a couple months. still going strong but starting to show some minor wear and tear from the biweekly washings.

the only reason i would use carbon is to remove medication from the tank after treating.

In my Aquaclear, I run two sponges stacked on top of each other. No carbon unless I were to remove meds. For maintenance, I check the sponges to see if they look dirty or clogged at all. If they are, I gently rinse them in water I siphoned from the aquarium, so that the good bacteria will not be killed. I haven't seen any need to replace the inserts yet. If I were to do it over again, I'd probably go with a sponge topped with a bag of Biomax, just to maximize the biological filtration. I may still switch that way, but the two sponges are working well and I don't want to mess with success.

the biomax works well. Besides worrying about the foam, make sure you scrub the propeller and housing good every couple weeks with a brush that is intended for that job.

i have a total of 12 aquaclear filters running at the moment and none of them have the carbon insert. as soem of the others do, I only use carbon to remove a medication from the water. I have 1 sponge in each filter and I rinse the sponge as necessary. when the water starts flowing slowly I'll rinse the filter. most of my tanks have at least 2 filters running so I only do one at a time. for my smaller tanks that only have 1 filter I have the biomax. so I'll only rinse the sponge on one of the smaller tanks at a time. when I rinse a sponge I move the biomax to that tank. then a week or 2 later I may rinse the sponge of another tank and again move the biomax.

Follow Doctor J and use two sponges. Rince one clean, that is until it runs clear, in a 5 gallon bucket with waste water from your aquarium. The dirty sponge (old sponge) goes to the bottom of the filter. The clean one goes on top.

The following week, the bottom sponge gets rinsed clear and goes to the top while the other sponge rotates down.

Clean your intake tubes once a week or every other week if you have plants. Use an old toothbrush to clean the tubes.

Once a month, take the unit apart. Throw the sponges into the bucket with aquarium water. Scrub the inside, the basket the impeller reservoir and impeller to get rid of slime and algae buildup. Use a tube brush to scrub out the impeller reservoir.

Last edited by bob wesolowski at 23-Jan-2005 20:03

Last edited by bob wesolowski at 24-Jan-2005 07:56

__________
"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
researched from Steven Wright

That's a great maintenance routine, Bob!