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How often do most of you clean and replace this stuff.
I believe your suppose to do partial changes so you don't kill all of the biological filtration.



Last edited by tetratech at 11-Jul-2005 10:38

My Scapes

I'm confused... :%)
Eheim makes a filter that has substrate in it?

In a cycled tank, the bacteria colonies that change the
ammonia to nitrite to nitrate are located throughout the
aquarium. This includes the fiter, the tank sides, the
gravel, everything.

The substrate (gravel, or sand) should be cleaned at a
regular interval. How often that is depends upon how
heavily you have the tank stocked and how many live plants
you have in the tank. Generally speaking, once a month,
you should clean 1/4 of the exposed substrate right down to
the bottom of the tank. If you have a Python type syphon,
simply push the head of the Python into the gravel, let the
gravel swirl around and when the water clears, lift the head
and the gravel will fall back into place. Move the head over
the diameter of the head and repeat the process so that it
looks like cookie cutters OOOOO. By doing 1/4 of the tank
the stired up area can regrow the bacterial colonies and the
tank recover, before you do the next quarter.

If your tank is heavily planted clean only the exposed areas
and simply swirl your hand over the planted parts to raise
any loose detritus up into the water where it can by
syphoned off.

Did that answer your question?

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Sorry for the confusion Frank. The biological medium that is used quite often in Eheim Cansister filters is called. EHIFISUBSTRAT. It's actually composed of sintered glass.

Here is the defintion as described by EHEIM.

To create biologically sound water as found in nature, you need EHFISUBSTRAT. Biological filtering is based on a natural decomposition of harmful substances using helpful bacteria. They convert ammonia and nitrite into relatively non-toxic nitrate. The efficiency of biological filtration is limited by the media that bacteria are growing on. With over 450 ml per litre (22, 000sq. ft. per lmp. gal. / 18, 3000 sq. ft. per U.S. gal.) EHFISUBSTRAT is a specially designed sintered glass. Bacteria are able to stick better to a surface which has a complex pore system. EHFISUBSTRAT has been specially developed to offer optimum sites for bacteria colonization. The effectiveness of these bacteria is linked to how much oxygen and toxins can flow by. With faster decomposition of toxins compared to other media. Highly effective, economically priced, it is the best biological media available to aquarium hobbyists.

My Scapes

Tetra,

I wouldn't bother to replace the substrat or the mech. Whenever I clean the unit, I place the baskets with the material into waste water from the aquarium to maintain the bacteria. Before I replace the baskets in the filter, I thoroughly rinse the baskets and media with waste water. The media does trap mulm but I really cannot fathom why one would replace the material since the mulm rinses away...

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

Bob,I agree. That is similar to most of those other media. They will usually last far longer than the manufracture states. But due to certain concerns of liability, warranties and the promise of selling more product they give that recommended date. The best thing to do is use your own common sense and judgement.
Sometimes a clean looking filter is the best filter for bacteria. You can definitley over clean the filter.

tetratech

I have a Eheim Pro11 2026.

All I ever do is wash it in the tank water every month I was advised just to do a top as necessary I have not added any yet in one 18 months.

With the top fine sponge layer I have added another one this seems to give me a cleaner water return.

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
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O.K. that helps. My main concern was cleaning the media, but not destroying too much of the beneficial stuff.

Once a tank matures is most of the biological filtration in the gravel?



My Scapes

Once a tank matures the beneficial bacteria coat the tank, gravel, plants, hardscape, glass. Your cannister filter with efimech and efisubstrat provide media surfaces that are colonized by the beneficial bacteria. The media surfaces are "specially designed" with the following explanation from http://www.eheim.com/:

EHFISUBSTRAT
To create biologically sound water as found in nature, you need EHFISUBSTRAT. Biological filtering is based on a natural decomposition of harmful substances using helpful bacteria. They convert ammonia and nitrite into relatively non-toxic nitrate. The efficiency of biological filtration is limited by the media that bacteria are growing on. With over 450 ml per litre (22, 000sq. ft. per lmp. gal. / 18, 3000 sq. ft. per U.S. gal.) EHFISUBSTRAT is a specially designed sintered glass. Bacteria are able to stick better to a surface which has a complex pore system. EHFISUBSTRAT has been specially developed to offer optimum sites for bacteria colonization. The effectiveness of these bacteria is linked to how much oxygen and toxins can flow by. With faster decomposition of toxins compared to other media. Highly effective, economically priced, it is the best biological media available to aquarium hobbyists.

EHFIMECH
A coarse mechanical filter material which is to be used as bottom layer filtering. Its hollow ceramic design creates eddies which disburse the water into many paths. It traps large debris while creating an even flow of water for subsequent layers.

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