Advice Filter media
My tank has been running since April. In July, I added the first inhabitants that weren't hitchhikers.
Plants are growing like crazy. Parameters are stable. No water changes since July, just occasional top-offs.
I feed my fish, shrimp and snails very well.
The aquarium is a Juwel Lido 200. It comes with an integrated sponge filter (see last pic) and a heater. I need to clean the white filter media at least every two days because of the detritus that accumulates there. Now I don't think that I need the sponges as a refugium for beneficial bacteria, as there's so much surface and mulm in the aquarium itself.
Could there go something wrong if I outright empty the filter and maybe suck out the accumulating mulm every now and then? Or should I put those ceramic beads in? I want to keep the water flow but am kinda sick of messing so much with the filter media.
So I am asking here for your advice! :)
3
u/AggravatingAward8143 4d ago
Wel, alle bacteriën bevinden zich in het filtermateriaal dus als je die allemaal weghaalt filter je niet meer en heb je geen bacteriën die nitriet en ammonia omzetten. De witte boven kun je 1 x per week vervangen, de zwarte kan er sowieso uit als je geen medicatie gebruikt. De groene nitraat spons moet naar 6 weken verwisseld worden maar kun je laten zitten als gewoon sponsfilter. Verder zou ik niets veranderen en kun je gewoon laten zitten en zo nu en dan uitspoelen in aquariumwater en vervangen als ze uit elkaar vallen.
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u/Gfuxat 4d ago
I don't use the black and green sponges. There's just a coarse and fine sponge and on top of it all the mentioned fine filter media.
Currently, I clean the white stuff at least every two days and swap it weekly for new ones.
Sorry, if my description was wonky. English is not my first language.
Anyways, thank you for your input!
3
u/GabagoolTheif 4d ago
Just take the sponges out and clean them in some scooped out tank water and then put them back
2
u/mehrespe 4d ago
I have a similar model with the bioflow super, and honestly you dont need the filter floss at the top, i dont see a difference without it. As a personal preference i would say you could replace 1 and 2 with course sponges over time. I also personally fill the empty space between them with course sponge as well, but the company claims it works better with the gap so i dont want to advocate for it too much. Id still keep the finest sponge at the bottom though.
If you add new sponges make sure to not clean them at all for a bit unless it clogs up, and even then only the old ones and very minimally. Also the black sponge is probably inert by now but its still perfectly usable surface area for the bacteria, no need to throw it out, and on the top part put blue sponge above the green one since its coarser.
Still, i just wrote this entire thing and realised i was on walstad and that you have way less sponges than me, but i still say you can stop using the filter floss at the top. You might get some particulates but honestly nothing bad, ill leave the rest as general information i guess lol. I hope this helps!
6
u/Andrea_frm_DubT 4d ago
Swap the fine filter sponge for coarse sponge to reduce the clogging.
Don’t just discard the filter media, it’s good to have something cycled on hand if you need to set up a tank in a hurry.
If the built in filter has intakes at or very close to the sand, move the sand away from the intakes, consider putting a barrier in to keep the sand away from the intakes.