How dirty do you let your filter media get?

[ChrisKSB]

This is my first time having a sump and a "Trickle" type filter. Not sure how dirty these things should be before you change them. I know it is probably hard to tell from images, but does this look too dirty, not dirty enough...just right? for when to change it? I went ahead and swapped it out, just trying to get a grasp on how to do things right.

Thanks for any input!

 

[gbroadbridge]

This is my first time having a sump and a "Trickle" type filter. Not sure how dirty these things should be before you change them. I know it is probably hard to tell from images, but does this look too dirty, not dirty enough...just right? for when to change it? I went ahead and swapped it out, just trying to get a grasp on how to do things right.

Thanks for any input!

Not sure what type of filter that is, but when I had filter socks I changed them every 2nd day.

 

[ChrisKSB]

Oh wow, this has been in for several weeks!!

 

[gbroadbridge]

Oh wow, this has been in for several weeks!!

The problem is the longer you leave detritus on the filter to decompose, the more Nitrates are generated.

I found that if I left filter socks in for a week, the Nitrates would keep climbing meaning that I needed to do a lot of water changes or use other methods to remove Nitrate.

As long as your Phosphate is okay and Nitrates are somewhere in the 10-25 ppm range and the filters are still working and not overflowing then no need to change.

 

[ChrisKSB]

Here is where my filter media goes, I think I'm going to add bio balls under where it trickles down -

 

[gbroadbridge]

Here is where my filter media goes, I think I'm going to add bio balls under where it trickles down -

I'm not a fan of bio balls - they do nothing but collect detritus.

All the bio filtration in a reef tank happens in the rock - and it's all you need :-)

 

[ChrisKSB]

Thank you - maybe I'll just add rock or something down there! Slowly trying to figure things out! Ran a 32 gallon biocube for 5 years and all of the sudden have a 180 gallon tank I need to learn how to deal with!!!

 

[Jasonak]

In my fish only tank I change once its starts overflowing, in the reef tank when ever. Im always trying to keep nitrates up in that and its just more to keep the water clear in the reef.

 

[Paul B]

I don't know. I don't have any filter media. :anguished-face: