how often to change fish tank filter

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Filtration in your fish tank is incredibly important. Without proper filtration, droppings and toxins tin can build up leading to devastating consequences for your fish. The importance of filtration might be articulate, but what isn't, is how frequently y'all should modify your fish tank filter. The answer depends on which type of filter.

The actual filter itself – which holds the media – won't need replacing unless information technology stops working. Mechanical filter media will non demand replacing until it starts to fall apart (in fact, replacing it will do more harm than good), however it will demand rinsing once every month or so in tank h2o. Chemic filters volition demand to be replaced about one time per month. Biological filters won't demand replacing until they fall autonomously, but yous will want to rinse them once per calendar month in tank water.

Mechanical Filters

Mechanical filters force the water through media such every bit a sponge to remove solid debris. This helps to go on your water articulate and fish tank clean. The filter itself volition not need replacing unless it stops working, and as long as the filter media is not falling apart, it won't need replacing either.

In fact, at that place are negative consequences to replacing the media in a mechanical filter. Benign bacteria that acts as a biological filter will build upwardly on the media, and replacing the media will completely remove this bacteria from the tank.

Somewhen the filter media volition start to clog up and y'all will need to rinse information technology. You should do this about once per month. It's a skillful idea to combine this with a water change then you lot can use the tank h2o to rinse the media. This will help to continue every bit much bacteria as possible on the media. You can also rinse it in conditioned water, just do not rinse in unconditioned tap water.

If the filter media starts to fall autonomously, it will need replacing. When you lot start using the new media, exit the old media in the tank for a few weeks to requite the new media time to build upwardly bacteria.

Chemical Filters

Chemical filters are used to remove impurities from the water. Carbon is the most common media used. With chemic filters, the media adsorbs particles and will somewhen fill upwards and become saturated. Chemic Filters will need to be replaced well-nigh once per calendar month, or at least once every ii months.

Biological Filters

Biological filtration occurs all over your fish tank. Beneficial leaner breaks down ammonia into nitrites, and so nitrites into nitrates which are much less toxic. This bacteria volition grow all over your fish tank, especially in the gravel and mechanical filter. Yous can also purchase biological filters which just act as some other identify where bacteria can easily grow. You won't need to change a biological filter until it starts falling apart, merely you might want to requite it a rinse in tank h2o every month or so.