Please help me ID these filter cartridges

[SweetMamaKaty 2,788]

Hello, this is cross posted from a different forum, but I feel like I need some help fairly quickly, so I'm posting here too!

If you're curious about our back-story, you can read it here:

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A very helpful member clued me in to the fact that there are different kinds of cartridges for my in-tank filters: carbon or bio. I have no idea what I have, and I'm having trouble finding enough info online to help me figure it out (even having visited the manufacturer's website!) I feel like I really need to know, because we're finishing up a fungus treatment, so I have the filters out thinking they were carbon. But if there's a chance they are bio-filters, I understand I should have them back in the tank? *Added complication* my tank is not yet cycled!

I think I may actually have 2 bio-filters, but I am not sure. Nowhere on the packaging can I find it specified as bio, but they both look the same, with a blue clip across the top. They are different from what I bought to have on hand as replacements, which do specify carbon and have no clip. So in that case, I should definitely put them back in even while treating, correct?

Side question - then after this is all over, would I be using the carbon ones in there with the bio, instead of, or a bio in one and carbon in the other filter?

I'm attaching pictures of: the box one of the filters came in

the cartridge that came with that filter next to the box of carbon filters I have not opened yet

and the cartridge with the blue clip held up to the light trying to show how it's made.

Thanks for any help you can provide!

Edited March 3, 2014 by dnalex

[GoldenSpoiledRotten 6,786]

Cartridges shouldn't be in the tank at all, honestly. You will need different media all together.

All of those cartridges contain carbon, which is chemical filtration and something not necessary in an aquarium. Carbon removes medication from the water, so do not use them while treating your fish for illness.

I will quickly find you a link to setting up media in your filters. Please bear with me.

Edit: Here are

and

of our moderator Tithra's media videos. Edited March 3, 2014 by ChelseaM

[dnalex 13,633]

Hello...these are carbon cartridges

[SweetMamaKaty 2,788]

Thank you both! I will continue to leave them out then.

I know an in-tank filter is not ideal, they take up so much room, but I've exceeded my fish budget for the moment... Could I continue to use them with an acceptable bio-media until I can switch to a canister system?

[jmetzger72 6,976]

It looks to me like the black foam right at the waterfall return is the biofilter. The cartridge is your mechanical and chemical filter.

[jmetzger72 6,976]

You can simply cut a small hole in the white cotton of the cartridge and dump the carbon out and just use the white floss. Make sure you only rinse both the black foam and white floss in tank water so as not to kill the beneficial bacteria.

Edited March 3, 2014 by jmetzger72

[SweetMamaKaty 2,788]

Oh boy, well those black things aren't very substantial for what I'd be expecting then!

I'll take a look at the links you provided ChelseaM, and thanks everyone!

[SweetMamaKaty 2,788]

You can simply cut a small hole in the white cotton of the cartridge and dump the carbon out and just use the white floss. Make sure you only rinse both the black foam and white floss in tank water so as not to kill the beneficial bacteria.

So I would use the white part empty to satisfy the "mechanical" part of the filtration?

[jmetzger72 6,976]

You can simply cut a small hole in the white cotton of the cartridge and dump the carbon out and just use the white floss. Make sure you only rinse both the black foam and white floss in tank water so as not to kill the beneficial bacteria.

So I would use the white part empty to satisfy the "mechanical" part of the filtration?

No, it would also provide some biological filtration. That is why I said to only rinse it in a bucket of tank water.

[SweetMamaKaty 2,788]

You can simply cut a small hole in the white cotton of the cartridge and dump the carbon out and just use the white floss. Make sure you only rinse both the black foam and white floss in tank water so as not to kill the beneficial bacteria.

So I would use the white part empty to satisfy the "mechanical" part of the filtration?

No, it would also provide some biological filtration. That is why I said to only rinse it in a bucket of tank water.

I see, thank you!

[jmetzger72 6,976]

Chelsea is right that these cartridges aren't ideal. But, since you have reached your budget, I think this will work until you are ready to buy some new media.

I'm wondering if you could eventually replace the black foam with Biomax? I can't see the compartment very well in the picture.

[SweetMamaKaty 2,788]

Chelsea is right that these cartridges aren't ideal. But, since you have reached your budget, I think this will work until you are ready to buy some new media.

I'm wondering if you could eventually replace the black foam with Biomax? I can't see the compartment very well in the picture.

I could probably swing the Biomax change-out, just not entirely new filtration systems. Thank you for that tip, I think I should be able to get to another town next weekend that would have them available - all we have here is WalMart...

[jmetzger72 6,976]

Chelsea is right that these cartridges aren't ideal. But, since you have reached your budget, I think this will work until you are ready to buy some new media.

I'm wondering if you could eventually replace the black foam with Biomax? I can't see the compartment very well in the picture.

I could probably swing the Biomax change-out, just not entirely new filtration systems. Thank you for that tip, I think I should be able to get to another town next weekend that would have them available - all we have here is WalMart...

You can also order it on Amazon for pretty cheap if you do online ordering:

http://www.amazon.com/Aqua-Clear-A1372-Aquaclear-50-Gallon/dp/B000A7BCG4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393861723&sr=8-1&keywords=aqua+clear+biomax

I would keep the black foam in the filter until the biomax cycles. One way to do this is to cut the foam in half and fill in half the space with the new Biomax. It comes in a mesh bag which should just lay on top of the sponge. Cut the foam long-ways so that you have a long, flat piece that lies beneath the biomax. Wring out the half of the foam you remove into the filter behind the filter cartridge. You could even leave this half in the filter squished behind the cartridge until the biomax cycles. Then, a couple of weeks later, remove the foam.

Edited March 3, 2014 by jmetzger72

[SweetMamaKaty 2,788]

Chelsea is right that these cartridges aren't ideal. But, since you have reached your budget, I think this will work until you are ready to buy some new media.

I'm wondering if you could eventually replace the black foam with Biomax? I can't see the compartment very well in the picture.

I could probably swing the Biomax change-out, just not entirely new filtration systems. Thank you for that tip, I think I should be able to get to another town next weekend that would have them available - all we have here is WalMart...

You can also order it on Amazon for pretty cheap if you do online ordering:

http://www.amazon.com/Aqua-Clear-A1372-Aquaclear-50-Gallon/dp/B000A7BCG4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393861723&sr=8-1&keywords=aqua+clear+biomax

I would keep the black foam in the filter until the biomax cycles. One way to do this is to cut the foam in half and fill in half the space with the new Biomax. It comes in a mesh bag which should just lay on top of the sponge. Cut the foam long-ways so that you have a long, flat piece that lies beneath the biomax. Wring out the half of the foam you remove into the filter behind the filter cartridge. You could even leave this half in the filter squished behind the cartridge until the biomax cycles. Then, a couple of weeks later, remove the foam.

Wonderful - thank you!

[jmetzger72 6,976]

You're very welcome