Filters and bacteria are vital life-sustaining systems of aquariums. Filters capture organic waste and oxygenate water through agitation. Beneficial bacteria grow within the biological portion of the filter. They remove harmful waste from fish. The bacteria keep fish healthy, by first converting ammonia into ammonia, later converting nitrite to Nitrate. Without the bacteria, traditional aquariums wouldn’t be possible. However, all the good bacteria are destroyed when you clean tap water or by changing the media within the filter.

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However good any biological material is, once you purchase it, it’s not sterile. Therefore, if you replace old filter media with a new one the bacteria are eliminated and the tank will return to New Tank Syndrome, when there are not enough bacteria to remove the waste from the fish and the levels of ammonia and nitrite increase. It is a regular issue for aquariums that are established and aquariums, where keeping your filter “clean” can actually do more harm than good. You may have a lot of problems if you add fish to the filter. The most important factor to avoid is to never remove the filters from the tank that was previously used.

To do this, siphon some of the tank’s water with a filter made of gravel to the bucket. Switch off the filter then remove the media and rinse it with the existing tank’s wastewater. The sponge is cleaned and the physical debris is eliminated However, the live bacteria that reside on that sponge remains. The flow is restored and the bacteria continue to perform the vital job of nitrification. Chlorine can be added into tap water by water authorities in order to remove bacteria. This is why media shouldn’t be treated with tap water, and tap water must be cleaned prior to putting it into the aquarium.

If the sponge isn’t able to spring back to its original shape, it’s time to get a new one. If the filter is only one sponge then cut it in half before replacing the half of the sponge that was used with the new. Examine the quality of the water for the next few days to make sure that the bacteria are sufficient in order to continue to break down the waste. If the filter has 2 sponges (recommended,) then one sponge could be removed and then thrown away and replaced with a new one. There will be enough bacteria in the filter on the old sponge, and the levels of bacteria must remain sufficient to avoid any problems.

A three-stage filter could comprise separate biological, mechanical, and chemical media. This filter will benefit from all three of them. If the sponge is able to filter mechanically, biologically filtered ceramic rings as well as carbon chemically the sponge is able to be removed and replaced frequently with new. The ceramic rings are still old and covered with bacteria. Regular maintenance of mechanical filters can help to keep the flow and oxygen levels of the filter. A blocked sponge can reduce flow and oxygen levels in the filter, putting at-risk fish and bacteria, so it’s yet another reason to change and clean the sponge.

If you must alter the biological media and again, it’s best to only replace one-half of it at each time. If you have to replace the entire thing, ensure your mechanical sponges are old (over 6 weeks of age) and replace half the media with new ones, leave it for a minimum of at least six weeks after replacing the second half. This should give enough time for the bacteria to grow on the new medium and take to the strain of biological. Carbon can be removed and altered at any moment since it’s not functioning biologically. Always clean the sponges for filtering in tanks that have been used for water.