Newbie Stuff: how often do I either clean or change HOB filter media/catridge?

[Flowerhorn Gal_AL]

Ideally your bio rings would be inside the filter so that the water flows over it and the bacteria living in it can carry out the nitrogen cycle. It may work as well in the tank if there is flow on it, but much better inside the filter because you know 100% of the water in the tank will be passing through the filter and coming into contact with the good bacteria.

Hi! Believe or not, I know that now! I was just too scared of doing the wrong thing at first to try it inside the filter. Newbie jitters I guess. I still have jitters, but am becoming mildly more confident.
What if I sit the rings in a bag on top of the floss, on the ledge inside the filter. That would make them right in front of the bio grid & cartridge with water flowing from intake over cartridge over bio grid over rings over floss & back into the tank.
How does that sound? I need a diagram! I' m learning thanks to you guys. Question (generally): Can too dirty a media result in strange H2O levels? (Such as low pH, high ammonia & nitrate, or presence of nitrites though previously undetectable) I know just messy fish, big eaters & poopers, & need for water change could cause those things. (I got a detectable nitrite for 1 reading this morning. When I retested, it was 0.)
Could this also be a dead giveaway that my rapidly & substantially growing Goldfish Posse need a new home as soon as I can do it? I'm willing to do WC's everyday if need be to keep them safe; though I need to get a stock tank & pump.
Still am uncertain as to how quickly it would cycle after it's been set up. It would be 300G vs. 55G, so it would have to be better. I've been assured that since the house house is on a slab, the 300 won't be a problem. I want them in the room with me, so I've got to find the right place.
Gotta go help my Pop! Will check in awhile for y'all 's thoughts and opinions.
?✌?

 

[Gourami Swami]

Inside the filter next to the floss would be fine, anywhere inside the filter really would be OK, just preferably after a layer of mechanical media.

Detectable nitrite could be from the bio media not being in the filter- the ammonia (fish poo) will be converted first to nitrite and then to nitrate by bacteria in the bio-media. If all the water is not being exposed to the bio media, perhaps it isn't reaching enough of the second kind of bacteria, which converts it to nitrates. It also could have just been a faulty test, which sounds more likely to me since it was 0 upon re-test.

It usually takes about 4-6 weeks for a tank to "cycle" (grow necessary colonies of these bacteria). This might be much shorter or almost instant if you were to add cycled media from an established tank, which will have colonies of the right bacteria. The bacteria will reproduce and population will rise or fall to meet the ammonia levels in the tank. More ammonia will support more bacteria. If you wanted, you could prepare bio-media in your current tank to transfer into a new tank and more or less avoid a lengthy cycle process. This is usually how I start new tanks.

 

[Flowerhorn Gal_AL]

Inside the filter next to the floss would be fine, anywhere inside the filter really would be OK, just preferably after a layer of mechanical media.

Detectable nitrite could be from the bio media not being in the filter- the ammonia (fish poo) will be converted first to nitrite and then to nitrate by bacteria in the bio-media. If all the water is not being exposed to the bio media, perhaps it isn't reaching enough of the second kind of bacteria, which converts it to nitrates. It also could have just been a faulty test, which sounds more likely to me since it was 0 upon re-test.

It usually takes about 4-6 weeks for a tank to "cycle" (grow necessary colonies of these bacteria). This might be much shorter or almost instant if you were to add cycled media from an established tank, which will have colonies of the right bacteria. The bacteria will reproduce and population will rise or fall to meet the ammonia levels in the tank. More ammonia will support more bacteria. If you wanted, you could prepare bio-media in your current tank to transfer into a new tank and more or less avoid a lengthy cycle process. This is usually how I start new tanks.

Hi! I'm terrible at explaining this stuff! The filter is working as per it's setup with carbon @ back, (then moving towards inside of tank) then bio grid, then water flows out. It's working correctly as far as I know; water up from tank through intake valve into filter, across carbon cartridge & bio grid, flowing into tank.
I've not removed any of it & not replaced it. I agree that + nitrites were probably a fluke. The bio grid feature in the HOB is still inhere & has been for the duration of 7--7.5 weeks.
I was definitely going to use the rings & stuff from main tank to set up a 20G long. I wanted to know about trying to use some type of bio to cycle up a 300G. That's what I'd need to use for the large messy goldfish. I wasn't very clear, sorry!
Thanks for the support and encouragement. Expertise, too; nitrogen cycle is becoming more understandable every day, though I'm no expert.
?✌?

 

[Gourami Swami]

Hi! I'm terrible at explaining this stuff! The filter is working as per it's setup with carbon @ back, (then moving towards inside of tank) then bio grid, then water flows out. It's working correctly as far as I know; water up from tank through intake valve into filter, across carbon cartridge & bio grid, flowing into tank.
I've not removed any of it & not replaced it. I agree that + nitrites were probably a fluke. The bio grid feature in the HOB is still inhere & has been for the duration of 7--7.5 weeks.
I was definitely going to use the rings & stuff from main tank to set up a 20G long. I wanted to know about trying to use some type of bio to cycle up a 300G. That's what I'd need to use for the large messy goldfish. I wasn't very clear, sorry!
Thanks for the support and encouragement. Expertise, too; nitrogen cycle is becoming more understandable every day, though I'm no expert.
?✌?

Sounds good, so the bio-media in the tank is planned to seed another tank? This will work, though I'd probably put it in the filter at least for a few days before using it, as the nitrifying bacterias will be more plentiful there.
As for seeding a 300g, you could use the same method, but may need to use more media than you could fit in your HOB filter, depending on how many fish were going in the 300g. Once you put the seeded media into the tank, the bacteria will start eating the present ammonia in the water. So, there must be ammonia present already, or fish added at the same time, to keep the bacteria alive. The bacterial population will then adjust to the levels that the ammonia in the water can sustain. You may have a mini cycle, usually lasting a week or two, while the bacteria population adjusts.
And no problem, happy to help. Keep asking questions and you'll have it down in no time.

 

[Flowerhorn Gal_AL]

Sounds good, so the bio-media in the tank is planned to seed another tank? This will work, though I'd probably put it in the filter at least for a few days before using it, as the nitrifying bacterias will be more plentiful there.
As for seeding a 300g, you could use the same method, but may need to use more media than you could fit in your HOB filter, depending on how many fish were going in the 300g. Once you put the seeded media into the tank, the bacteria will start eating the present ammonia in the water. So, there must be ammonia present already, or fish added at the same time, to keep the bacteria alive. The bacterial population will then adjust to the levels that the ammonia in the water can sustain. You may have a mini cycle, usually lasting a week or two, while the bacteria population adjusts.
And no problem, happy to help. Keep asking questions and you'll have it down in no time.

Can you introduce ammonia without the fish; I don't want to have to do fish-in cycle again! That is horrible if you love your fish. I've heard of adding ammonia itself. What about tank water from PWC containing ammonia/fish waste and left over good from substrate. If it contains the old food & detrius, as well as the fish poo & pee, then wouldn't that also work?I
That just seems right: use the stuff you're removing because on start up that's what kick starts the nitrogen cycle. You just don't want it after the tank cycles. As a nurse that just seems logical. I figure that's why some articles say use filter/other media, decor (rocks, coral, plants), &/or substrate to enhance start up of a new tank.
If my water parameters in the 55G stay up too much, I'm gonna feel like I have to set up the 300G 1st. I may just plug in lights, HOB filter, & active sponge filter with air stone, & let it run without anybody in there for awhile. Flowerhorn fun may have to wait until after the Fishy Five have a new cycled stock tank is established. My SO doesn't do fish; too softhearted. I ain't much better.
If questions make for abounding future knowledge: I will be a fish genius!
Sincerely & Respectfully to all here on the Forum! You guys & gals ?
?✌?LovePeaceFish

 

[Flowerhorn Gal_AL]

Just realized again: I ask a LOT of questions & have LONG posts. Maybe I should just go vote for TOTM!☺

 

[Gourami Swami]

You can introduce ammonia without the fish, there are a few ways to do it which are all easier than transferring a bunch of fish poo from an old tank. One is to buy ammonia for this purpose, many aquatics companies sell it such as dr. tims. Another way is to put a piece of cooked cocktail shrimp in the tank and let it dissolve. Both of these will work. A general benchmark of a completed cycle would be do dose ammonia to 1ppm, and have it reach zero within 24 hours, having been converted into measurable nitrate. This is a fishless cycle and many people do it.
However, adding your fish to a brand new tank shouldn't hurt them at all if you transfer cycled media to the new tank. The "mini cycle" that may occur would be much less intense than subjecting the fish to a full fish-in cycle.

 

[Flowerhorn Gal_AL]

Just realized again: I ask a LOT of questions & have LONG posts. Maybe I should just go vote for TOTM!☺ Yeah--I'll do that. If I can ever find it. Lol No really. . .