I have a 10 gallon tank with 5 fish in it. I haven't changed the filter cartridge with the fish in the tank yet, and wanted to do so. My tank water isn't dirty or anything, there's no algae either. So I don't really know when to change it. I have had the tank for a few months now and it is cycled. How do I go about changing the cartridge and when how often should I change it?When and how to change my filter cartridge?Once a month is a good idea, but please remember the bacteria! You said the tank is cycled, so you know about the beneficial bacteria and how most of it lives in the filter cartridge. A VERY good way of 'changing' your filter cartridge is really not to change it at all, but to clean it:
take some water from the fish tank and put it into a bucket. Take out the filter cartridge and pour the water through the cartridge. This will wash away all the gunk that the filter is supposed to catch but it doesn't get rid of the bacteria. Once you're done, you can put the same filter cartridge back! This way you don't lose all that beneficial bacteria.
One thing to remember is to NOT rinse the filter cartridge with tap water, as the chemicals (like chlorine and chloramine) in the tap water will probably kill the bacteria (the water conditioner you use when doing water changes neutralizes the chlorine and chloramine from your tap water before you add the new water to the tank, making the tap water safe for your fish and your bacteria).When and how to change my filter cartridge?What type of filter? If it is a standard hang on the back (HOB) simply open the top slide out the old cartridge, rinse the new cartridge to get rid of the carbon dust and slide the new cartridge in. If it is not a HOB then it depends on the type of filter. As far as how often it needs to be changed it depends on the tank. A good rule of thumb for you is once a month.When and how to change my filter cartridge?consult pet storeWhen and how to change my filter cartridge?it should be changed every month or 2 tops i usually change moine when the water starts coming out slower then usual.. if you take the cartrage out im sure it will be covered in slime
