# How often should I change my filter cartridge?



## Minecreeps7 (Aug 23, 2016)

I was vacuuming my betta's tank when it came to me that I haven't changed out the filter cartridge sense January. I don't want to ruin the good bacteria in the filter but at the same time I don't want a very dirty and disgusting filter. It's a activated charcoal filter btw.


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## Cranly (Apr 14, 2014)

You don't really need to change the filter cartridge until it's literally falling apart - if i'm understanding what you mean. 
I just generally take out my sponge/filter media and rinse/squeeze it out in the water in the bucket of water I just pulled from the tank. (probably as long as it's dechlorinated water, it would be fine.)

if you do need to change the cartridge out completely - put it in front of your other old cartridge/media and run it like that for a few days for some of the BB to transfer/grow on the new one.


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## Rainbo (Nov 23, 2015)

Activated charcoal cartridges need to be change around every month, it's because after so much time the charcoal can start to release the bad stuff back into the water column. 

Personally I do not bother using activated charcoal in my filters unless I need to remove medicine from the tank. I use a coarse and a fine filter sponge in mine, I buy pads of it and cut it down to the size I need for my filters. The coarse sponge catches the large things, and the fine sponge catches the smaller particles. 

If you use sponge it should be taken out of the filter and rinsed in old tank water (water that you took out of the tank during a water change) to get out most of the dirt, then put back in the filter. Do NOT rinse it in untreated water or you will kill the good bacteria living in it. Sponge can last for years and you only need to change it out if it's falling apart.


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## Cranly (Apr 14, 2014)

Good to know about the activated charcoal. I, too, only use sponges. Thanks Rainbo.


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## Rainbo (Nov 23, 2015)

You're welcome!

Awhile back got to wondering if the reason the instructions say to change out the carbon once a month was just the manufactures way to get people to waste money needlessly buying new ones so I researched it.

https://www.thesprucepets.com/activated-carbon-in-the-aquarium-1380929 There are other articles basically saying the same thing, some say the carbon can release some of the stuff adsorbed back into the water, others like this one say no.


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