fish tank help?

Question

I got a 29 gallon tank in november and have had great success with it I need to know, I did a partial water change today is it ok to replace the filter now? I heard you were not supposed to change the filter too often because of the good bacteria for the tank that is in the filter. also what is the best way to clean the fake plants that I have in there? thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Is this the first water change you've done since november? You must do them on a weekly basis. Give or take. You could do 15% every 4 days, 30% every 7 days, or 50% every 2 weeks. 30% every week is ideal to remove the buildup of nitrates.

You're right, do not remove the filter, ever. Unless it's falling apart. If it's very gunky, just swish it a bucket of old tank water put it back in. If you replace the filter, it will get rid of all the bacteria that conver the ammonia and nitrites into less toxic nitrates.

As for cleaning the fake plants, just remove them and run them under hot water when they get gunky. You could get a couple mystery snails to help remove the gunk but they won't help all that much, nor will algae eaters or plecos. The best thing, really, is to either reach in and brush them off with your tank, or just remove and rinse.

Answer 2

I usually do the filter and plants a couple of days after I've done the water change. Just keep a bucket of water from the tank clean and swish everything in there, filter medium and plants.

Be sure to keep a bucket especially for your tank as well as any cleaning supplies like brushes.

Answer 3

I would check on the directions of the filter. Just look in the store. They are generally pretty good about letting you know how often to change those things. It really varies with the style of filter and the type of fish in the tank.