How to change the filter of a biorb aquarium?

How to change the filter of a BiOrb aquarium? Here is a short explanation for changing the filter in your aquarium. It is recommended in the manufacturer's instructions to clean the filter every two weeks. This cleaning will also depend on the number of fish present in your BIORB aquarium.

If the water is dirty or the water quality deteriorates, we recommend that you change or clean the filter present in the aquarium.

Changing an aquarium's filter is easy with the video.

Stop the pump. Turn off your biOrb and turn the bubble tube a quarter turn to release it. Then simply remove the entire filter cartridge. Another quarter turn removes the filter which contains all the waste. Turn on a new filter. Put it back in your biOrb, turn on the pump and you're done.

If the biorb filter sponge gets dirty before the change, it can be washed. However, the chemicals in the filter cartridge only remain 'active' for a limited period of time, after which time the toxins, which have been absorbed, can be released back into the water. Therefore, the cartridge must be replaced.

If you follow the instructions regarding feeding, fish selection, location, and maintenance, you should never need to drain and clean the aquarium. If you need to do this, you should save at least 1/3 of the old water and clean the ceramic holder in dirty water from the aquarium (never clean the ceramic holder in water tap).

Where can I find replacement filters for my biOrb aquarium?

The biorb service kit (filter cartridge) works like a dustbin, trapping solid particles and absorbing some of the nitrates and phosphates from the water. Over time, it will become 'full', unable to absorb any more waste, and may release pollutants, leading to deterioration in water quality.

Biological, mechanical and chemical.

Clean water flows vigorously through the bubble tube in the center of your biOrb. By breaking up the surface of the water, it keeps the gases in equilibrium with the air above the surface of the water.

The circular water flow then picks up the fish waste on the way down. It draws waste through the ceramic media where natural biological filtration absorbs certain toxins. Freshly oxygenated water also feeds bacteria.

All remaining waste is trapped in the sponge cartridge. The water then passes through resin particles and natural stabilizers to remove toxic substances and maintain constant pH levels.

The clean water is then oxygenated as it rises through the bubble tube to repeat the cycle. By regularly changing the biOrb maintenance kit (filter cartridge) all that it has absorbed is removed from the biOrb, just like when you take out your household trash for collection. For optimal filtration, the biorb filter cartridge should be replaced every 1-2 months.

Gradually add new fish to the biorb

When fish go to the toilet, ammonia is created, which can be deadly to fish. Bacteria convert toxic ammonia to nitrite and then to a safer substance called nitrate. When a fish is added, the level of ammonia and nitrite rises sharply. As the filter bacteria catch up, they will keep the ammonia and nitrite at a safe level and the safer nitrate will steadily increase. This process is called "cycling" and will take about 28 days for a small goldfish. 

This is a potentially risky time for the fish and the ammonia level should be minimized by introducing a small fish and not overfeeding it. Even so, some fish may not cope with life in brand new aquariums. It is essential that fish are introduced gradually at the rate of one small fish every 28 days.