Are Water changes still necessary?
166412
Yes this filter is only good for very small tanks. As long as you have fish you will always have to do water changes. Only one way to slow water changes is live plants.
166413
Yes, this filter has a biological section that will convert ammonia waste down to nitrates, but nitrates still have to be removed the old fashioned way.
487327
I stopped using the filter on my fountain, because it grew algae very fast. It runs fine without the filter, and like you, I did not want to spend a fortune replacing the filter weekly. I think as long as you keep the water changed very regularly there is not problem at all. Remember, dust will settle on the water because it is a large basin.
848424
i agree with the prevoius response. It is always preferred to have your water in the proper balance before use. You should try to maintain this throughou the season.
2177525
I agree with the others the fx6 is a great filter, but it is still necessary to do frequent water changes. No filter will do that for you.
547381
It depends on your use but I try to change once a year. I have gone much longer though and have not noticed any degradation in the taste of the water. The filters really make a difference.
1089442
Sorry, no. The water is discharged waste and all. It is a great tool though!
1364192
After I purchased this filter I did water changes less often and my water always tested very healthy. So I would say that while you should always do partial water changes you should be able to do them less often.
2102112
While the filter is not necessary (after all, all it does is filter the water) but it will, as you stated, require you to not only change the water more often but also clean the pump thoroughly in order to prevent it from burning out or seizing up. Rather than just not use the filters why not use them for longer periods. I change the water once a week with the filter in place and thoroughly clean everything (!) every second week, and replace the filter. OR, you could rinse the old filter out (from the white side with cool water) and change it once a month or even two. Just a suggestion, as I have no idea how many cats you have. I think the filter is more to keep the loose fur and whiskers, airborne lint, normal dust particles and such out of the PUMP rather than filter the drinking water for the good of the animals. Just some ideas that you are free to use or ignore which is the right of everyone that reads this.
768682
No, not at all. Even though you have a good filter it's still important to vacuum your gravel and do your minor water changes each week; along with monitoring your nitrates. Your new filter will also need to be cleaned once a month. Note: hopefully heavily stock doesn't mean over stocked!
1474379
The recommendation is to change it monthly. Just make sure you don't get it wet.
1824161
Hi Bob: This totally depends on the quality of water in your area. If you are using frequently as you seem to, I would tend to be conservative and maybe change every 4 months. I change mine every six months or so but I use it along with spring water for actually drinking. My husband uses it for drinking and I use it for all cooking. It has definitely cut back on how much spring water we buy.
1473616
I haven't had n e problem with this product & have been using it for a while. It really isn't needed, unless your not doing frequent water changes. I do my normal water changes & use this when I've been lazy & haven't gotten around to doing a water change for a while. If it helps, next time pour it into or near the filter so it can get broken down quicker. Or mix it into what ever water your going to add to your tank if your adding it during a water change.
1058565
There is no filter that gets changed, but there are recommended cleaners to use regularly to remove any mineral deposits that might occur. We have been using ours daily since mid-July and have seen no need to clean yet and our water for tea and coffee has not changed in taste.
38510
The system manual recommends changing the pre and post filters every 6 months and the membrane every 1-2 years. I don't use a lot of water and my city water is very clear so I am planning to change all the elements every 5 years. Good luck
27082
You can change it with the water running. But I differently don't recommend it. I was a little slow the last time I changed mine and bathed myself and everything under the sink.....................
438032
If you have a filter and do regular water changes, they should handle it for a few months at least.
417410
I didn't change the water when I used it and had no problems. I have a metal frame pool that uses the paper (I think ) filters and you are instructed to take the filter out while leaving the pump running.