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Hey everyone, wanted to get some opinions on something. I have a 40 gallon tank with a zoomed 50 gallon canister filter and felt like my water wasn't being circulated enough. So I've added one of these power sweep circulating pumps. The pump has a filter media that goes around the bottom of it and just caught rafie nipping at it. Needless to say I've now blocked it off so he can't get near it. But I've Also noticed that the media seems to be breaking down and found pieces floating on top of the water. Should I just remove the media completely?

Its just a piece of foam right? I would remove it.

If you remove the media, you just have a basic powerhead. It might be time for a filter upgrade.

VeipaCray wrote:If you remove the media, you just have a basic powerhead. It might be time for a filter upgrade.

I have a zoo med 50 gallon canister filter and was just using the power head to improve water circulation

He Understands that what he is saying is you have a week filter. Zoo med filters are not that good but I understand why you want circulation.

Here is some food for thought, a filter was never designed to keep crap off the bottom of your tank it's designed to filter your water only. therefore, you need a circulation pump to keep the debris moving off the bottom of the tank so the filter can suck it up and hence you have a cleaner tank bottom. Nothing will ever replace tank cleaning. A bigger filter well that's ok if you have the money but if I were you I would ditch the foam filter and just run it as a circulation pump.

Ok thx for the info guys

your welcome

Ditto on the bottom of the tank theory.
My tank is deep, so I needed a circulation pump to get the crud moving when I had a bare bottom tank. Now I have sand, so Penelope's swimming swishes the sand and moves the poop (basically, it replaces the need for the circulation pump).
Ditch the foam and just keep the intake side near a place where the little turt's arm or leg can't get sucked in.