When should you replace your aquarium filter ceramic rings?
Ceramic rings look like noodles & therefore they are also called ceramic noodles. They allow water to flow around the ceramic rings & flow through them due to a large hole in the center of the rings. Water will react with the beneficial bacteria growing on the rings that will wipe out the impurities.
Ceramic rings need replacement depending on how you use them. If you do not care for the ceramic rings then fish waste, & other debris will clog the pores of the rings where beneficial bacteria can grow. Pores of ceramic rings could be fully blocked if you do not take care of the rings.
Ceramic rings can work for years if you take good care of them. You will lose enough beneficial bacteria upon replacement of the ceramic rings. Beneficial bacteria need a surface to cling to & they live inside tiny little pores that offer more surface for the growth of heaps of good bacteria. Ceramic rings should be added to aquarium filters so dirty water will enter mechanical filtration that will trap all solid waste particles, & allow clean water to flow through the biological filtration chamber that will wipe out toxic chemicals released from fish waste & other detritus. Good bacteria when reacts with impurities, wipes them out of the water. Ceramic rings only offer a surface for good bacteria to grow, & useful bacteria grow everywhere in the aquarium after the nitrogen cycle completes, & mostly they live on the surface of bio media.
When to change ceramic noodles?
It is recommended to replace ceramic rings when they are fully clogged, & it is impossible to clean them. Also, if your ceramic noodles crack & fall apart then it is time to change them with fresh rings. We usually do not know when to change ceramic rings, but when ceramic rings are falling apart & they no longer work, then they need to be replaced. Wash your ceramic noodles with aquarium water when they look dirty.
It is recommended to replace your old ceramic rings with rings from another aquarium so that you do not lose useful bacteria. Ceramic noodles from a cycled aquarium will ensure that there are enough good bacteria growing on them so there would be no need to cycle your aquarium again. Losing lots of BB will crash the nitrogen cycle so it is recommended to cycle your aquarium again to allow BB to grow again.