I am 12 months into my second fish keeping life (my first ran from 1993 - 2003), and actually, things are not unlike they were then; you read and you networked. Difference being, back then it was reading physical books and speaking to other aquarists at fish auctions and pet stores. Whereas now, it's almost all done entirely done online. But the end goal has not changed; providing a healthy environment for your fish.
I have always been receptive to new ideas and different ways of doing things. I do that primarily for the health of my fish but also if I am doing something I shouldn't be doing (or not doing something that I should be doing as it were), I want to know that.
I have no official position in the poop in the canister versus not in the canister debate. My comment regarding how long I go between changes was not meant to be braggadocios or dismissive of others. For a time with my 55 gallon, I was changing the filters much more frequently, but that was because there was
something to change. As time has gone on and my aquarium and pump sizes have increased, that has not been the case anymore.
I now have two, 5 tray canisters with mostly mechanical filtration and if I were to change the filters every week, with only 7 fish in a 125 gallon aquarium, I would be throwing away practically clean filters. I am not totally against the idea however, and as with everything, if I find that it's something that I should be doing, I will.
I had actually thought about using pre-filters on my intakes but bought a powerhead with a filter attachment instead. So maybe, there is hope for me yet.
