Filter question

[kmon]

I have a 20gal established community tank with a Tetra (I think) WhisperFilter 20 power filter that hangs on the back. I noticed today (not for the first time) that a lot of water was just overflowing the filter and coming straight back out instead of going through the mechanical and bio filter media. I changed the machanical filter which seems to have helped somewhat, but the water is still overflowing a bit which makes me think that the bio filter - which has never been touched since the tank started - needs some attention. Can you clean or rinse the bio filter off? There seems to be a bunch of slime at the top where it is exposed to the air. Should I toss this filter and get a bio-wheel instead?

 

[imrandome1]

I dont now anything about the filter but as fair as bio media, u can rinse it of, but try not to rise all at one time!

 

[kmon]

I dont now anything about the filter but as fair as bio media, u can rinse it of, but try not to rise all at one time!

By "rinse", I'm assuming you don't mean under tap water. Do I just sorta swish it around in discarded aquarium water?

 

[maxwell1295]

By "rinse", I'm assuming you don't mean under tap water. Do I just sorta swish it around in discarded aquarium water?

Yes, rinse it in the tank water you remove during your weekly water changes. That will get you flowing again. There's really no need to change a filter unless it is damage or falling apart. Other than that, a good rinsing out in tank water will do the trick...

 

[Zagz]

Another thing you can do in addition to rinsing out the bio filter is to clean the impeller, impeller housing and the intake tube of the filter. I have brushes that work great for that. I use the discarded tank water in a pail to clean them as well.

 

[TomK2]

Yep, I bet a good cleaning of everything in the filters flow path will help a lot. Of course, the biomedia is only rinsed in dechlorinated water (old tank water works). BTW- many filters have some "bypass." But if ammonia and nitrite are zero, then enough of the water is flowing over the biomedia to handle the job.

 

[imrandome1]

imrandome1 wrote:
I dont now anything about the filter but as fair as bio media, u can rinse it of, but try not to rise all at one time!


By "rinse", I'm assuming you don't mean under tap water. Do I just sorta swish it around in discarded aquarium water?

Ops sorry should of mentioned that you dont use tap water but use tank water, sorry