How often should I replace and clean my filter cartridge?

[Lilly123]

I have a 170L goldfish tank and an Aqua One aquis 1200 canister filter. How often should I replace the cartridges, which ones should I replace and how often should I just clean them? TIA

 

[Autumnsky]

In the filter media is where the majority of Beneficial Bacteria aka BB grow / colonize in time to create your cycled tank.

Replacement would be done with the filter pad media when it is no longer holding together the one I saw in a video was blue and somewhat coarsely woven.

If you have a polishing pad you can change that whenever you clean out the canister.

As for the bio ceramic pieces or balls or stones not sure what you have. I will gently slosh them in a tank of dechlorinated/ conditioned water.

On my canister I have a bunch of sponges on the sides surrounding the baskets in my Fluval FX-5 and I will slosh each to get the big stuff out, and then set aside til they are all done being rinsed the first time. in less dirty pwc tank water. Then go back with a fresh bucket of water and slosh a few more times. I will pick the most dirty one of 6 and just rinse the heck out of it in the tap water.

Then do one more bucket with treated clean water to get them even more rinsed. Sometimes I beat them not too crazy, (was going to say gently but that wasn't true, lol) on the side of the shower wall to make sure I get the debris out as best I can, then the final rinse after. (*After a clean out I bleach the whole shower)

The ceramic / Seachem Matrix (like pumice stone) media is rinsed in a bucket of dechlorinated/treated water sloshed and then poured by a gallon pitcher all around til the water is clear and the debris stops coming out.

Rinse out all the gunky stuff and put it all back together.

My media baskets are filled to the top line in each basket, so I do not worry too much about not having enough BB going back in.

If the set up is pretty new I would be extra gentle. My stuff is old now and over time they do get clogged up more easily as sponges do, the other media is holding up nicely. My filter pad media is probably going on 2 years now, as the old stuff was from the bulk sheet media made into chunks and a large circle piece cut for the top those lasted about 3 years, chunks already previously used from another set up.

 

[Lilly123]

In the filter media is where the majority of Beneficial Bacteria aka BB grow / colonize in time to create your cycled tank.

Replacement would be done with the filter pad media when it is no longer holding together the one I saw in a video was blue and somewhat coarsely woven.

If you have a polishing pad you can change that whenever you clean out the canister.

As for the bio ceramic pieces or balls or stones not sure what you have. I will gently slosh them in a tank of dechlorinated/ conditioned water.

On my canister I have a bunch of sponges on the sides surrounding the baskets in my Fluval FX-5 and I will slosh each to get the big stuff out, and then set aside til they are all done being rinsed the first time. in less dirty pwc tank water. Then go back with a fresh bucket of water and slosh a few more times. I will pick the most dirty one of 6 and just rinse the heck out of it in the tap water.

Then do one more bucket with treated clean water to get them even more rinsed. Sometimes I beat them not too crazy, (was going to say gently but that wasn't true, lol) on the side of the shower wall to make sure I get the debris out as best I can, then the final rinse after. (*After a clean out I bleach the whole shower)

The ceramic / Seachem Matrix (like pumice stone) media is rinsed in a bucket of dechlorinated/treated water sloshed and then poured by a gallon pitcher all around til the water is clear and the debris stops coming out.

Rinse out all the gunky stuff and put it all back together.

My media baskets are filled to the top line in each basket, so I do not worry too much about not having enough BB going back in.

If the set up is pretty new I would be extra gentle. My stuff is old now and over time they do get clogged up more easily as sponges do, the other media is holding up nicely. My filter pad media is probably going on 2 years now, as the old stuff was from the bulk sheet media made into chunks and a large circle piece cut for the top those lasted about 3 years, chunks already previously used from another set up.

Thanks [emoji106]