instructions for diligent filter cleaning

[MyCatsDrool]

I feel like i really should do a serious spring cleaning on all my filters. I rinse the filter material about onces every quarter or so, but i want to clean the pipes, impellers and housing....


can someone give good instruction on how they do it?

 

[Fishyfanatic]

What kind of filters are they? HOB or Canister?

 

[theotheragentm]

Don't rinse with tap water. Rinse with tank water, so you don't kill any of the bacteria.

 

[MyCatsDrool]

HOB, various brands

 

[Fishyfanatic]

For my filters I rinse the sponge in tap water but leave the rings alone. Occasionally (every few months) I will leave the sponge alone and clean the rings if they are getting pretty clogged. Always with tap. Just don't clean your entire filter with tap all at once.

Take apart the hoses and clean them with a filter hose cleaner. Basically a soft bristle brush on a long handle. Leave bio wheels alone. For canisters I clean out the housing unit with tap also.

 

[flip_lx]

use a pipe clener(get a new one and dedicate it for filters and aquarium use) as far as i've seen all HOB filters screw together and apart easily so: unscrew the pump/electircal wire area, the spinner and stuff should fall out once your able to turn it over, disconnect the intake tubes and you filter should pretty much be all apart

 

[Lepomis]

I only clean mine when water flow is bad. Then I clean all the filter media using water frome the tank during a water change and then leave them in the bucket while cleaning the rest of the stuff. I clean the intake, impeller, and just squirt water into the impeller housing area to rinse out any MTS shells and such. I clean all non filter media stuff with tap water and use a small brush used to clean nipples for baby bottles. I then just rinse in the old tank water and then reassemble and everything is good to go.

 

[cabezon]

one day I noticed my biowheels werent spinning. So, I cleaned the biowheels and the bearings. No change. I changed the filter pads, no change. turns out that the intake screen was clogged from the outside with fish droppings and the inside was full of slime.

I have a 3M pot scrubber that is dedicated to the tank. I rolled it up and cleaned the intake tube. ICK.

Bio wheels spin.

 

[roka64]

I use Q-tip and a new toothbrush....

 

[Musket]

I use q-tips for cleaning the impellor housing - it says not to use metal in there right in the instructions. For the piping, I use tap water, since we are tossing all the gook out anyway you really are not leaving much bacteria in there anyway. If I am doing a water change, then I will use tank water to rinse instead of tap. I Only use tank water or treated water to rinse sponges and other filter media. I use Q-tips and my fingers to rinse the inside of the tubes and a good heavy handed smack on a hard surface to dislodge all the "buildup". A soft flexible tube brush if you want it perfect, I just want it to flow, so I leave some of the wall buildup on it. I know, that will make it build up faster, but it leaves a little biofilter in there too. Just my two-cents.