Time to clean the filter?

[Coyne]

Oh man...
Im just wrapping up a water change on one of my tanks and when I plugged the canister filter back in I heard some air rattling around in there. So I did what I normally do and picked it up, gave it a little shake and tapped on the sides a little.
I must have knocked something loose, because suddenly the output starts spewing out a cloud of gunk that has created an impenetrable haze within the aquarium.

So... I know what Im doing next week during the water change.

 

[Fresh2o]

What fun! Which make/model of canister are you running? Pipe cleaners with long handles may be useful for cleaning the buildup in the tubing. Sounds like the canister body can use a good flushing.


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[Brookster123]

Mine kicks some reddish crap, looks like dead algae I've treated with h2o2??

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[mrgazza]

When my canister does that it makes a hell of a mess! My gunk seems to be brown flakes, same colour as diatom buildups?!?


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[Coyne]

Im running two Eheim Ecco 2232 on a 20 Long. Originally they were on two separate 20 Longs. Without going into the boring details, they are now running in tandem on the same tank. I suppose too much filtration is better than not enough.

I just did the cleaning and maintenance on the other one today. I usually like to stagger the cleanings by 2-3 weeks to make sure things stay stable. After seeing the "fog machine" go off, I'm going go ahead and do it next week.
I do have some flexible brushes that I use for the pipes and tubing. I was amazed how much flow I got back after using them the first time. That build up in the tubes has more effect than some people think.

Anyways, I was just taken back at how much gunk was blasting out. Ive never had that happen before.
Im not even sure how/why its gotten that dirty. The tank itself isn't overstocked and I try not to overfeed (try being the operative word). I usually clean them out every 2-3 months, but if Im being honest I cant actually say how long its been.
Too long, apparently.