Cleaning filter

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Robynleigh

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Dec 1, 2013
Messages
392
Location
Tamworth NSW Australia
I have an old HOB filter sitting around - it's filthy... Any tips on what I can use to clean it?? Was thinking vinegar? But don't want to hurt my babies ;p any advice is great.. (By filthy - I mean really bad!!)
 
Vinegar, hot water, a toothbrush, and maybe a cotton swab (Q-tip). The vinegar should help dissolve the calcium deposits. Rinse well. Sometimes you can fill it with hot water and run it without the intake tube to clean out the impeller section. Plus it may give you an idea out how loud it might be.
 
If you really must clean it, keep the filter media, specifically the bio media, wet and safe so that you can return it to the filter when youre done cleaning it. Otherwise you will have killed off all your beneficial bacteria, and your ammonia level in the tank will spike, harming the fish.
 
If you really must clean it, keep the filter media, specifically the bio media, wet and safe so that you can return it to the filter when youre done cleaning it. Otherwise you will have killed off all your beneficial bacteria, and your ammonia level in the tank will spike, harming the fish.


This is for an old filter that has been sitting around and the OP wants to prep it for use. Otherwise your advice is spot on.
 
You can also use pure ammonia as a cleaning agent, rinse really well and the residual will just be converted by bacteria :) +1 to toothbrushes they are awesome.
 
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