Filters - Aquarium Advice

Mlrust1816 · 11-08-2005, 07:35 PM

So what is the policy on filter cleaning, how often should I wash out my filter.

I realize that most of my biological filtration takes place in my filter, but the gunk is really building up.

11-08-2005, 07:40 PM

clean it out as often as you feel the need... just as long as you rinse it in either dechlorinated water, or old tank water... you won't kill of the bacteria. Does your filter have sponges in it?

All i do with mine is about once every two weeks i take them apart and scrub them with sponges i use only for the filter. I rinse all the media really good, I clean out the pipes and intake tube... and then i put it back together and back on.

rich311k · 11-08-2005, 07:41 PM

I do mine once a month. I rinse the spoges in old tank water and use them till they fall apart. A good test if you need to rinse them is if your water flow is reduced.

RoK · 11-08-2005, 07:44 PM

Put some tank water in a bucket or other container and rinse when necessary (depends on fish) or replace the filter media if it gets really bad.

BlazerFRS · 11-08-2005, 07:50 PM

What kind of filter do you have?

Many have biological media (usually ceramic cylinders or a bio-wheel) that hold bacteria when the rest of the filtration media (activated carbon, floss) is changed. As long as you don't change the bio media you can change everything else daily and clean it hourly if you liked w/o harming your bio-filter.

11-08-2005, 07:35 PM	#1
Mlrust1816 Aquarium Advice Regular Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Winona Mn Posts: 65	Filters So what is the policy on filter cleaning, how often should I wash out my filter. I realize that most of my biological filtration takes place in my filter, but the gunk is really building up. __________________ Mike 20 Gallon High Power head for water movement and a Cascade 100 Filter 1 Male and 1 Female Mikrogeophagus altispinosus 4 Coradoras (3 juli, 1 yellow rabauti) 1 Brachydanio rerio 5 Hyphessobrycon serpae 1 Gyrinocheilus aymonieri 1 Otocinclus

11-08-2005, 07:44 PM	#4
RoK Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Connecticut Posts: 2,224 Images: 11	Put some tank water in a bucket or other container and rinse when necessary (depends on fish) or replace the filter media if it gets really bad. __________________ Current fish (includes all 8 running tanks): Gouramis, polypterids, SA cichlids, convicts, rainbows, plecos, loaches, ACFs, a platy, tetra, & a Ctenopoma

11-08-2005, 07:50 PM	#5
BlazerFRS Aquarium Advice Freak Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 320 Images: 4	What kind of filter do you have? Many have biological media (usually ceramic cylinders or a bio-wheel) that hold bacteria when the rest of the filtration media (activated carbon, floss) is changed. As long as you don't change the bio media you can change everything else daily and clean it hourly if you liked w/o harming your bio-filter. __________________ 10 gallon 2.6 [acronym="Watts Per Gallon"]WPG[/acronym], [acronym="Carbon dioxide"]CO2[/acronym] supplemented. 3 Dwarf Puffers, 3 Ghost Shrimp, 3 Otos Planted with Java Fern, C. retrospiralis, Java moss, chistmas moss, L. repens, R. rotundifolia, Wisteria, C. wendtii, C. lucen, S. subulata, M. heterophyllum, C. carolina

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11-08-2005, 07:40 PM	#2
Guest Posts: n/a	clean it out as often as you feel the need... just as long as you rinse it in either dechlorinated water, or old tank water... you won't kill of the bacteria. Does your filter have sponges in it? All i do with mine is about once every two weeks i take them apart and scrub them with sponges i use only for the filter. I rinse all the media really good, I clean out the pipes and intake tube... and then i put it back together and back on.

11-08-2005, 07:41 PM	#3
rich311k Aquarium Advice Addict Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 8,972 Images: 35	I do mine once a month. I rinse the spoges in old tank water and use them till they fall apart. A good test if you need to rinse them is if your water flow is reduced.