manning7987
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
I just installed two 100 gallon canister filters on a 129 gallon tank. How often should I clean them?
I have a 90g with 2 canisters and I do a general filter clean on 1 per month, just rinse the basket keep the media soaked in tank water and clean the sponges. Works a treat
30g planted, 90g Oscar tank
My filter schedule is by flow, not time. I wait until seeing a noticeable reduction in flow rate. One is on 72 days right now, and looking to be a good candidate for the once-over any time now...
I'll second this. When flow starts to become restricted I crack it open and clean it up.
No, considering most common pumps of the aquarium filter type are magneto-suspension impeller designs. Remaining energized, they will sit there spinning away pumping nothing forever, even with the filter completely clogged.I can only imagine that if flow is impeded the motor is working harder to move the water. I wonder if this shortens the life of the filter over time?
There's no scheduled interval to account for these variables. Changing or cleaning filters before they are due is simply a waste of time and effort. Some people don't realize that filters actually filter better the longer they stay in service, right up to the point where their flow rate no longer meets the requirement - whatever that may be.