first time cleaning filters.

[brian7]

i have a filter that hangs on the back, intake in water, and has two sides of filter media and coal or whatever it is (55 gallon). It is the first time i cleaned it i stuck it in a bucket of aquarium water to rinse off, the mistake i probably made was use a tooth brush to lightly scrape off muck.

Is it normal for ammonia and nitrites to go up a little, and when i mean a little i mean not even .25 (ammonia not green and nitrites blue but not matching blue).

 

[Aspencer]

I run two HOB filters on each of my tanks. I clean one weekly on a rotating basis. I rinse out sponge and bio cubes in tank water, take apart filter and clean each part in tank water, put back together and place in tank.

I have never had an ammonia spike.

I realize I may be overly zealous in my filter cleaning but so far, it has worked and I do not mind doing it.

 

[brian7]

how do you go about rinsing it.

 

[Aspencer]

how do you go about rinsing it.

I have Aquaclears 30's and 50's.

I take out the basket...I have a sponge and ceramic beads...dunk them in the tank water bucket, take filter off tank and dismantle and wash, then put back together and mount on tank and put basket back in after squeezing out sponge, putting baby shrimp back in tank...hehe...and putting in ceramic beads...btw, I do not use the carbon inserts...restart filter and am ready to go.

 

[brian7]

do you think lightly brushing it would of hurt or taken away some bacteria

 

[Aspencer]

do you think lightly brushing it would of hurt or taken away some bacteria

It would certainly take some away but you have bacteria in you substrate, decorations, plants, sponge, and bio cubes...I also have two filters so that helps...

 

[brian7]

ok i also added four fish a couple hours after i cleaned filter so that may explain it. im not too worried.

thanks

 

[Aspencer]

ok i also added four fish a couple hours after i cleaned filter so that may explain it. im not too worried

Every time I add fish, I test water for 4 or 5 days straight, then every other day for a couple of cycles and then twice a week for a couple of weeks and then on day 5 after a water change from then on...probably excessive but I am OCD...

 

[brian7]

i test often too, but its a relatively new tank. thanks for the help.