How often filter clean?

[Sidman24]

So I've heard anywhere from once a month to once every 6 months. How often do you guys take apart your filters and clean them with existing tank water?

 

[gilpi]

So I've heard anywhere from once a month to once every 6 months. How often do you guys take apart your filters and clean them with existing tank water?

I have let some filters go as far as one year, but I use very coarse sponge for the most part and my filters only hold biological media, I use no carbon or mechanical filtration. If you use a "mechanical" media, water polisher, in other words, very fine media that removes more junk from the water, then I would say a lot more often. I also let the water flow be my guide. Also if you have a huge bioload, I would say more often. So it all depends on many factors. Hope that helped.

 

[JRT83]

So I've heard anywhere from once a month to once every 6 months. How often do you guys take apart your filters and clean them with existing tank water?

I have 2 AC 110s and 1 Biowheel 350 on my 125g and I try and rinse the cartridges/sponges on each one once a month, alternating weeks though so I'm not harming too much bacteria at once. I do have 2-3 bags of biomax stuffed in each filter too though so I could probably clean everything more often if necessary without harming anything.

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[Mebbid]

I shoot for cleaning my filters monthly but sometimes they go for 2

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[Fidgetromeo]

my canister i go in monthly to clean the polishing pad, but the rest of it i only bother with every 3 months or so

 

[enrgizerbunny]

I have a relatively new tank with juvenile fish, so I check it once a month, but I haven't cleaned my sponges in 2. My ceramic media is clean and my micro filter pad doesn't look terribly. I expect this well get worse over time.

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[tnfinfan]

I can see inside my filter so I look at it when I do a water change. I have a canister with a couple inches of floss and then a piece of 100 micron felt at the top. If the floss looks dirty, I clean the filter. I'm sure others let it go longer but it doesn't take that long to clean (10 minutes, maybe, now that I have a good routine) and this way I am getting to it before flow decreases.

 

[Ian086]

It really does depend on your stock levels. As you see there are many different answers. I would start with every 6wks and you'll know when you clean it, if it needs to be done more or less often....

 

[Delapool]

Pretty much agree, 3 to 5 months I generally work on but it depends on nitrate levels and how much I can gravel vac.

Cleaned one recently and I think nitrate went from 30 odd to 20 so made a difference. It had been creeping down but the filter clean made a difference.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

I cleaned my filter last night and it was actually pretty messy in the coarse sponges. Discovered my canister has been leaking a small drop because a tiny piece of coral was between the plastic and the rubber seal! Overall not bad.

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[tnfinfan]

I cleaned my filter last night and it was actually pretty messy in the coarse sponges. Discovered my canister has been leaking a small drop because a tiny piece of coral was between the plastic and the rubber seal! Overall not bad.

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I'm surprised it wasn't sucking air!

 

[Berylla]

For my AC 110 on my discus tank, I thoroughly clean every 2 weeks. In my shrimp tank, I clean once a week because the massive amounts of shrimp skins that my filter picks up.

 

[Caliban07]

I go for a monthly clean. I try to think of my bio/mech filter as a gunk collector rather than a remover. The more it collects the less effective it becomes.

But yeh there are many factors to consider as already stated.

 

[T1KARMANN]

It's best to run 2 x canister filters then change on every 6 months then the other one 6 months later

It all depends on the filter some are better than others

Every month is to often for a good canister as everytime you clean it then it takes a few months to build back up

 

[Berylla]

It's best to run 2 x canister filters then change on every 6 months then the other one 6 months later

It all depends on the filter some are better than others

Every month is to often for a good canister as everytime you clean it then it takes a few months to build back up

I would not recommend cleaning out the filter every 6 months for sensitive fish like discus, apistos, certain types of tetras...

Every week to 2 weeks even with a canister. That's why I retired my canister - it was way too much trouble to clean every week.

 

[tnfinfan]

It's best to run 2 x canister filters then change on every 6 months then the other one 6 months later

It all depends on the filter some are better than others

Every month is to often for a good canister as everytime you clean it then it takes a few months to build back up

If it has to "build back up", you're too aggressive in your cleaning. The bio filter portion should sit in tank water while you clean the rest and only be gently rinsed in that water. The mechanical media (sponges, floss you're reusing, pads...) all can be squished vigorously under running tap water and then dechlorinated in a bucket before reassembly. It seriously takes me ten minutes including cleaning the impeller and it doesn't hurt the biofilter one bit.

 

[Berylla]

If it has to "build back up", you're too aggressive in your cleaning. The bio filter portion should sit in tank water while you clean the rest and only be gently rinsed in that water. The mechanical media (sponges, floss you're reusing, pads...) all can be squished vigorously under running tap water and then dechlorinated in a bucket before reassembly. It seriously takes me ten minutes including cleaning the impeller and it doesn't hurt the biofilter one bit.

It's the weight of the canister that I find most offensive. I have to lift it up and out of the fish cabinet and then drag it to the sink. It's 40lbs of dead weight!

 

[shellyx]

I clean my elephant nose tanks filter every 2 weeks, my shrimp tank is cleaned weekly due to me target feeding them. So I think everyone is different.

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[Jmunroe]

I would not recommend cleaning out the filter every 6 months for sensitive fish like discus, apistos, certain types of tetras...

Every week to 2 weeks even with a canister. That's why I retired my canister - it was way too much trouble to clean every week.

You don't need to clean a canister every 2 weeks even with discus. 2-3 times a year is enough. If your getting your filter that dirty your doing something wrong. Water changes are what keeps good levels in your tank unless your letting your filter suck in too much uneaten food or something. Even then you'll notice if your filter starts getting dirty as you'll see your nitrates rising faster then usual.

 

[Berylla]

You don't need to clean a canister every 2 weeks even with discus. 2-3 times a year is enough. If your getting your filter that dirty your doing something wrong. Water changes are what keeps good levels in your tank unless your letting your filter suck in too much uneaten food or something. Even then you'll notice if your filter starts getting dirty as you'll see your nitrates rising faster then usual.

I change my water 75% every other day. I'm not overstocked:

3 6" discus
1 2.5" GBR
7 tetras
3 plecos
2 snails

AC110
sponge filter
sand bottom
2 large amazon swords

Excel dosed every water change
T-5 lights

Feed 2x a day 1/2 tbs. flake food

Below is a video I took of my fish yesterday.


[youtube]_VzF4pA9Oyk[/youtube]

Discus owners change their water often, sometime once a day, or more if they are growing out discus. Cleaning out filters regularly - this is something that is suggested by a discus breeder that I respect in St. Paul. He cleans his tanks once a week, with 100% change till they flop, and wipe downs, and total filter clean.

If I don't keep up this regimen, my discus are not as vibrant and they tend to get tail rot or worse.

BTW, my discus do not fight at all. Only during feeding time and they think it's feeding time since I'm standing there.