My FOWLR tank has been set up for almost 3 months now. It is a 132g currently have 17 fishes in it. Until today I have cleaned both 2 of my canister filters only ONCE. That was after my tank finish cycled after 1.5 week.
Another 10.5 weeks old now is it time to clean them again? I have been doing 15% waterchange EVERY week. Water parameters are as follow:
SG: 1.021
pH: 8.1
Temp: 27 degree celcius
Ammo: 0
Nitrite: 0
Phosphate: 0.5
Nitrate: 40
I am not overly worry about the nitrate as this is strictly a FOWLR tank. No coral and invert of any kind. I have been doing feeding EVERY day. I would prefer to do waterchange EVERY week still just need to know when should I clean out the filters and how to go about doing it. Other than the 2 canister filters I also have lots of liverocks and a Tunze skimmer rated for 264g tank. It has been doing a great job pulling lots of gunks and junks out of the water. No sump or refugium of any kind.
They are both the same canister filter which have a few stage baskets and those ceramic rings, carbon, foam and sponge thingy inside. Do I only clean them one at a time? I mean clean one this week and the other one 2 weeks later so not to kill the beneficial bacterias?
But when you clean them how do you not kill the bacterias on the ceramic rings? Does that mean don't wash that and soak it in aquarium water? For others just rinse out the sponges, foams, carbon in aquarium water? No idea how to go about doing it.
Any helps will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Another 10.5 weeks old now is it time to clean them again? I have been doing 15% waterchange EVERY week. Water parameters are as follow:
SG: 1.021
pH: 8.1
Temp: 27 degree celcius
Ammo: 0
Nitrite: 0
Phosphate: 0.5
Nitrate: 40
I am not overly worry about the nitrate as this is strictly a FOWLR tank. No coral and invert of any kind. I have been doing feeding EVERY day. I would prefer to do waterchange EVERY week still just need to know when should I clean out the filters and how to go about doing it. Other than the 2 canister filters I also have lots of liverocks and a Tunze skimmer rated for 264g tank. It has been doing a great job pulling lots of gunks and junks out of the water. No sump or refugium of any kind.
They are both the same canister filter which have a few stage baskets and those ceramic rings, carbon, foam and sponge thingy inside. Do I only clean them one at a time? I mean clean one this week and the other one 2 weeks later so not to kill the beneficial bacterias?
But when you clean them how do you not kill the bacterias on the ceramic rings? Does that mean don't wash that and soak it in aquarium water? For others just rinse out the sponges, foams, carbon in aquarium water? No idea how to go about doing it.
Any helps will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.