HOB maintenance question

[nicktrubilla]

How should I clean the filter media in my HOB Top Fin 20 Powerfilter? My water is a little cloudy and I think it's because my HOB isn't circulating water too well due to detritus buildup. I've only changed the media once by letting a spare sit in the filter to build bacteria. What's the best way to clean the media without harming my bacteria colony? Please respond soon, I only have a certain window of time for maintenance before college runs my life for another week lol

 

[khoifish89]

yes as long as you do not throw it away because once you throw it away, you throwing beneficial bacteria.

 

[nicktrubilla]

Okay, but what's the best way to clean it..

 

[Fresh2o]

Swish the cartridge around in the water you remove from your next PWC.

 

[khoifish89]

i know i will be bite and chew for this. i use regular tap water to wash my foam, carbon, and bio pallet for all 6 AquaClear.

 

[Fresh2o]

i know i will be bite and chew for this. i use regular tap water to wash my foam, carbon, and bio pallet for all 6 AquaClear.

If you must rinse with tap water, limit it to the sponge only and beef up the bio media. I'd take out the carbon and add bio media such as ceramic rings. I did not have a mesh bag to put it in some I strung the rings together with fishing line and placed it above the bio pallet bag.

 

[blert]

i know i will be bite and chew for this. i use regular tap water to wash my foam, carbon, and bio pallet for all 6 AquaClear.

IMO, there is nothing wrong with doing this if your tank is sufficiently established. But, if you are consistently nuking the bag of ceramic rings why not just replace it with another sponge. I mean, it is not doing anything for you anyway and a second sponge would make a better option.
BTW, I nuke or replace all the media in my filters routinely. Keep the bio-filter in the tank on the substrate and surfaces and if your filter bites it then no worries about replacing it. I do not suggest you do this without easing into it and be sure your tank is WELL established.

 

[khoifish89]

If you must rinse with tap water, limit it to the sponge only and beef up the bio media. I'd take out the carbon and add bio media such as ceramic rings. I did not have a mesh bag to put it in some I strung the rings together with fishing line and placed it above the bio pallet bag.

By now, the carbon is nothing more than an addition bio filter because I haven't change it since I bought it. I bought it a while ago.

IMO, there is nothing wrong with doing this if your tank is sufficiently established. But, if you are consistently nuking the bag of ceramic rings why not just replace it with another sponge. I mean, it is not doing anything for you anyway and a second sponge would make a better option.
BTW, I nuke or replace all the media in my filters routinely. Keep the bio-filter in the tank on the substrate and surfaces and if your filter bites it then no worries about replacing it. I do not suggest you do this without easing into it and be sure your tank is WELL established.

Yes, my tank is well established. I been doing this, and nothing has happened to my tank nor my fish.

 

[Oceangirl]

Why don't you just rinse it in the used tank water? I just use a tupperware bowl fill it with tank water and then swirl, squish, or whatever. When dirty dump down the drain or toliet. Then repeat. Then I slap it all back in the filter and crank it up. I don't have a bucket for my main tank and this is how I clean it. Then just pop the used tupperware in the dishwasher. Or how to do gravel vac? I use the output straight into the sink, I use the output end of the gravel vac over the sink and then rinse that way. You have to throw out the water anyway might as well use it!

 

[Fresh2o]

I think the point that khoifish and blert were making is that the HOB would not be the primary source for BB but rather leave it up to the rest of the tank. I think this would work if the media was cleaned regularly so that the BB would not get established.

 

[blert]

Why don't you just rinse it in the used tank water? I just use a tupperware bowl fill it with tank water and then swirl, squish, or whatever. When dirty dump down the drain or toliet. Then repeat. Then I slap it all back in the filter and crank it up. I don't have a bucket for my main tank and this is how I clean it. Then just pop the used tupperware in the dishwasher. Or how to do gravel vac? I use the output straight into the sink, I use the output end of the gravel vac over the sink and then rinse that way. You have to throw out the water anyway might as well use it!

I think the point that khoifish and blert were making is that the HOB would not be the primary source for BB but rather leave it up to the rest of the tank. I think this would work if the media was cleaned regularly so that the BB would not get established.

Yes, correct.
I do it to keep my media extra clean. I don't like funky or deteriorating filter media mucking up my tanks. I don't have to deal with leaving old media in to seed new media yada yada.

Again, I stress, don't do this until your tank has become sufficiently established that it can hold its own as a bio filter without seeded filter media.

I even "cycled" my 75 gallon without filter media so there were no media issues in it from the start.