How often do you guys clean filters/do water changes/do a gravel clean?

[Fish_lord]

Just curious as too how often people do there cleaning and changes I do a weekly water change of around 25% a gravel clean once a week and a filter clean every 1-2 months depending on water flow from the filter.
My water tests always come up perfect.



20 gallon fancy goldfish tank
150 gallon koi tank
60 gallon cichlid tank
2 gallon neon tetra tank

 

[cgthebeast]

Weekly water changes ranging from 10% to 35% depending on what tank and stock. I rinse my saltwater tanks filter media twice of week and my freshwater monthly, all in tank water.


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[Fish_lord]

And how often would you do a gravel clean?



20 gallon fancy goldfish tank
150 gallon koi tank
60 gallon cichlid tank
2 gallon neon tetra tank

 

[cgthebeast]

back when I had gravel, I would do a light gravel clean when doing my weekly water change and then do a more through one monthly.


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[IllusionX]

My 5 gallon, I would do a 25% WC and gravel clean weekly. Or 50% change if I take more time cleaning the gravel.

The 2 other 5g, 10g shrimp and the 65g community gets 25% weekly. We never ever clean the substrate and these are heavily planted.

HOB filters gets a quick cleaning once a week or 2 depending on the tank.
The 65g runs a AC110 for fine filtering and a canister for bio filtering... So I have no choice but to clean the ac110 once a week.

 

[PassengerTN]

I clean half the gravel pretty thoroughly in my 55 each water change (every Saturday). My other tanks are sand, and I'll liggtly vacuum the debris laying on top of the entire sand surface during WC as well

 

[coralbandit]

50% plus changes on all tanks except marine weekly.
Breeders get more,
my 180 g gets 32 on Sat,and 64 on Sun( so not 50% all at once,more like 40% over all{dilution}).
Filters cleaned as needed(all are different do to load and feeding).
This is only for 600 gallons though.

 

[Fish_lord]

So people do vary quite a lot.how are people's water tests coming out?


20 gallon fancy goldfish tank
150 gallon koi tank
60 gallon cichlid tank
2 gallon neon tetra tank

 

[ScotJudd]

Hi. There really is no exact formula for WCs, gravel and filter cleaning. There are so many variables. Experience and good water testing will determine your maintenance routine. Generally though I keep Nitrates under 20 ppm through WCs, however much is required. Filters are cleaned when flow noticeably decreases. I don't clean my gravel as its too heavily planted. Now that my tank is well established and fully stocked I use an App to let me know when any maintenance is due - filters, lights, Co2, UV tube etc. and also to record all water tests, which can be displayed on a graph (invaluable data). Gone is the old fish keeping note pad ?.


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[Fish_lord]

What app is this that you use.that sounds extremely handy
Thanks


20 gallon fancy goldfish tank
150 gallon koi tank
60 gallon cichlid tank
2 gallon neon tetra tank

 

[shellyx]

I do 50 - 60 % clean on my elephant nose tank every 4 - 5 day's including vac, rinse filter's every 2 week's.
My shrimp tank I usually take 40 % out it depends, filter rinse 3-4 weeks.

55 gallon elephant nose tank.
30 gallon vampire shrimp, green lace shrimp and snails.

 

[candymancan]

All of my regular tanks I do like a 60-70% water change every week maybe 2 if im lazy.. And I gravel vacuume them when I do it, I clean my filters when they start to overflow which is usually once a week.. And I replace the filter floss every month or when they get to clogged to clean

My 92g discus tank, I do a 80% water change every 3 days, I don't gravel vacuum because I have too many carpeting plants growing in the way, I clean my canister filter once every 1-2 weeks. And I replace the water polishing pads when I do

 

[ScotJudd]

What app is this that you use.that sounds extremely handy
Thanks


20 gallon fancy goldfish tank
150 gallon koi tank
60 gallon cichlid tank
2 gallon neon tetra tank

Hi.
The App is AquaPlanner Pro and is free on iPhone and iPad, not sure about android. Check it out. It records everything, and I mean everything, about your tanks or tanks. The historical data of water testing is shown in a graph form and you can set up your routine maintenance to give a warning if due. I find the recording of equipment and consumables, such as lights and uv tubes very useful. Who can ever remember when a device was bought, where from and when parts are needed to be changed.
I have no connection with this App provider, so it's not a sales pitch.



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[Fish_lord]

Hi.
The App is AquaPlanner Pro and is free on iPhone and iPad, not sure about android. Check it out. It records everything, and I mean everything, about your tanks or tanks. The historical data of water testing is shown in a graph form and you can set up your routine maintenance to give a warning if due. I find the recording of equipment and consumables, such as lights and uv tubes very useful. Who can ever remember when a device was bought, where from and when parts are needed to be changed.
I have no connection with this App provider, so it's not a sales pitch.



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Thanks very much sounds very handy.it says the app is 2.99 it must of changed from being free


20 gallon fancy goldfish tank
150 gallon koi tank
60 gallon cichlid tank
2 gallon neon tetra tank

 

[ScotJudd]

Perhaps it was popular so they started to charge. It's worth it though.


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[Tigerbarb12]

I perform weekly 30% water changes, and vacuum gravel every other week. Once a month ill change 40-50% of the water. I clean the filters 4 times a year, so every 3 months

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[threnjen]

I do 50% weekly WC on the 90g and the 10g. I vacuum the 10g a little, depends on the snail population. I do not vacuum the 90g, I wouldn't be able to without uprooting stuff.
I change out the filter floss and micron pads on the 90g every month if I remember. Every 6 months I will pull out the entire sump, backwash the bio balls with tank water, and vacuum out the sump for any gunk buildup.
On the 10g I just clean the prefilter sponge.

WC every other week on the 20g because it is upstairs and I am lazy. That one needs heavy vacuuming every time. Squeeze out the prefilter sponge every time. Clean the canister every 6mos or so which is just squeezing out the floss, replacing as needed, and backwashing with tank water to get out any gunk buildup.

Once a month WC, maybe, on the 5.5g because it is intended as self-contained.

 

[trennamw]

The 56 column, planted, lightly stocked, gets 50%, less than weekly but close to it. It's been 2 months since I moved & rebuilt it from an established 29, it's still stocked like a 29. Parameters are 0-0-20ish.

And I had a 3, planted, with a betta that got 50% weekly or more, and I still fought rising nitrates. Then the filter died and the parameters went to 0-0-0, with zero water changes just top offs. The floating pennywort went crazy so I expect it was clearing ammonia better than it cleared nitrates.


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