When do I start filters cleaning after cycling?

[Komodo]

I read in an article that I need to avoid massive water changes when cycling is first complete and not to clean the filters for at least 45 days after cycling is complete, best to wait 60-90, if you can.

This sounds dangerous, but being a beginner I need your experience. Are these instructions correct?

 

[fish wrangler]

What I do wuth my hang on back filter is rinse the old filter pad in tank water, cut up the pad, add the cuttings to a new filter pad, put new filter pad into filter, refill filer with dirty water that was used to rinse pad. All the BB stays in the filter this way.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[aqua_holic]

I read in an article that I need to avoid massive water changes when cycling is first complete and not to clean the filters for at least 45 days after cycling is complete, best to wait 60-90, if you can.



This sounds dangerous, but being a beginner I need your experience. Are these instructions correct?

I completely agree with not cleaning anything for the first few months as they are the most critical. It's not dangerous at all.

I don't consider gravel vacs to be "cleaning" though that is what it is. I would still do that, but I wouldn't touch the filter.

 

[PNWaquarist]

Yep, it's good to leave the filters alone until the BB builds up inside your tank.

But if you've just done a fishless cycle, you really need to do a large water change before adding fish. The tank water will likely have well over 40 ppm nitrate at that point.