Canister filter maintainence

[Polly91]

When it comes to maintaining a canister filter what is necessary...?

-How often should a canister be cleaned?
-Should all parts of the canister be cleaned with tank water or only the biological media?
-Do any parts of the canister need to be replaced (eg Filter wool, carbon, biological media etc) and how often do they need to be replaced?

-Any other information on good filtration will be very much appreciated!

 

[Fishguy2727]

Any filter should be cleaned every month. A filter doesn't remove waste, it only collects it. If you don't remove it from the system it is still rotting and lowering water quality, which will promote algae and other problems.

Only the biomedia needs to be cleaned in tank water. The other foam can be cleaned with tap.

You may be able to rinse filter floss once or twice depending on the tank and if you are actually cleaning the filter enough, but plan on replacing it every time. If you use carbon (which usually isn't needed in most tanks if you are doing enough water changes) it needs to be replaced every time as well.

Biomedia and course mechanical never need to be replaced. I use Fluvals and still have the original foam on my FX5, 404, etc. If it gets really worn out, yes, spend the few bucks to replace it. But that is unlikely. The biomedia is the same way, it should last for decades. I still have some that is about ten years old, no issues.

 

[Polly91]

Thanks so much for all that info!
By filter floss that's the real coarse filter wool stuff right?with the biological media is there a specific one that should be used?I have the Ceramic noodle in mine and that's all...

 

[Fishguy2727]

Which filter do you have?

I have Fluvals but would recommend using Seachem Matrix instead of Biomax.

Filter floss is a fine mechanical media. You can buy filter floss from a store, use polishing pads made for the specific filter you have, or use 100% polyester pillow stuffing form the craft store (as long as it has no microbicides).

 

[jcolon]

Pretty much Fishguy2727 said it all ... except I only use tap for the empty canister housing. All media I use tank water ... but it's a preference. Others also use tap for the foam with no issues.

I do maintenance on mine every two weeks because I use 100% Polyfill on the bottom chamber of my Fluval 404 for extra mechanical filtration and am amazed at how dirty it gets. Every two weeks keeps the colony of BB on it low ... so I'm not worried about a mini cycle when I replace it... even though the vast majority of BB are on the Bio-max rings.

 

[Polly91]

I have an orca canister.it just has 3 levels.first level is the thick sponge for big bits of crap,second is the ceramic noodle and third is the coarse mechanical filtration.
When I first set up my tank I was never advised on replacing any parts so it's pretty much been the same for a long time now! And this site is helping me heaps just sometimes I get confused cause a lot of the stuff people say,I have never heard before!

 

[jcolon]

I have an orca canister.it just has 3 levels.first level is the thick sponge for big bits of crap,second is the ceramic noodle and third is the coarse mechanical filtration.
When I first set up my tank I was never advised on replacing any parts so it's pretty much been the same for a long time now! And this site is helping me heaps just sometimes I get confused cause a lot of the stuff people say,I have never heard before!

If it's been working fine, your tank is cycled and your fish happy, just continue to do the same ... and just rinse out the media. With canisters ... really nothing should have to be replaced for years. Once a month ... give it a good cleaning ... just keep the media wet ... your all set.

 

[BillD]

Only the biomedia needs to be cleaned in tank water. The other foam can be cleaned with tap.

Actually this is not really true. All the foam is biomedia and should be washed in tank water. Otherwise, all the advice given is sound.

 

[Fishguy2727]

The biomedia houses effectively all the nitrifying bacteria. Yes, any surface in the tank has the potential to host bacteria, but they do not spread out evenly. They live where the conditions are best. This is in the filter where the flow provides oxygen and food for them. The mechanical media is constantly being smothered and clogged with debris, not ideal for nitrifying bacteria.

I have cleaned mechanical media in tap water for years without issues. So either A-there are effectively no nitrifying bacteria on them or B-the short exposure to tap water isn't an issue.

 

[Dale_I]

Speaking of tap water not having an issue for cleaning canister media, my tap water contains no chlorine. I don't treat or pre-treat it before refilling the tank during water changes. It does have a nitrate reading of 5 to 10 ppm, but there's not a lot I can do about that except to perform PWC on a more regular basis.

I have a Fluval 304 and have been rinsing both the mechanical sponges as well as the bio media with tap water once a month. Is the reason NOT using tap water because of the presence of chlorine in most municipal water sources? Or, more to the point, should I be using tank water for the biological media for any specific reason? What I've been doing seems to be working so far.

 

[Fishguy2727]

Yes, the concern with tap water is really just the chlorine/chloramine and the biological media.