Filter Cleaning Advice

[SharkAttack]

Hi guys im a new aquarium owner. i have a 30 gallon aqueon plus a quiet flow 30 filter that takes size large pads.

SHould i replace the pad or just clean it?

if i clean it then how do i go about it?

[earhtmother]

Squeeze it out well in the water you change OUT of your tank. If you are NOT on *town/city* water with all it's chemical additives you can also squeeze it out in your tap water but people on wells are very few these days

[SharkAttack]

Originally Posted by earhtmother

Squeeze it out well in the water you change OUT of your tank. If you are NOT on *town/city* water with all it's chemical additives you can also squeeze it out in your tap water but people on wells are very few these days

I got it! how long would you keep the same filter insert inside the filter? its been there a month or two and is brown/black now.

[earhtmother]

Needs cleaning but you can keep it till it fall apart. I keep them until they fall apart then make my own with sponges floss and bio media

[King Fisher]

You can use old tank water or a pot of tap water with conditioner in it.

[BBradbury]

Originally Posted by SharkAttack

Hi guys im a new aquarium owner. i have a 30 gallon aqueon plus a quiet flow 30 filter that takes size large pads.

SHould i replace the pad or just clean it?

if i clean it then how do i go about it?

Hello Shark...

I don't keep the same filter media for more than two weeks. I like to clean the filter and replace the filter material every other water change. The filter just works better if it's clean. I don't believe the filter media does a good job for longer than that. If you're a good water changer and remove and replace most of the tank water weekly, the filter media can last a bit longer than two weeks, but I'd clean the filter and replace the media roughly every two weeks.

B

[earhtmother]

BBradbury
I use HOBs exclusively in my tanks with the media layered - lava rock, sponge, floss. While I replace my floss when it starts to look *dirty* and clean the *gunk* off/out of the lava rock and filter boxs when they look *dirty*, my sponges I only *squeeze clean* til they look ready to fall apart then I replace them. Would replacing everything that often not not cause cycling issues?

[SharkAttack]

Hey guys i took my filter out and this is what it looks like, im assuming this is acceptable to keep?

[BBradbury]

Originally Posted by earhtmother

BBradbury
I use HOBs exclusively in my tanks with the media layered - lava rock, sponge, floss. While I replace my floss when it starts to look *dirty* and clean the *gunk* off/out of the lava rock and filter boxs when they look *dirty*, my sponges I only *squeeze clean* til they look ready to fall apart then I replace them. Would replacing everything that often not not cause cycling issues?

Hello...

I use HOBs on some of my tanks too. I use a layer of lava rocks and top the rock with the biomax to control any ammonia. I stopped using the chemical media (carbon) years ago, because I do such large weekly water changes, the carbon isn't needed. I use the dual sponges too and just squeeze them out every couple of weeks. If you're an aggressive water changer, the filter system will last a bit longer, because the lava rock doesn't get very dirty if the filter is just filtering water that's already pretty clean. I used to use the internal Whisper filters, but found the filter media didn't last more than a couple of weeks before it began to wear out.

B

[King Fisher]

Originally Posted by SharkAttack

Hey guys i took my filter out and this is what it looks like, im assuming this is acceptable to keep?

I'd clean it up. Not the worst I've seen but dirty nonetheless.