cleaning external cannister filter

[steeledarren]

it is time for me to clean my aquaone cannister filter for the first time, what is the best way to clean a cannister filter? do you need to clean the pipes? what is the best way, most efficient way? scared of killing those little guys in there i have been trying so hard to make lol

 

[Andrewz00]

i could be completely wrong... but i have always just rinsed everything... using tank water....

 

[VonUberReefer]

ya just rinse it all, maybe use pipe cleaners to physically get gunk out, but don't use chemicals

 

[mfdrookie516]

what kind of canister is it? I just unhook my hoses from my can, fill up a 5g bucket with them (the gushing water clears 'gunk' out of them while doing so), put the media and sponges in the bucket, take a paper towel and wipe out the can, clean the impeller, swish the media around, fill the can up 3/4 full, put the media in, squeeze and release, squeeze and release (keep doing about 5-6 times) the sponges, put everything back in, fill the can on up to about 1" below the top, put the top on, hook the hoses up, open the valve (this finishes filling the can), and turn it back on

 

[steeledarren]

its an aquaone cf1200, so do you leave the hoses connected to the tank while cleaning them, and do you fill tank can up with tank water, also is it safe to wash all the media at once?

 

[cabezon]

I dont wash the top media tray, the one that is supposed to have the bacteria. everything else gets rinsed in the sink. Then i change the polyester floss. I put prime in the can and fill it with water, then put the top media tray back in.

 

[mfdrookie516]

its an aquaone cf1200, so do you leave the hoses connected to the tank while cleaning them

yes, i leave them in the tank so that i can use the water coming from them to fill the bucket, then the can when i'm done

and do you fill tank can up with tank water, also is it safe to wash all the media at once?

Yes, and yes (assuming that you use tank water). You wont lose much, if any, of the nitrifying bacteria if you just 'swish' the media around in tank water. I have this ocd thing where i refuse to rinse any filter media in tap water. just to much risk imo, though some people (such as cabezon) have no ill effects of doing so.

 

[mctypething]

Gosh, I don’t clean the tubes/pipes, are you supposed to? I figured that was the type of thing you needed to replace every year or so. I notice some gunk stuck to the tube walls, but nothing that looked to be significant. I have a Marineland C-360 and I clean it once a month. I believe some people clean it more often than that, but I don’t like to disturb the filters more than I have to, and I’ve never had an issue with water quality. I turn the valve key, then unplug the filter. (Once I unplugged the filter before turning the valve and it was BAD NEWS, water started draining all over the place, I learned my lesson on that one). I bring the filter in the kitchen and pour about half the tank water from the filter into a bucket. I replace all media every month and rinse the new media thoroughly in tap water before putting into the can. I also swish the bio balls and ceramic balls in tank water to get any gunk off. I don’t spend a lot of time on this because again, I don’t like to disturb the filter too much.

Two things I need to look into after reading this post (I always learn something new on this site):

1) cleaning the intake/outtake tubes.
2) Filling the can back up before reconnecting to tank. Right now, I let the can fill up with tank water and then I just top off the tank. But this can make a little bit of a mess with water splashing out of the tank. Last time, I covered the lid with towels and that worked, but it seems like it could be easier to fill it up before reconnecting, but I’m not sure how to properly introduce the Prime when doing it that way.

 

[Andrewz00]

Gosh, I don’t clean the tubes/pipes, are you supposed to?....

I replace all media every month and rinse the new media thoroughly in tap water before putting into the can.

i suppose you dont HAVE to clean the tubes.... untill they get so gunked up that it starts to restrict water flow.... buy you can absolutely clean them, every 6 months or so... or as they need it...

as far as replacing ALL media... you are only referring to the sponges and actual filters right? you dont replace EVERYTHING in the can do you? that would be bad....

 

[mctypething]

Oops, I didn't say that right. I just replace the floss, sponges, and carbon pads every month. I don't replace the bio balls and ceramic balls, just rinse them in tank water. Sorry!

 

[mfdrookie516]

why do you replace the floss and sponges? i've not replaced anything in my canisters since they were set up almost a year ago. of course, if you run carbon, you'll need to replace it (of course hopefully you dont have to dose meds very often)...

 

[mctypething]

No reason other than that is what the manufacturer recommended. The pads at the top get pretty gunked up so I definitely will continue to replace those monthly. The floss at the bottom always looks in tact, maybe I will stop replacing it and just rinse it out really good.

 

[tmcgee]

No offense mctypething but those manufacturer's love you guys. They charge and arm and a leg for that media they have you changing monthly. If you want a cheaper alternative to the floss at the top, you can go to a craft store or department at Walmart and get batting that contains no additives or anything like that and have a full bag for 2.97 (which I just picked up this weekend) and it will last you an extremely long time. Even if you change it out monthly.

 

[Andrewz00]

is floss the same as glass wool? or did i just date my knowledge base?

 

[mfdrookie516]

No reason other than that is what the manufacturer recommended. The pads at the top get pretty gunked up so I definitely will continue to replace those monthly. The floss at the bottom always looks in tact, maybe I will stop replacing it and just rinse it out really good.

my sponges always look 'gunked up'... thats why you rinse them. The only reason they recommend you replace them is so that you can put money in their pockets.

 

[eatsomepopcorn]

You could pump old water through using a mag drive.

 

[mctypething]

Arm and a leg? It's really not that bad but I'm always up for saving money so I'll look into your suggestions. Seems like it might be a pain to cut the Wal Mart floss in the shape it needs to be to fit in the canister. It's nice to just open the package, rinse it off, and slip it in.

mfdrookie, I think we're talking about different things. The floss gets really nasty and turns greenish/brown, rinsing it really doesn't change that. I'd rather have something clean in there every month, but that's just me.

Overall, I'm okay with replacing some of the media every month. I buy in bulk from DFS, so it really doesn't cost that much. I'm glad to hear new suggestions though!