Filter cleaning
- Thread starter Deeks14
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
bigdaddymagnum
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
this question starts arguments everywhere... lol my answer which ive always done and always been successful with... i follow the flow rate, as i see it start to stagger il swap out the sponge or floss.. now.... part 2 i dont use carbon imo its a waste... i go for biomedia which i almost never change due to the fact it houses all my benificial bacteria so in short
1ditch the carbon
2put in bio media
3swap only pads or foam
4follow flow rate
5good luck
1ditch the carbon
2put in bio media
3swap only pads or foam
4follow flow rate
5good luck
+1 @ bigdaddymagnum
Bio media should last for years if you look after it. im sure you foam or pads will wear out much soon than that will.
ScotJudd
Aquarium Advice Addict
Hi Deeks,
Filter cleaning is not a quick question - so many opinions.
I have had my 60g tank for a year with two canister filters. Experience has shown that one needs cleaning every 4 weeks and the other every 6 weeks. Water flow is a good indication but once opened I can judge whether it really needed a clean by the sponges. If they feel like rubber because of all the trapped 'dirt' then it's probably been left a little late. Once you have cleaned a filter a few times then you'll soon know what is the norm.
I can normally judge the water flow by looking at the plant movement in the tank.
Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice
Filter cleaning is not a quick question - so many opinions.
I have had my 60g tank for a year with two canister filters. Experience has shown that one needs cleaning every 4 weeks and the other every 6 weeks. Water flow is a good indication but once opened I can judge whether it really needed a clean by the sponges. If they feel like rubber because of all the trapped 'dirt' then it's probably been left a little late. Once you have cleaned a filter a few times then you'll soon know what is the norm.
I can normally judge the water flow by looking at the plant movement in the tank.
Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice
CoronaBlue
Aquarium Advice Freak
As others have posted it really varies. I usually clean my fluval 306 every 2-3 weeks because it's in my Mbuna tank which is over stocked. My other 2 canisters I clean once a month as they don't seem to be as dirty in my 75 gallon community tank.
I agree with pulling the carbon, non of my canisters run it. I have Purigen in one of mine.
Also I usually get about 2 months out of my floss before I toss it. Sponges should last even longer as long as you keep good maintenance on it.
I agree with pulling the carbon, non of my canisters run it. I have Purigen in one of mine.
Also I usually get about 2 months out of my floss before I toss it. Sponges should last even longer as long as you keep good maintenance on it.
For me, canister cleaning takes place quarterly in most tanks. I have only ever had a couple of tanks that needed more and even then it was more like 60 days. I have never had sponges fully gunk up. The biggest issue I have is usually the fine or polishing pads restricting flow.
I must have less particulate matter than the other posters in this thread.
I must have less particulate matter than the other posters in this thread.
trennamw
Aquarium Advice Addict
I have no experience with canisters, just wanted to throw in a bit that I was reading about carbon ...
My favorite beginners fish book, The Simple Guide to Freshwater Aquariums by Boruchowitz, calls carbon one of the best biomedia because it has so much surface area. It suggests keeping it not because it does anything, but because it houses so many of your bacteria.
I've made some mini faux canisters out of small Whisper filters, for 3 and 10 gallon tanks ... I rinse everything once a month by shaking it in some tank water. The pieces I've cut from water polishing pads get replaced often because they don't respond well to shaking but everything else ... Just if it is falling apart.
I never notice a difference in flow after I've done this (even waiting 3 months) or on my Aquaclear HOB that has a media stack that I think is similar to a canister ... it's more that once a month I want a gallon of water with fish gunk to give to my plants outside.
Sent from my iPhone with three hands tied behind my back.
My favorite beginners fish book, The Simple Guide to Freshwater Aquariums by Boruchowitz, calls carbon one of the best biomedia because it has so much surface area. It suggests keeping it not because it does anything, but because it houses so many of your bacteria.
I've made some mini faux canisters out of small Whisper filters, for 3 and 10 gallon tanks ... I rinse everything once a month by shaking it in some tank water. The pieces I've cut from water polishing pads get replaced often because they don't respond well to shaking but everything else ... Just if it is falling apart.
I never notice a difference in flow after I've done this (even waiting 3 months) or on my Aquaclear HOB that has a media stack that I think is similar to a canister ... it's more that once a month I want a gallon of water with fish gunk to give to my plants outside.
Sent from my iPhone with three hands tied behind my back.
aqua_holic
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I clean mine biannually, but I run massive filtration systems so it takes longer to get gunked up. Too, I don't have live plants so I don't have plant matter getting sucked up in there. I hear that can be a problem.
How old is that book? Modern bio-media has a lot more surface area than most carbon you are likely to run into.
This is true for me too. Perhaps this is why our results are so difference than the above.
bigdaddymagnum
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
has to be an old book , recent studies show old carbon when it over absorbs actuallly starts leaching ammonia back into the water where as biomedia is more porus and the absorbtion is greater, just my 2 cents though, to each there own lol
aqua_holic
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Neither biomedia nor carbon absorb anything. Biomedia consumes ammonia, and carbon adsorbs things with a high affinity for the carbon. Ammonia is not one of those things.
The whole carbon leeching theory always makes me laugh, because those of us (there are MANY) that don't use carbon leave all that in the water.... So how harmful is the stuff that are said to leech when a significant percentage of keepers don't bother removing it.
Activated Carbon requires an oxygen free environment and temps upwards of 900 degrees C in order to dump what it's adsorbed, conditions not likely to be met in the home aquarium.
The whole carbon leeching theory always makes me laugh, because those of us (there are MANY) that don't use carbon leave all that in the water.... So how harmful is the stuff that are said to leech when a significant percentage of keepers don't bother removing it.
Activated Carbon requires an oxygen free environment and temps upwards of 900 degrees C in order to dump what it's adsorbed, conditions not likely to be met in the home aquarium.
trennamw
Aquarium Advice Addict
It is an older book, so that's good to know about carbon!
I bought a stack of fishkeeping books and that one has been the most consistent with "modern" info ... But now I know there are 2 big deficiencies (carbon having the most surface area, and not mentioning fishless cycling).
You all make it pretty awesome to be wrong
Sent from my iPhone with three hands tied behind my back.
I bought a stack of fishkeeping books and that one has been the most consistent with "modern" info ... But now I know there are 2 big deficiencies (carbon having the most surface area, and not mentioning fishless cycling).
You all make it pretty awesome to be wrong
Sent from my iPhone with three hands tied behind my back.
bigdaddymagnum
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
dude your 2 for 2 when it comes to provoking an arguement with me.. i didnt say i believed it i said that , studies are saying it... studies also say tv is bad for you but theres 1 in every hospital room... consuming and absorbing are we going to get technical now?
trennamw
Aquarium Advice Addict
I don't see any provoking going on. I do see a lot of getting very easily provoked.
Lots of other pairs of people here frequently disagree with each other, and do so without all this unpleasant fallout.
Sent from my iPhone with three hands tied behind my back.
bigdaddymagnum
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
i agree , theres a difference in frequently disagree and going as far as to correct me on absorb or consume...
trennamw
Aquarium Advice Addict
I believe very few would hold that same interpretation of what was posted.
I could claim Dalto has been "going after" me in that he's posted things that conflict with what I've posted, a lot.
I think the more likely explanation is that not a lot of people are posting a lot here, and we are two who are. And our experiences are very different and we've got different things to say.
I've found in life, an awful lot of what I thought was about me, really isn't.
Sent from my iPhone with three hands tied behind my back.
bigdaddymagnum
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
well played good sir.... rebuttle is warrented... lol
aqua_holic
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Please don't take everything so personally. It's incorrect to say ammonia is absorbed by biomedia, especially within the context of discussing the adsorptive properties of activated carbon. I think it's important for people to have a sound fundamental understanding of the processes that occur. There are many people who read these threads who do not post, so it's important to correct inaccuracies as they come to avoid future confusions and misunderstandings.
I can't control how you interpret things, and if your looking for an argument or fight then you'll surely find one. We are all here to teach and to learn, and unfortunately not much of either gets done that way. I am always happy to thoroughly explain anything I say, so rather than get defensive and turn things into a personal vendetta or something, just ask - I'm actually a very nice person. But like anyone else, I don't appreciate negative attitudes.
Similar threads
