Coffey5030

I draw my water from a well so there is is no chlorine or other additives. Could I just rinse my filters under the tap?

Trio123

yes, but do buy new filters occasionally as the sponges and such and become clog inside where you cant see (even if they look clean). You do throw away your good bacteria but they will die anyway in a cloged filter.

Shawnie

even though you have well water, id still rinse it in a bucket of tank water...theres other things in well water that could hurt the bacteria...and id NEVER replace the filter unless its totally shredded...and when you see that to start happening, have another one already in the tank seeding prior to changeing it out

Butterfly

Actually you can use the filters until they become ragged. As long as water will run through them after rinsing they are still good.

That should be ok as long as no chemicals are added.
Carol

Coffey5030

I have two H.O.B filters so I guess i could just do one at a time.

Butterfly

yep

Trio123

The reason I said that is because the bacteria inside a sponge filter cannot get oxygen as the pores get clog... hence they die. What you do is either put a little piece of your old filter in with the new one or dont do a water change and syphon your gravel at the same time as you clean your filter. But do what you feel is best...

oh ya or rotate which filter you clean like you said, which is what I do.