grneyez808

can I clean and dry the filter out? I'm not ready to use it and will cycle tank and filter when I'm ready. I wanted to know If I can re use the media in there again. Thanks

lew2000

If the original bio-media Ehfisubstrat is still in the filter (Ehfisubstrat is described as sintered glass by Eheim and it is supposed to be totally inert - and it last a very long time - supposedly never breaks down) I have had mine going for five years in one filter. Just rinse it very well, making sure that you agitate it while rinsing to clean out the pores as best can be done.

Shawnie

unless you know the tank was prestine and disease free, id get new media so you dont spread anything into your tank..if its a good source of bacteria, and you know the person you got it from is a reliable good fish keeper, id keep it running on anther tank just to keep it cycled.. ..and yes you can dry out the filter n such until you are ready

grneyez808

It came out of an 180 gal cichlid tank. The tank and fish was one of the healthiest and cleanest I've seen. I'm not worried about having to cylce all over again. I'm still working on the DIY background. I was talking about the stuff in the filter that looks like ceramic macaroni for biological. If I can reuse them and you know what I'm talking about please let me know. Oh and if you know what the things that I'm talking about are please let me know as well. lol so I don't look like an idiot. Sorry this is my first canister.

grneyez808

Just wanted to share.... I bought the eheim on saturday. I had it in my garage and while out there this morning I noticed there was an electric yellow baby in the tubing swimming around. I tripped out! He's in a breeders net in my 80tall now and seems to be doing good.

lew2000

EHFISUBSTRAT is the original bio-filter media that the eheim comes with - the macaroni is a glass ceramic product (Sintering is a process used to make sintered glass) made from fly ash and it can be dried out and re-used. You can by variuos types of this product by ehiem and other mfgrs. There are different shapes and porousity available.

grneyez808

Thank you lew and others. I appreciate all the info.

harpua2002

Oh my!!!!!!! That is too cool.

I would reuse the bio media as well, although I would purchase new filter pads and stuff (I'm not too familiar with the media arrangement in the Eheims, so I can't get too specific). If you're letting everything dry out completely while you work on your background, I seriously doubt that any pathogens could survive. Plus, you seem to trust the source quite a bit.

grneyez808

ok will do harpua. Thanks. Isn't it a trip that baby survived in there for two days and a trip from vegas to pahrump. lol