Canister Filter Cleaning

I

Ilovebarbslol

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Good morning fish lovers. How often should I clean my canister filter. correct me if am wrong
-get a Empty Bucket and fill it with tank water
-unplug n open filter. Throw out the dirty water
And rise it with clean water
-I shouldn't rinse the media right?
Need helping cleaning it without messing up or loosing my cycle
I believe it happen to me once
 

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I clean mine every 1 to 2 months.
All the biomedia shouldn't be rinsed, but the mechanical sponges can be cleaned in a bucket of aquarium water.
I keep the ceramic media in another bucket of aquarium water whilst I clean the baskets in more aquarium water.
 

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Agreed. every 1-2 months. I usually dump the water out, rinse all media (mechanical and bio) in dechlorinated water, spray the bucket (canister drum) out, and then fill it back with water and media. Which reminds me...I probably need to do that soon.
 
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  • #4
Thanks a lot
I believe I have 3 trays inside the filter
N lol
Ill try to clean it before I move
 
Definitely rinse your biomedia too - it can get clogged with gunk as well, and this can be bad for your bacteria. As long as you clean it in old tank water, you'll be fine!
 
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  • #6
Definitely rinse your biomedia too - it can get clogged with gunk as well, and this can be bad for your bacteria. As long as you clean it in old tank water, you'll be fine!
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Thanks soo I'll just rinse all the media inside. Including the forms
N ok cool
 

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Yeah just rinse everything in the bucket containing the aquarI'm water it the foams don't have to look perfect. Like everyone has said you can go 2-3 months without cleaning it. If you see that the flow is slowing down its time for a cleaning and I usually clean the tubing leading to the canister as well because over time it can clog up and slow down the flow.
Hope this help
 
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  • #8
Thanks. For the feedback
It sure helps
Yes. The hose need major cleaning.
 
So far I only have 2 keyholes cichlid
Next week am getting 2 more then
1 male dwarf gourami
2 female dwarf gourami
20 Emerald dwarf rasbora
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Yeah I'm thinking of getting rid of some of my big tanks for a even bigger one lol.
I can't stop buying big tanks so I get one and when I get bored of it then I sell it for a larger one I have a problem lol

I wish I could give you one of my big tanks like my 180 or 230 gallon I don't want them anymore
 

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  • #12
I wish I could give you one of my big tanks like my 180 or 230 gallon I don't want them anymore
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Lmaoo funny. lol hopefully you will settle down when u get a bigger one. Lol or a pond lol
Am a newbie. This is my first tank tbh
Really that would be great. where are you located. Am in NY. Moving to NJ next week
 
Lmaoo funny. lol hopefully you will settle down when u get a bigger one. Lol or a pond lol
Am a newbie. This is my first tank tbh
Really that would be great. where are you located. Am in NY. Moving to NJ next week
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I live in chicago lol and I wouldn't trust shipping it because I wouldn't want it to be damaged I've had that happen to me and it sucks
 
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  • #14
the Windy City.
Thanks a lot. I appreciate the offer. You are very kind
Yep. My next update will be a 75G lol no where near yours lol
 
Just set up my first 65 gallon cichlid tank and am running 2 ehiem pro4+ 250 external filters.
I'm currently doing a 30% water change weekly, should I be cleaning both prefilters with tank water at the same time?
Should I also be cleaning the white filter foam at the same time?
How often should I rinse (with tank water) the biological media.
Thanks in advance
Emarley
 
most people say to rinse everything out once a month, I do the sponges weekly because it's easy and I like routine a little to much.
 
Sometimes there will be times when I'll replace the floss after 15 days or so.
 
Make sure your tank is cycled, Only clean 1 filter at a time, most canisters can go 2 to 3 months between cleaning. So once you clean the first filter, you wait a month and clean the second. So you end up cleaning 1 filter every month. Canisters are designed to go longer between cleanings and you will get better overall filtering that way.
 

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I go 6 months or more. If nothing is impeding the flow and my nitrates are in check there's no reason to take it apart.
 
I go 2 months because I keep goldfish. I went 6 months once and it was such a chore getting cleaned and back up and running I never went that long again. Goldies are super dirty.
 
Unless you have a high bioload canisters can go 6 months. Usually have to add cuttlebone for my mystery snails sooner.
 
How long I go between performing any maintenance on my canister filters depends entirely on the tank, but so long as you are correctly layering the filtration media to the passage of water as it flows through the media a canister filter can go much longer without maintenance than all other filters in my experience.

This is just my opinion, but I think it's important to take the time [and sometimes spend a few extra bucks] to see what media your filter came with, if any, and how the manufacturer instructs to set it up, then see if you can improve on it.

Most of my canister filters draw the water in and pull it from bottom to top through the media, so the top basket is the last basket water is filtered through.

Top [Biological Media]:

- Bagged Ceramic Media
- Polishing Pad

Middle Basket:

- Bio Balls

Bottom Basket:

- Polishing Pad
- Coarse Filter Foam
- Very Coarse Filter Foam


It's really the bottom basket that I wanted to point out. By using differing coarse foams and positioning it so the media that is the loosest and will catch only the biggest particles is what water passes through first, to less coarse media that traps finer particles, and then so on down to the polishing pad that captures the finest particles it helps create a net that prevents larger debris sucked through the filter from clogging the finer filtration media and impeding flow, which is probably the best notification you need to clean your filter.

I can't really set a time-frame on when you should clean your filter, but I could go many months without touching my own and still have adequate circulation and filtration, but I rarely go passed 2 months. You'll see 1 or more of 3 tell-tale signs on your own tank that maintenance is due, which are:

1.) reduced flow
2.) high nitrates
3.) increased algae or diatom growth

Planted tanks require more cleaning while non-planted usually require less frequent cleaning in adequate tanks that are stocked correctly.
 
I am currently setting up my new Eheim classic, so this thread is helpful, even tho I knew most of this, it's a great reminder. Thanks for asking this question Emarley
 
I have two canisters on my 55. Each one gets cleaned once a month but staggered two weeks apart from each other.
 
I go 2-3 months with my Fluval 406 and 206 and my Sunsun302 And 3-4 weeks between cleanings for the tanks that have an HOB Canister combo on them.
 
Every tank will have a different waste load. I have a 406 and it gets opened weekly with every water change because I have added filter floss in the top trays which gets replaced weekly. The foam pads and bio-foam get squeezed out monthly, though in rotation, so one of them every two weeks. Bio media gets rinsed every couple of months. Hoses get cleaned at least every 6 months.
 
Do you guys change out the media? Currently, I've just stayed with the same media that came with the unit. I've been thinking about removing the active carbon and replacing with more bio rings.
 

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I didn't use the carbon at all and left it out from the start. Added more bio-media and filter floss. The only original media I have renewed is the foam pads which I found began to lose their shape after 6 months or so.
 
Do you guys change out the media? Currently, I've just stayed with the same media that came with the unit. I've been thinking about removing the active carbon and replacing with more bio rings.
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Yes definitely remove the carbon its probably junk by now. Get a bag of polyfill and use that in one of the trays your tank will never look cleaner... The ceramic and the sponge that's currently in the filter should hold enough BB for whatever you stock the tank with. Can change out the polyfill every month or so and not affect the BB one bit.
 
Thank you, guys! I will do monthly cleaning of my canister and swap out the provided media.
 
All your foams and/or polyfill type media should be in the bottom tray and put your bio rings in the top two trays.All mechanical filtration should happen before the bio media. Putting any foam or filter floss after will plug up your rings.
 
All your foams and/or polyfill type media should be in the bottom tray and put your bio rings in the top two trays.All mechanical filtration should happen before the bio media. Putting any foam or filter floss after will plug up your rings.
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Depending on the flow of your filter.
Putting sponge and floss in the bottom tray of an fx would not be good.
 
Yes you are correct. I should have clarified I was referring to the Fluval 400 series. I've seen some videos where people are putting pinky type floss at the very top, after the bio media and where the water returns to the tank which isn't a good idea. I did that myself many many many years ago and it just made a mess of my ceramic rings.


Depending on the flow of your filter.
Putting sponge and floss in the bottom tray of an fx would not be good.
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Hello all,
I have a Fluval 306. 46 gallon with 12 adult Blackskirts and 6 peppered Cory cats. Tank has been running for about a year and a half.
I have only had to inspect and clean the filter twice so far. The first cleaning was 6 months after the tank was finished cycling and stocked. On the first cleaning everything still looked new and clean. The second inspection of filter was 7 months after that. The impeller was still pretty clean with slight muck build up. I cleaned impeller and changed the polishing pads. They were slightly discolored. My tank water is always crystal clear.
Filter is set as follows. Lower basket is coarse foam pads, next is filled with ceramic rings and the top basket is also filled with ceramic rings with polishing pads sitting on top.
Maybe my bio load is not huge but I can say that the filter works great. The only thing I replace each time I open it up are the polishing pads.
I hope this gives some ideas for everyone on filter performance. I am very please with the Fluval 306.
Any feedback or suggestions would be appreciated.

Cheers!
Eric
 
Hello all,
I have a Fluval 306. 46 gallon with 12 adult Blackskirts and 6 peppered Cory cats. Tank has been running for about a year and a half.
I have only had to inspect and clean the filter twice so far. The first cleaning was 6 months after the tank was finished cycling and stocked. On the first cleaning everything still looked new and clean. The second inspection of filter was 7 months after that. The impeller was still pretty clean with slight muck build up. I cleaned impeller and changed the polishing pads. They were slightly discolored. My tank water is always crystal clear.
Filter is set as follows. Lower basket is coarse foam pads, next is filled with ceramic rings and the top basket is also filled with ceramic rings with polishing pads sitting on top.
Maybe my bio load is not huge but I can say that the filter works great. The only thing I replace each time I open it up are the polishing pads.
I hope this gives some ideas for everyone on filter performance. I am very please with the Fluval 306.
Any feedback or suggestions would be appreciated.

Cheers!
Eric
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I guess your bio load is very low which allows for such infrequent cleaning. Nevertheless it might be better to inspect and clean it a bit more often so that you’re not rinsing or replacing all of your media at the same time. Ideally the polishing pads should be placed prior to the ceramic rings.
 

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Hello all,
I have a Fluval 306. 46 gallon with 12 adult Blackskirts and 6 peppered Cory cats. Tank has been running for about a year and a half.
I have only had to inspect and clean the filter twice so far. The first cleaning was 6 months after the tank was finished cycling and stocked. On the first cleaning everything still looked new and clean. The second inspection of filter was 7 months after that. The impeller was still pretty clean with slight muck build up. I cleaned impeller and changed the polishing pads. They were slightly discolored. My tank water is always crystal clear.
Filter is set as follows. Lower basket is coarse foam pads, next is filled with ceramic rings and the top basket is also filled with ceramic rings with polishing pads sitting on top.
Maybe my bio load is not huge but I can say that the filter works great. The only thing I replace each time I open it up are the polishing pads.
I hope this gives some ideas for everyone on filter performance. I am very please with the Fluval 306.
Any feedback or suggestions would be appreciated.

Cheers!
Eric
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Your stocking for a 46 gallon is pretty low, plus I imagine you're good about water changes and not overfeeding. It's not uncommon to go that long between cleanings in your situation. I opened my canister after 2 months on a fully stocked tank and like you, I could of gotten away with just replacing the polishing pad. I think the best thing to do is check your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate and that will tell you for sure. When they start to increase even after water changes then you know it's time. I got a couple canisters going on 2 months pretty soon and I just checked my parameters and I'm still good to go. I'll check again in a couple of weeks.
 
I don't wait to see bad parameters. When I do my WC's I can tell when the flow in my canisters have slowed down and I know by my next WC or 2 I will need to give it a good cleaning. And by good cleaning I mean drop all the media in a bucket of tank water and rinse everything else under my tap including the trays impeller main head unit and lastly add a new tray of fresh and clean polyfill.
 
I don't wait to see bad parameters. When I do my WC's I can tell when the flow in my canisters have slowed down and I know by my next WC or 2 I will need to give it a good cleaning. And by good cleaning I mean drop all the media in a bucket of tank water and rinse everything else under my tap including the trays impeller main head unit and lastly add a new tray of fresh and clean polyfill.
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Reduced flow is definitely a sign that a cleaning is due
 
I guess your bio load is very low which allows for such infrequent cleaning. Nevertheless it might be better to inspect and clean it a bit more often so that you’re not rinsing or replacing all of your media at the same time. Ideally the polishing pads should be placed prior to the ceramic rings.
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Thanks for the input. I plan to stock more. I am just researching which fish would go with Black Skirt tetras. They are pretty much full grown. I would hate to put more species in there and make the Tetras mad.

Cheers!

Eric

Your stocking for a 46 gallon is pretty low, plus I imagine you're good about water changes and not overfeeding. It's not uncommon to go that long between cleanings in your situation. I opened my canister after 2 months on a fully stocked tank and like you, I could of gotten away with just replacing the polishing pad. I think the best thing to do is check your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate and that will tell you for sure. When they start to increase even after water changes then you know it's time. I got a couple canisters going on 2 months pretty soon and I just checked my parameters and I'm still good to go. I'll check again in a couple of weeks.
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I plan to stock more soon. After that I will do more frequent filter checks. I do about 40% water changes once a week. Sometimes it goes two weeks. I did notice before I did the last filter inspection that the Nitrates levels seem to be rising faster between water changes. That is what prompted me to clean / inspect filter. I also noticed slight brown algae on some of the plastic plants and glass. I am being strict about weekly water changes now to see if the algae issue gets resolved.

Thanks for the info,

Eric
 
Thanks for the input. I plan to stock more. I am just researching which fish would go with Black Skirt tetras. They are pretty much full grown. I would hate to put more species in there and make the Tetras mad.

Cheers!

Eric
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Black skirts get nippy just keep that in mind. Getting more of them doesn't always work either. I think a couple angelfish should do well. Gotta have cichlids in a tank that big lol. Good luck
 
Black skirts get nippy just keep that in mind. Getting more of them doesn't always work either. I think a couple angelfish should do well. Gotta have cichlids in a tank that big lol. Good luck
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Yes, thanks.
I wanted some Angelfish but was not sure if the Black skirts would be terrorizing them. What do you think about Dwarf Gourami also?

Thanks
 
Yes, thanks.
I wanted some Angelfish but was not sure if the Black skirts would be terrorizing them. What do you think about Dwarf Gourami also?

Thanks
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DG should work but personally I think the Angelfish stands more of a chance. They are tough, they are Cichlids at the end of the day. Black skirts aren't that bad, tiger barb are worse imo
 
I must admit. I only open my canisters when I see a noticeable drop in there flow rate. About every 2 to 3 months.
 

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