Cleaning The Filter?

Hello fish friends!

I have yet to clean my filter in my tank because in am highly afraid that it will mess up my cycled tank. I have two filters technically, sponge and just a regular filter nothing special. How many times should I clean them? And for my filter-filter there’s ceramic rings in it. How often should I change those?

TANK: (if you need the parameters just tell me)
size: 29-gallon
temp: 79

And a question a little unrelated to the topic is, is my stocking okay?

STOCKING:
1 Bolivian ram
1 German blue ram
1 dwarf Gourami
10 neon tetras
2 kuhlI loaches
4 guppies
1 bristle nose algae eater

I am aware that the kuhlI loaches need at least 5-6 in a group but I need some opinions on what to do!

MY OVERALL QUESTIONS:
Should I clean my filter, if so when and how?

Should I clean the sponge filter, is so when and how?

Should I frequently remove my ceramic rings and replace them with cleaner one?

Is the stocking good, bad, need so fixes?

 

When you siphon the water just squeeze the sponge filter and all the dirty water will come out. As long as you clean in tank water you will be fine.

 

When you siphon the water just squeeze the sponge filter and all the dirty water will come out. As long as you clean in tank water you will be fine.

Should I also clean the regular filter in the tank water as well? And what about my ceramics rings?

Thank you

 

Don't replace your ceramic rings ever. If they're in a little bag and it gets gunky, just swish it around in some old tank water after doing a water change. They hold a lot of bacteria, so don't replace them!
You can clean your filter media (sponges etc) every few water changes (or as needed), by swishing them in old tank water as well. Never run any of it under the tap!
Can't comment on your stocking though, I'll leave that for someone else here

 

I would actually stagger them. So one month clean one filter and another month clean the other filter. Clean them quarterly if you like. So you do weekly water changes, do one the first week of the month and the other at the 3rd week of them month. Wait 3 months and do it again.

In all honesty...I rarely clean my filters. Part of it is lazy but a part of it is "if it ain't broke don't fix it" mentality. I run a canister with stuff in it. I opened it up for the first time in six months and cleaned it under tank water. My 55g...i've not touched it at all since it was set up in December.

 

Don't replace your ceramic rings ever. If they're in a little bag and it gets gunky, just swish it around in some old tank water after doing a water change. They hold a lot of bacteria, so don't replace them!
You can clean your filter media (sponges etc) every few water changes (or as needed), by swishing them in old tank water as well. Never run any of it under the tap!
Can't comment on your stocking though, I'll leave that for someone else here

Okay thanks!

I would actually stagger them. So one month clean one filter and another month clean the other filter. Clean them quarterly if you like. So you do weekly water changes, do one the first week of the month and the other at the 3rd week of them month. Wait 3 months and do it again.

In all honesty...I rarely clean my filters. Part of it is lazy but a part of it is "if it ain't broke don't fix it" mentality. I run a canister with stuff in it. I opened it up for the first time in six months and cleaned it under tank water. My 55g...i've not touched it at all since it was set up in December.

Okay thanks!