Do I Need To Clean My Entire Filter?

So my marineland penguin 200 b is seeming to have issues running. The bio wheel has stopped spinning completely and after a week I have to change the cartridge due to it being plugged up and water coming out the overflow. So is it possible that there's a bunch of gunk in there I just need to clean out.
Sorry that the wording of this question is a bit weird I don't really know how else to ask but can clarify if necessary

 

Whats size of tank? That filter is probably too small for amount of gunk your tank make. But it isn't unusual taht you need to clean every week internal filters and smaller hang ons. Get bigger filter or put sponge on intake or get canister filter and clean it once every few months

 

The bio wheel never really works.It stops spinning after a while. When I ran my penguin 350 I took out the cartridge and replaced it with bio media and sponges. You won't have any problems of it plugging up.

If I were in your shoes I would take the cartridge, get a knife cut a hole on the cartridge and empty all the black stuff out. Than roll that the white matting that held the carbon and put it back into the tank. I would add other media like bio media or a sponge (aquaclear sponges for example) and stuff that into your filter. That will resolve the clogging and over filling.

The cartridge is useless.

Just don't dump the cartridge until about a month or two when the tank adjust to the new bio media you have in there.

 

HOB filters do need to be cleaned out occasionally. Unplug it. Take it to your sink. Remove all of the media including the bio-wheel and put it in a container of dechlorinated water or water you have removed from your tank while doing a water change. If using fresh dechlorinated water try to temp match it with the tanks temp.

Now you can clean the inside of the filter. Check the impeller for build up on it and wash it well. There is some bacteria on everything in the filter but you won't be losing enough to cause a problem so go ahead and put some warm water in there and clean the build up off. Be sure to clean the hole where the impeller goes. A q-tip works well for cleaning inside it.

If you are still using the cartridges this is a good time to replace it if water no longer flows through it freely. To keep from throwing away all that good bacteria living on the old cartridge go ahead and cut the fiber off the plastic frame. Toss the frame and carbon. Now you can put a new cartridge along with this piece of fiber back in the filter without taking a chance of losing your cycle. Just place the piece of fiber when water gets to it before going through the new one.

If the bio-wheel in no longer turning It is possible that the groves the ends of the wheel sit on are clogged with gunk. Make sure you clean them out good and that should get it turning again.

I have moved away from using the cartridges but still do this to my HOB filters every 6 months or so.

 

Whats size of tank? That filter is probably too small for amount of gunk your tank make. But it isn't unusual taht you need to clean every week internal filters and smaller hang ons. Get bigger filter or put sponge on intake or get canister filter and clean it once every few months

it’s a 40 gallon and the 200 b is rated for 50

 

Accept suggestions from mattgirl and Fashooga they have more experience. But in any case I would buy bigger/better filter

 

The bio wheel never really works.It stops spinning after a while. When I ran my penguin 350 I took out the cartridge and replaced it with bio media and sponges. You won't have any problems of it plugging up.

If I were in your shoes I would take the cartridge, get a knife cut a hole on the cartridge and empty all the black stuff out. Than roll that the white matting that held the carbon and put it back into the tank. I would add other media like bio media or a sponge (aquaclear sponges for example) and stuff that into your filter. That will resolve the clogging and over filling.

The cartridge is useless.

Just don't dump the cartridge until about a month or two when the tank adjust to the new bio media you have in there.

Thanks for the advice, I am actually planning on using some sort of bio media soon. I just don’t understand why it went from running perfectly for months to needing to be changed every week

HOB filters do need to be cleaned out occasionally. Unplug it. Take it to your sink. Remove all of the media including the bio-wheel and put it in a container of dechlorinated water or water you have removed from your tank while doing a water change. If using fresh dechlorinated water try to temp match it with the tanks temp.

Now you can clean the inside of the filter. Check the impeller for build up on it and wash it well. There is some bacteria on everything in the filter but you won't be losing enough to cause a problem so go ahead and put some warm water in there and clean the build up off. Be sure to clean the hole where the impeller goes. A q-tip works well for cleaning inside it.

If you are still using the cartridges this is a good time to replace it if water no longer flows through it freely. To keep from throwing away all that good bacteria living on the old cartridge go ahead and cut the fiber off the plastic frame. Toss the frame and carbon. Now you can put a new cartridge along with this piece of fiber back in the filter without taking a chance of losing your cycle. Just place the piece of fiber when water gets to it before going through the new one.

If the bio-wheel in no longer turning It is possible that the groves the ends of the wheel sit on are clogged with gunk. Make sure you clean them out good and that should get it turning again.

I have moved away from using the cartridges but still do this to my HOB filters every 6 months or so.

Thanks, I’ll do that when I get home today. Is rinsing the cartridge under cool water to get it unplugged but still keep most of the bacteria alive worth it, or should I just change it again?

 

Thanks for the advice, I am actually planning on using some sort of bio media soon. I just don’t understand why it went from running perfectly for months to needing to be changed every week


Thanks, I’ll do that when I get home today. Is rinsing the cartridge under cool water to get it unplugged but still keep most of the bacteria alive worth it, or should I just change it again?

It probably just finally reached a point of being so filled with gunk it was telling you it needed attention.

When rinsing the cartridge it needs to be done in water removed from your tank. Rinsing it with tap water, if you have chlorine in your tap water, will kill the bacteria.

What happens to a cartridge is not only a build up of gunk but the carbon inside them eventually clogs them up so water will no longer flow through them no matter how many times we try to rinse them. When that happens it is time to cut the fiber off, since that is where the bacteria is, and put it in the filter housing along with a new cartridge.

It is also a good time to actually dispense with the cartridges all together and replace it with a different type of media, There are lots of different materials one can use.

In my case I have a bag of ceramic rings, a bag of lava rocks and topped off with poly-fil to help polish the water. I rinse the poly-fil a couple of times and then usually just replace it every other week.

 

Thanks!