Filter floss cleaning under tap water?

Is it ok to rinse or spray my sponges/floss with tap water? I know I'm not supposed to do that with the biomedia so the bacteria doesn't get killed, but what about the sponges? I tried cleaning them in the tank water but that doesn't do the trick. So this time I just rinsed half of them with the spray nozzle in the sink and did the best I could with the others in the tank water. I'm using a Fluval 306 by the way.

 

Noooooo. Don't clean anything in the tank under tap water! Unless you have well water, then it's okay.

 

Is there chlorine in the water?

 

Yes, there's chlorine, and yes I know it kills the bacteria. I was just wondering if cleaning those sponges thoroughly was better than preserving the bacteria in them since the biomedia holds most of the bacteria anyways. How do you clean the sponges well? Maybe they don't need to be very clean?

 

All the media holds bacteria. Not sure how much BB would be affected.
Good question.

 

Cleanliness is overrated in fishtanks. Most of the brown slimy stuff you instinctively want to get rid of is pretty good overall. It's been a hard lesson for me to learn too.

 

That may be my problem. I'm assuming all that black/green gunk needs to be washed out.

 

What about the polishing pad? Does that need to be replaced or thoroughly cleaned out?

 

What about the polishing pad? Does that need to be replaced or thoroughly cleaned out?

For me, I usually throw the polish pads/poly fil and put new ones. I have enough biomax/ ceramic rings in my canister to house the BB. Is this a canister filter?

 

I have the same fluval pads from my old 30 gallon tank that was 2 years old. I took that tank down 6 months ago. Just to give you an idea

 

For me, I usually throw the polish pads/poly fil and put new ones. I have enough biomax/ ceramic rings in my canister to house the BB. Is this a canister filter?

Yes, it's a Fluval 306 canister.

 

Then I usually throw it away and refill with Poly-fil bought from a craft store (a lot cheaper). However, I never clean out my biomax/ceramic rings.

 

Good morning,

I only rinse my filter media (sponges and biomax) in siphoned tank water if I see a reduced flow from my filters which may be 4 to 6 months.

Filter Floss I toss and polishing pads I replace with fresh ones while the used ones are soaking in bleach/water mixture to reuse.

I do not depend on floss and pads for beneficial bacteria purposes. I have the sponges and biomax for this purpose.

Ken