How To (and When To) Clean Filter

[Taylor Horn]

Hello all!
I just had a general question about my filter. I cycled my tank for about a month and have had my fish for about 3 weeks. How do I know it's time to clean my filter media? And how do I do it in a way that won't disturb the system too much? I do weekly changes btw, except the first week of having my fish because the nitrite levels were high. I also have a java fern, Anubis, a few moss balls and some mystery plant in a rock I got from Petco.
Thanks for the help and support. Love this site

 

[Kathryn Crook]

What kind of filter are you running?

 

[Chaory]

Depends on your stock and what type of fishes, but I would clean the media’s in tank water at least once a month.

 

[DuaneV]

Easiest and best way, in my opinion, is every once in a while (depending on what type of filter you're running, your bioload and how your media looks this could be once a week, once a month or once every 6 months) when you're doing a water change, after youve siphoned some tank water into a bucket, take your media and just rinse it around in that tank water before you dump it.

 

[fjh]

For my HOB filters and sponge filters, I squeeze the filter media or give it a quick scrub in the old water after each water change.
Canister filters are a lot more hassle to clean so I just clean them whenever they get clogged (ive noticed my fluval gets clogged every 3-4 months, so I clean it every 12 weeks).

 

[napa15rt]

I have the same questions. I have a aquaclear 20 has sponge then charcoal then biomax material. not sure when to change them. Only been running for about 10 days. I know its not time yet. Just started to think about what order and how often to change them.

 

[OscarHoya]

For my HOB filters and sponge filters, I squeeze the filter media or give it a quick scrub in the old water after each water change.

I've always wondered why people do this. I just clean mine in clean tap water. I've tested my tap water and it is at a good parameter. I still have good beneficial bacteria in the remaining tank water and in parts of my filter setup. My old water is usually higher in nitrates than clean water.

 

[Kathryn Crook]

I have the same questions. I have a aquaclear 20 has sponge then charcoal then biomax material. not sure when to change them. Only been running for about 10 days. I know its not time yet. Just started to think about what order and how often to change them.

I run an AC 30 and the sponge and bio balls should never be replaced, just rinsed or squeezed out in your water change water. (Since it should be treated with dechlorinate) As for the carbon bag, you really don't need it except to clean meds out your tank. Most ppl replace it with floss...

 

[napa15rt]

I run an AC 30 and the sponge and bio balls should never be replaced, just rinsed or squeezed out in your water change water. (Since it should be treated with dechlorinate) As for the carbon bag, you really don't need it except to clean meds out your tank. Most ppl replace it with floss...

Most people replace it with what?? Sorry I am a novice.

would it be better to run something other than the charcoal then ?

 

[Kathryn Crook]

Most people replace it with what?? Sorry I am a novice.

Filter floss, sorry...like polyester pillow stuffing. It cleans the water and when it gets really gunky, its cheap to throw away and replace.

 

[Chaory]

I have the same questions. I have a aquaclear 20 has sponge then charcoal then biomax material. not sure when to change them. Only been running for about 10 days. I know its not time yet. Just started to think about what order and how often to change them.

Only rinse and squeeze them in tank water at least once a month. No need to replace them, unless they are torn and very wear out. I’m still using the same filter pads for over 3 years.

 

[fjh]

I've always wondered why people do this. I just clean mine in clean tap water. I've tested my tap water and it is at a good parameter. I still have good beneficial bacteria in the remaining tank water and in parts of my filter setup. My old water is usually higher in nitrates than clean water.

Most of your BB lives in the media, so you don't want to introduce chlotinated (tap) water to the media. If you do you are probably causing your tank to minI cycle every week. If you are using tap water, you are probably better off just using new media each week.
And since you aren't actually moving any water back to tue tank and just rinsing the junk out of the media, it really doesn't matter what parameters the water has, so long as it doesn't kill the bacteria.

 

[Fish0n]

I've always wondered why people do this. I just clean mine in clean tap water. I've tested my tap water and it is at a good parameter. I still have good beneficial bacteria in the remaining tank water and in parts of my filter setup. My old water is usually higher in nitrates than clean water.

As fjh mentioned the chlorine is the issue in most tap waters and will take away you BB. I happen to run off of a well so sinks work just as good as the old tank water for me. Cleaning too vigorously can also remove some BB but if you happen to really want it clean for whatever reason (I am guilty of over cleaning so I never do all of my media at once) try just doing a bit at a time rather than every filter pad all at once.

 

[DuaneV]

People use tank water because its simply easier and safer, for a few reasons:

1: You're right there with the tank, the water you're siphoning out and you don't need to carry anything across the house.
2: If you do carry it to the sink you may be rinsing it with chlorinated water, which will kill your bacteria, causing you to lose your cycle.
3: Also, matching water temps and PH straight from the tap can be tricky and again, may impact your bacteria, so no need to risk it.

Again, its just easier and safer to do it right at the tank while you're cleaning it than risk losing some or all of your bacteria and having to take it to another area.

 

[napa15rt]

People use tank water because its simply easier and safer, for a few reasons:

1: You're right there with the tank, the water you're siphoning out and you don't need to carry anything across the house.
2: If you do carry it to the sink you may be rinsing it with chlorinated water, which will kill your bacteria, causing you to lose your cycle.
3: Also, matching water temps and PH straight from the tap can be tricky and again, may impact your bacteria, so no need to risk it.

Again, its just easier and safer to do it right at the tank while you're cleaning it than risk losing some or all of your bacteria and having to take it to another area.

 

[83jase]

I've always wondered why people do this. I just clean mine in clean tap water. I've tested my tap water and it is at a good parameter. I still have good beneficial bacteria in the remaining tank water and in parts of my filter setup. My old water is usually higher in nitrates than clean water.

Because tap water will kill your beneficial bacteria it's full of chlorine and or chloramine
Throw it in a minI cycle it kill the cycle all together as I learnt the hard way years back
Thinking why wash it filthy tank water when I can use clean water


There is no way to test beneficial bacteria colony size or the amount that's active without giving it time checking for ammonia and nitrite spikes if there is and missinformed please correct me


Beneficial bacteria does not live in the water column it lives in filters mainly and substrates

Since you wash your filter media and chlorine and or chloramine infused water curious do you use any form water Conditioner when doing pwc's

 

[napa15rt]

So far I have been using seachem products. So far so good

 

[Taylor Horn]

I’m not too sure what kind of filter it is. It’s in a Tetra Acrylic Crescent aquarium, it came with it. It has activated carbon in it. I checked it last water change and it looked kind of gross so I just waved it around in the bucket of dirty water. I was too afraid to squeeze it. I have a 5 gallon tank with one Betta but I’m picking up a zebra or tiger snail today to help with the algae thanks for all your help everyone!

 

[Fish0n]

I’m not too sure what kind of filter it is. It’s in a Tetra Acrylic Crescent aquarium, it came with it. It has activated carbon in it. I checked it last water change and it looked kind of gross so I just waved it around in the bucket of dirty water. I was too afraid to squeeze it. I have a 5 gallon tank with one Betta but I’m picking up a zebra or tiger snail today to help with the algae thanks for all your help everyone!

If your snail is efficient as mine in that sized tank make sure to supplement his diet!

 

[Taylor Horn]

If your snail is efficient as mine in that sized tank make sure to supplement his diet!

I've heard I can feed them cucumber and zucchinI and such so I'll be sure to do that! I just get a buildup of brown algae constantly and white algae on my decor so I figured it would be easier and more fun to have a little helper than to scrub the walls with the algae scrubber all the time and having to take out and clean my decor every water change

 

[georgelee1000]

Replace the crappy cartridge to something like ceramic rings or balls. These should last forever. As long as there’s no clogging issue, never.

 

[Taylor Horn]

Replace the crappy cartridge to something like ceramic rings or balls. These should last forever. As long as there’s no clogging issue, never.

won't that like restart my cycle, or at least set it back a bit? Either way, I'll look into it, but I just added a zebra snail today, so I'd probably let that ride out a bit in case there's a spike in ammonia.

 

[OscarHoya]

Because tap water will kill your beneficial bacteria it's full of chlorine and or chloramine
Throw it in a minI cycle it kill the cycle all together as I learnt the hard way years back
Thinking why wash it filthy tank water when I can use clean water


There is no way to test beneficial bacteria colony size or the amount that's active without giving it time checking for ammonia and nitrite spikes if there is and missinformed please correct me


Beneficial bacteria does not live in the water column it lives in filters mainly and substrates

Since you wash your filter media and chlorine and or chloramine infused water curious do you use any form water Conditioner when doing pwc's

Thanks, makes sense

 

[83jase]

No worries man all be there I'll.admit I did it few times back in the day and never understood why and how cycle was messed up or even what the cycle was about really