When shoud I clean my sponge

I have a 10 gallon and a 20 gallon both with a power filter with a sponge on the bottom. When shoud I clean it out and how?

 

You can just squeeze the sponge filter out a little over a sink or you can put some of your old tank water in a bucket and let the sponge filter sit in there and squeeze a little. Really it is up to you

 

If they are pre filter sponges I clean they at every water change so weekly. If your using only sponges to filter the tank I would clean them in water change water whenever you do a water change. If there are 2 sponges do a different one each week.

 

Don't ever clean it in tap water it will kill the good bacteria, Most all my tanks are sponge filters now and I clean them about every couple of mo. in the tank water when I do a water change [I don't clean it every wc]. when I have fry in the tank even less.

 

Don't ever clean it in tap water it will kill the good bacteria,

Just a FYI for you.

Learn here on why rinsing your media in tap water will not kill your bacteria.

Rinsing Biomedia In Tap Water

 

ShrimpKeeper , sponge filters can go a long time between cleaning.

Depending on the bio-load in the tank, anywhere from once a month to once every couple of months.

You will be surprised how much muck comes out of them when you clean them