Canister filters...frequency of cleaning, changing

[wsdiscus]

I use Fluval canisters with my discus. I need recommendations for how often to change/clean the media. I use Purigen and Matrix along with water polishing pads. I don't think you have to replace the Matrix just the Purigen...any suggestions?

[rickztahone]

Since you only have 1 filter, i would recommend cleaning it every 3-6 months. It really depends on how messy/stocked your tank is. Do you have a sponge filter? I've never liked only having one filter in a tank, in case one gets nuked. So, when i had tanks, i always had two filters, and i would alternate cleaning by a few months. That worked well. If you ever see your water decrease significantly from your outlet, that should be your indicator and should mark a time frame for you on how often you need to clean.

[wsdiscus]

rick, i do run 2 Fluval filters at the same time...the tank is overstocked but i do water changes every 2-3 days....i have 13 in a 75 gallon
2 filters is good and like you said can clean one out and still have 1 of them running

[rickztahone]

rick, i do run 2 Fluval filters at the same time...the tank is overstocked but i do water changes every 2-3 days....i have 13 in a 75 gallon
2 filters is good and like you said can clean one out and still have 1 of them running

If that's the case, then you should be good cleaning a filter every two months. However, that means a monthly cleaning of a filter every time. I used to do it every 1st of the month so i wouldn't forget. I used to keep a small group of 25 discus in a 75g but i had a 40g sump. As they grew i had to start selling them off because of the bio-load. Its in my signature if you wanna check it out. I used to do 60-80% daily WC's however.

[Swedgin]

I use Fluval canisters with my discus. I need recommendations for how often to change/clean the media. I use Purigen and Matrix along with water polishing pads. I don't think you have to replace the Matrix just the Purigen...any suggestions?

Hi Morgan,

yes, you are correct, the matrix does not and should not be replaced, just rinsed lightly with tank water when the filter is cleaned. The purigen needs to be recharged or replaced when it turns to a darkish brown. The instructions on the bottle usually work spot on. I would suggest to keep an extra portion of purigen handy, so when you do the cleaning, instead of recharging and opening the filter again after a few days you can use the clean purigen and recharge the used one for the next filter clean.
If you are using fine filter floss in your fluvals I would also suggest to clean them out more frequently, either rinsing or replacing the floss, as it catches most of the gunk and having it sit there for months won’t do you any favors.

I personally run 4-5 canisters on each tank, and I clean one per water change, so every 7-10 days in my case, which gives each filter about a monthly or 6 weekly cleaning interval, like Rick suggested. I don’t use floss though, so I just lightly rinse the media and the pre filter foam. Takes about 10 mins per filter/change

If you’re going for longer intervals I would keep a close eye on NO3 levels

Tobi

[Filip]

Agree with Tobi . It all depends on the filter and prefilter materials you use. With polishing pads in a canister and without using a prefilter on your intake I wouldn't go for more than 3 weeks without cleaning.
I my self do the quite opposite . I stack my canister with coarse biomedia only (matrix , siporax , fluval rings etc. )and I wrap my intake with thick wrapping of pollishing pads .
That way I just clean / change the intake polishing pads bi -weekly and I open to clean the canister only once or twice a year . There isn't much to Clean inside anyway because its only coarse media that does not collect dirt , and its prefiltered with polishing pads that does not allow any dirt to enter the canister .

[Pices]

Filip,
I’m interested in changing my canister routine and trying your method. Would you be so kind to show a pic of your intake filters wrapped with polishing pads? That sounds so much easier in the long run for my 75 gal angel tank. I already have coarse biomedia and pre filters, so it would be an easy fix. Thanks from my husband who reluctantly has this chore.
Patty

[fljones3]

Filip,
I agree with Pices. Also, what polishing pad do you use? I assume you use a rubber bank to secure the wrapping.

Maybe a pic would assist.

Frank

[rickztahone]

Filip,
I’m interested in changing my canister routine and trying your method. Would you be so kind to show a pic of your intake filters wrapped with polishing pads? That sounds so much easier in the long run for my 75 gal angel tank. I already have coarse biomedia and pre filters, so it would be an easy fix. Thanks from my husband who reluctantly has this chore.
Patty

Fluval pre-filters, easy :).

Everyone with a canister filter needs to have one of these. It prolongs your filter maintenance by a significant margin.

[Pices]

Fluval pre-filters, easy :).

Everyone with a canister filter needs to have one of these. It prolongs your filter maintenance by a significant margin.

Yes, I have fluval pre-filters already. They are great but replacing the pre filter sponge inside is difficult and it’s hard to find a good fitting substitute, but I love pre-filters. I was interested in seeing how Filip wraps the polishing cloth around it.
Also Filip didn’t say he uses a pre-filter so I am curious to see his set up.
Patty

[Paul Sabucchi]

I agree keeping solid waste out of the canister in the first place is a good thing, particularly if you are growing out young fish and throwing food at them every 3 hours. I have adapted an XL size sponge filter as a prefilter in the tank. It is a doddle to take it out and rinse it every day in the bucket of water from when I clean the bottom with a syphon. I also then connect a piece of hose to the 3 way tap in the tank to continue cleaning while the water empties. I have another 3 way tap just before the canister so the resulting waste water goes straight to my veggie patch. It may not be the most aesthetically pleasing setup but it sure makes daily cleaning and water changing much easier. Not saying it is the best method for the job but it works for me

[sayid]

+1
I agree with others that prefilter on the canister input tube is probably the most effective way to keep the nasties out of the filter ,it takes a few second to change it with a clean one and for this reason i can change it daily . I have two canister which i clean very 2 months .

[sayid]

117099
117100
sorry but the photos did not upload the first time

[wsdiscus]

If that's the case, then you should be good cleaning a filter every two months. However, that means a monthly cleaning of a filter every time. I used to do it every 1st of the month so i wouldn't forget. I used to keep a small group of 25 discus in a 75g but i had a 40g sump. As they grew i had to start selling them off because of the bio-load. Its in my signature if you wanna check it out. I used to do 60-80% daily WC's however.

I actually have a third filter i could put in there ....I don't have a sump so I'm trying not to put so much hardware in the tank
do you have any ideas to secure the filter outtake flow on the Fluval to the back of the tank?

[wsdiscus]

Hi Morgan,

yes, you are correct, the matrix does not and should not be replaced, just rinsed lightly with tank water when the filter is cleaned. The purigen needs to be recharged or replaced when it turns to a darkish brown. The instructions on the bottle usually work spot on. I would suggest to keep an extra portion of purigen handy, so when you do the cleaning, instead of recharging and opening the filter again after a few days you can use the clean purigen and recharge the used one for the next filter clean.
If you are using fine filter floss in your fluvals I would also suggest to clean them out more frequently, either rinsing or replacing the floss, as it catches most of the gunk and having it sit there for months won’t do you any favors.

I personally run 4-5 canisters on each tank, and I clean one per water change, so every 7-10 days in my case, which gives each filter about a monthly or 6 weekly cleaning interval, like Rick suggested. I don’t use floss though, so I just lightly rinse the media and the pre filter foam. Takes about 10 mins per filter/change

If you’re going for longer intervals I would keep a close eye on NO3 levels

Tobi

Hi Tobi,

so you have all the intake and outtake tubes inside the tank?
i can add an additional filter and have 3 running ...how would you secure the water flow outtake nozzles in the tank?

[Swedgin]

Hi Tobi,

so you have all the intake and outtake tubes inside the tank?
i can add an additional filter and have 3 running ...how would you secure the water flow outtake nozzles in the tank?

Hi Morgan,

Yes I do. All of my filters have flow valves, so I can adjust the flow as needed. Some just drop the water vertically into the tank to avoid too much current. I hide all my pipes etc behind backgrounds or weirs (black on black background), as I don’t like to see any equipment in the tank. Takes the natural feel away in my personal opinion.

My new tank will run 7 external filters, from as small as an fx6 to a 100 liter volume pond filter with a 3000 gph pump. As mentioned not worried about flow as I can adjust gph and direction at will.

Not sure which fluvals you have, but I’m assuming they have a similar feature?

Tobi

[Filip]

Patty and Frank , my DIY filter floss is pretty unsightly but it does its job , keeping the smallest of the nasties away from my canister . I always hide it behind some plant , which I do have plenty , so the white unsightly colour of the polishing pad in the tank doesn't get in to my eyes .

Here are some photos of my Intakes , filter floss and floss wrapped around my intake , secured with a rubber band :

117150

This is the brand of polishing floss that I use . Sera is well known German aqua brand here in Europe :

117156

Here is a photo of the 2 intakes that I change / swich 2 times a week . You can notice how dirty the polishing floss gets in just a few days :

117151

The green thing is a flex PVC tube that I use to connect the intake to the plastic canister pipe :

117152


This is the 20 pound bucked that I use to clean the polishing pads .Notice how dirty it gets after cleaning the pad that was in my tank for just 3 days and just imagine all that gunk pile up with months in your canister trays :

Before :

117153

After rising the polishing pad :

117154


And finally , you can just throw away the used wrap and cut a new piece since floss is fairly cheap , but I always clean them in my bucket because my petunias appreciate and enjoy this muddy fish poop water , as you can notice from this photo :) :

117155

[Paul Sabucchi]

Wow, compliments for your petunias!

[Filip]

Wow, compliments for your petunias!

Thanks Paul . Aquarium water and filter dirt along with regular fertilizer dosing does wonders for plants and flowers :)

[fljones3]

Filip, very helpful. Thanks for taking the time to assist!

Frank

[wsdiscus]

Hi Morgan,

Yes I do. All of my filters have flow valves, so I can adjust the flow as needed. Some just drop the water vertically into the tank to avoid too much current. I hide all my pipes etc behind backgrounds or weirs (black on black background), as I don’t like to see any equipment in the tank. Takes the natural feel away in my personal opinion.

My new tank will run 7 external filters, from as small as an fx6 to a 100 liter volume pond filter with a 3000 gph pump. As mentioned not worried about flow as I can adjust gph and direction at will.

Not sure which fluvals you have, but I’m assuming they have a similar feature?

Tobi

Tobi, i have Fluval 406 filters but i don't like the sight of all the hardware in the back of the tank
the tank has a black background on it now...i don't know how to hide the hardware unless i go to some kind of sump

[wsdiscus]

Patty and Frank , my DIY filter floss is pretty unsightly but it does its job , keeping the smallest of the nasties away from my canister . I always hide it behind some plant , which I do have plenty , so the white unsightly colour of the polishing pad in the tank doesn't get in to my eyes .

Here are some photos of my Intakes , filter floss and floss wrapped around my intake , secured with a rubber band :

117150

This is the brand of polishing floss that I use . Sera is well known German aqua brand here in Europe :

117156

Here is a photo of the 2 intakes that I change / swich 2 times a week . You can notice how dirty the polishing floss gets in just a few days :

117151

The green thing is a flex PVC tube that I use to connect the intake to the plastic canister pipe :

117152


This is the 20 pound bucked that I use to clean the polishing pads .Notice how dirty it gets after cleaning the pad that was in my tank for just 3 days and just imagine all that gunk pile up with months in your canister trays :

Before :

117153

After rising the polishing pad :

117154


And finally , you can just throw away the used wrap and cut a new piece since floss is fairly cheap , but I always clean them in my bucket because my petunias appreciate and enjoy this muddy fish poop water , as you can notice from this photo :) :

117155

wow, nice petunias!! :)

[Swedgin]

Tobi, i have Fluval 406 filters but i don't like the sight of all the hardware in the back of the tank
the tank has a black background on it now...i don't know how to hide the hardware unless i go to some kind of sump

It’s quite easy, the black background will help tremendously.

You can either get black plasic/acrylic sheets and make a cover for your pipes yourself or given the many equipment retailers you have in the US just buy a couple overflow weirs made for sumps and cut holes in to be covered with mesh.

I’ll try to get some pics of what I have done later, it’s really easy and efficient.

Tobi

[Filip]

wow, nice petunias!! :)

Thanks Morgan .

And about hiding the canister tubes behind the tank . Have you considered to hide both of the tubes , along with other equipment behind the one side of the tank instead of behind the back of the tank ? That way they will sure be less visible than having them on the back of the tank . I have done it that way as you can see on the first picture in my post above.
My tank is open view from three sides , and all the equipment is hidden behind that 4th side of the tank and its barely noticeable .

[Pices]

Wow Filip,
Thank you so much! Our polishing pads here in the US are very dense which my husband worried would interfere with flow. Now that I see this is actually polishing floss it makes perfect sense. I also have many plants in the tank (to hide it) and many patio plants that would love that dirty fish water. I can’t wait to do this.
Thanks for all the pics and step by step instructions. Those petunias are gorgeous btw and your idea is genius! Also, I’ll be able to get these on and off much easier than the snap on fluval pre filters. Those sponges inside the pre filters are next to impossible to replace. Thanks for solving my problem so thoroughly.
Patty

[Filip]

Wow Filip,
Thank you so much! Our polishing pads here in the US are very dense which my husband worried would interfere with flow. Now that I see this is actually polishing floss it makes perfect sense. I also have many plants in the tank (to hide it) and many patio plants that would love that dirty fish water. I can’t wait to do this.
Thanks for all the pics and step by step instructions. Those petunias are gorgeous btw and your idea is genius! Also, I’ll be able to get these on and off much easier than the snap on fluval pre filters. Those sponges inside the pre filters are next to impossible to replace. Thanks for solving my problem so thoroughly.
Patty

I'm glad if I helped Patty .
Its pretty much the same as using sponge over the intake but only this way , you get much finer pre - filtration to the micron dirt particles and not much gets away in to the canister trays .

By the way , I feel your husbands pain because to me too , cleaning the canister filter is by far the worst experience that this hobby requires from me :) . I hate when that time of the year comes :)
That's why I came out with this combination , using the finest of prefiltration along with the most coarse filter media in the canister trays .

BTW. Thanks for your compliments on my petunias . I'm amazed and pleased that I found so many "soulmates" about my passion for greenery and flowers .

[Pices]

Filip,
My husband was hating it every 6 weeks and it took 2 weeks of nagging before he did actually did it. I tried doing it myself, but it was harder for him to try and find out why they wouldn’t restart after my handiwork. Ha ha
He is very grateful, my plants and angels will be too. Thanks again, you stand out as one of the people here who make this forum such a great place. Always great advice.
Patty

[Robcope]

I use the filter max IV prefilters on all my filters, hang on the back and canisters. As a result I clean one cascade canister filter every two months. Even the, there is very little debris in the sponges in the canister. I clean the prefilters every two weeks in tank water. I really believe, If I wasn't using purigen I would wait longer. I run a cascade 1000 and cascade 1200 on our 75 gallon Discus tank.