Cleaning Canister Filter

[discusinoz]

Guys,

What is the procedure when cleaning a cannister filter. My filter has four baskets, one black mesh, one cotton wool, one bio balls, and lastly ceramic rings. How often should this be done.

Thanks
Neil.

[ronrca]

Tell us more about your tank! Is it bare bottom, planted, community, size, etc?

In my 90G planted, I have a XP-3 filter with half a basket bioballs and the rest foam. I only clean when the output is noticably lower. Then I rinse the first basket, removing all the crud and replace.

[discusinoz]

Guys,

My tank has is a 100 gallong , gravel bottom, a few plants and one log. At the moment i only have some tetras, bristlenose and clown loach. I am preparing to get some discus soon, just waiting for either Rod or Scott to have some.

Just wondering whether i clean only the mesh/foam and how often. Is there any need to disturb the bio balls and ceramic rings obviously this is where the good bacteria is.

Neil.

[Shari]

I have the Ehiem wet/dry canister - what they tought me was 'as needed' in my case, lots of Discus and gravel bottom I do it about every 2-6 weeks pending need - fill a bucket with water from the tank during a wc change, empty your water from filter at sink or whever you do this, and take out each basket and just hold the handle and swish it around in the tank water in the bucket. Or any filters or whever else you have in there and rinse well in the tank water itself and you will keep all your good bacteria (you can use fresh decholorinated water too) but swish everything around just to get any extra particles out of the baskets which may contribute to bacteria (the bad kind) rinse out sponges etc. same way until clean, and put all back in proper order of how you took it out. And when hoses get real gunked up looking I pour clorox bleach into them and let them sit in cold water for 1/2 hour, or less if they clean out right away, then run cold water thru them rotating from each direction to be sure all bleach residue is out (this takes awhile) and put all back together ......like new but with all the good bacteria ;D ;D ;D

[angel12]

Got to agree just take each compartment out and rinse them in the Water you have taken from the tank give em a good swish round making sure the debris is rinsed off and pop back in the filter .. I know someone who thought it was a good idea to wash his filter under the tap Not recommended

[barron]

I use 304 and 404 fluvals. I use tank water, in 3 (5 gal pails)
water is taken durning water change. I place filter pads in one pail, media baskets in another pail, canister in yet another pail. If I am slow I add air to each pail to save bacteria, I clean each one by shaking or squezzing in the pail. Never change more then half of each type of media at once so you can re-seed the new media. Never use tap water unless you remove the cl2. The temp should be the same as tank you can kill bio-mass by wide temp swings.

hth barron

[RAWesolowski]

Shari gives very good advice on rinsing your media in tank water. Do replace your pads when you break down the cannister. I clean my cannister every three months, but I do have a sponge on the intake that keeps the crud from finding its way into the filter.

I clean the sponge in tap water each week since I don't need the additional bio filtration.