canister filters

[Rudy1964]

I'm a bit confused here and I need some input with members who are using canister filters, I have a 150 gallon with 16 discus; from 7 to 4.5", two
canisters on this tank eheim 2260 and 2217,the tank its been running since October last year, I do water changes every 3 days from 50 to 75% feed them mostly beef hart, water parameters are fine with zero amonia and nitrite and about 10ppm nitrate. My question; How often should I be cleaning the filters, I had a few problems in the past with fish been stress and I know it's related to water, the tank its in a room that its quiet. I'm trying to figure out what's the problem; maybe to much food or too much cleaning, I clean the filter almost every week, only the mechanical part never touch the bioload, any suggestions.

[AngryBird]

I have two eheim filters of same size running. I change the sponge media once every two months on both the filters but not at the same time. If you touch one filter for cleaning, dont bother the other at least that same month. Cleaning every week sounds way too frequent to me and I really hope you are not cleaning both your filters at the same time.

[DonMD]

In my 125 g with 2 Eheim 2028 filters, I would clean them about once every 4 months or so. I'd disconnect the manifold from the filter head, carry the filter base in to the kitchen, fill the sink with tepid water, add a few drops of Prime, then open the filters and pull out the baskets of bio media. Dunk those baskets repeatedly in the water (gets very black very fast), and then clean out the housing. Fill with water, add a couple drops of Prime, put in the baskets, and add new floss filter media on top, and reconnect everything. At that time I would also clean the tubing if I felt like it.

If your fish are stressed and your water parameters are good, then I don't think it's an issue of cleaning out your canisters. I may be other issues such as crowding, aggression, or some other issue. Good luck.

[Rudy1964]

No I don't clean both a the same time, but I find the filters get to crappy and the fish a bit unhappy, so that's why I open the canisters so often; and I tell
you it's a pain to open the 2260. The canister are set up the same with efimech at the bottom fallow by efifiber and sponge and subpro on top.
I've read from other people who also clean their filters once a week, I would like to stretch the cleaning interval of the filters but at this point I find no other solution.

[-gb-]

I find if I don't clean my canister filter and hoses every 6 weeks my fish get cloudy eyes. Directly after the cleaning their eyes clear up. I also have a per-filter on the intake hose that gets cleaned every 2 days with water changes.

Are you using a per-filter? If not I'd suggest giving it a try. May help stretch your filter cleaning regiment.

[Rudy1964]

I forgot to mention the tank it's a bare bottom and I vacuum any left over food right after feeding, I will use per-filter see if that help,
thanks for the advice.

[-gb-]

one other helpful hint... if you add in some cory fish they will eat all the leftover food after the discus are finished. After that if you still have food floating around you're feeding to much.

[Rudy1964]

Yup I belive I been feeding too much, yesterday when I open the 2260 I could make soup out all the beef hart sitting at the bottom of the canister, and it was probably 10 day before it was clean. Today I put some sponges on the intake I hope it will help, other tanks with out canister they don't have this problem I guess
canister are bad when keeping discus if you don't properly clean them often enough.
On the other hand I also have a 75 Gallon with tropheus (african ), they get feed 4 times a day, not beef hart and I don't have to clean the canister that often, my guess beef hart and canisters are not a good combination