Cleaning Canister Filter

[christian1971]

How often should I clean a canister filter? Would it be beneficial to also add a power filter (emperor 400)? Or is that overkill? Not sure on size of tank yet, perhaps 55 to start, with 4 discus.

[Eddie]

Get 6 minimum, depends on how you feed.


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

[ericatdallas]

IMO, go with 75G ... I bought a 55G when I got back to fishkeeping but within two weeks bought a 75G.

How often you clean your canister depends on
1) What you feed
2) Do you have a pre-filter
3) Your bioload

I hear people clean theirs out as often as once a week to as seldom as almost never... I'm in the every 2-3 week category for my tank but I have a pre-filter on it. I also put a HOB for mechanical filtration which I clean the media once a day (at least every other day if I'm being lazy).

If you don't have a pre-filter and feed beefheart, it can get pretty bad fast... I actually had the flow on mine reduce to almost nothing after a week. Then it's just a nitrate generating machine...

[Hsunami]

havn't clean out mine for 2 months now. Everything still good. Prefilter is the key.

i bought these

http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...fm?pcatid=4182

They are great, wish my FX5 had one. . . for my other tank. I made a DIY for my FX5 out of

http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...tid=4231&rel=1

Just cut to size then i silicone the side and the bottom and boom. Instant pre filter. LOL

[atitagain]

These work real well to and last. They come with fittings to mount onto just about any filter.

http://www.aquacave.com/detail.aspx?ID=789

And I clean my filter every other week using water from the tank to rinse everything off. Mine doesn't get to bad because of the prefilter which I rinse daily during the WC. I feed BW, flake and FBS.

[ericatdallas]

I use the Hydro IV Pond Sponge, it also comes with the adapter that snaps right on to the Fluval 405.

I have the filter max III that atitagain linked too as well... it actually is made by the same company I think and comes with the exact same hardware to connect to your filter.

I prefer the Hydro pond spone since it has greater surface area but it's harder to conceal in a display tank.

[Eddie]

When I ran canisters, I had to clean them weekly and it still wasn't enough. To much mulm collects in them and ultimately kills the water quality. ;

It all depends on it's application. I had them on some growout tanks and will never again.

Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

[ericatdallas]

I think the pre-filter solves the mulm problem.. but if I had my choice, I would still put two HOBs in a growout tank rather than one canister filter and one HOB... much easier to clean.

By choice, I mean, if I had the money to buy all the supplies I want for my moneypit of a hobby I have to prioritize on what to buy and I already have way more filters than I do tanks :P

[Eddie]

I think the pre-filter solves the mulm problem.. but if I had my choice, I would still put two HOBs in a growout tank rather than one canister filter and one HOB... much easier to clean.

By choice, I mean, if I had the money to buy all the supplies I want for my moneypit of a hobby I have to prioritize on what to buy and I already have way more filters than I do tanks :P

No Eric, I have always used prefilters, doesn't solve the mulm problem. No matter what, canisters always hold too much junk, regardless of the prefilters.

[calihawker]

No Eric, I have always used prefilters, doesn't solve the mulm problem. No matter what, canisters always hold too much junk, regardless of the prefilters.

I use canisters with prefilters and I have to go with Eddie on this one. To keep the water pristine, they have to be cleaned constantly.

[ericatdallas]

Maybe I'm just not feeding enough

Or my HOB is doing most of the work...

[Eddie]

Maybe I'm just not feeding enough

Or my HOB is doing most of the work...

Might be, besides the HOBS get just as much but its such a breeze to clean out a HOB. I literally, MUST clean all my filters out weekly, almost twice a week, when growing out discus. Its just the way I roll.

[ericatdallas]

Might be, besides the HOBS get just as much but its such a breeze to clean out a HOB. I literally, MUST clean all my filters out weekly, almost twice a week, when growing out discus. Its just the way I roll.

I clean my HOB daily and pre-filter every other day... that could also explain why I don't see as much mulm. I do agree that HOBs are better though for cleaning.

The only thing I really like about them is that they're a lot more quiet although AC110s aren't too bad.

[strawberryblonde]

Ok, so I came up with a DIY solution for a pre-filter on my canister while I was waiting for my online order to arrive.

My canister is supposed to be strictly for bio on this tank, but was clogging with beefheart in a BIG way, necessitating constant cleaning. I grabbed a pair of unused pantyhose from my drawer, cut off a portion from the leg, pulled it tightly around the intake tube and used a rubberband to hold it in place. I yank the tube off with each water change and rinse it well. The nice part is that the trapped food bits don't fall off the pantyhose material when I shut off the canister, which means that I'm not chasing that stuff all around the tank to siphon it up.

I waited a week before cleaning the canister yesterday since water parameters remained stable for the ENTIRE week (first time in 3 week...woot!) and was shocked at how clean the media was. Just a wee bit of micro fine sludge in the bottom tray.

So now my pre-filters that I ordered are due to arrive today and I'm not so sure I want to use them after reading this thread. LOL

I guess I could try them for a week and compare the results before I make my final decision on which one to use.

Ohhhh, for the OP, I found that if I was feeding beefheart and not using a pre-filter, I needed to shut off the canister during feedings and then clean the canister every other day to get the collected crap out of it. If I didn't shut off the filter I could actually watch the floating bits of food being sucked directly into the intake tube...yuk!!!

SB

[Jhhnn]

I used the ATI prefilters from Kensfish, found the sponge too coarse to keep the canisters clean, so I experimented. The standard ATI fine sponges are too soft, collapse easily, and required daily attention. What seems to work well are the guts from the ATI kits along with these sponges-

http://www.amazon.com/AG-CORNER-OVER.../dp/B0017JBK02

They were formerly sold under AGA's Oceanic label- it is only recently that I found 'em again under the AGA label.

They need to be cut to length with a serrated bread knife, and they very effectively keep the canisters clean. I still clean the canisters every few months, but it's mostly precautionary, because there's not much in them. The sponges also hold up well- one of mine is nearly 2 years old, has been wrung out many times, and is still in top condition.