After Tank Is Cycled When Do U Clean The Filter?

[dgerow3]

Hi all


I am curious to know when do you clean your filter? is weekly like when you do your water change or do you only clean the filter when the water flow slows down. Plus do you only squeeze the sponge/pad in old tank water or do you clean the tubes too.

My filters are looking quite nasty but waterflow is still good so just wondering if i should clean them the next time i do a water change. tank has been running a little under two months.

 

[helterskelter]

i try to do it weekly.

 

[OldMan47]

In my own tanks, I clean the filters whenever I notice a drop in filter flow. That means that I clean at least 2 or 3 filters every week but not the same ones. As you have surmised, the cleaning is done by rinsing/squeezing the old media in used tank water. When I clean a filter I also take the parts with the impeller in them to the nearest sink, depending which filter i is, and thoroughly clean the impeller and the well that the impeller sits in using the running water at the sink and a bottle brush that fit inside the well. There is no reason to ever let that part of the filter accumulate any dirt or even films. If you do not get good water flow, no media will work at all no matter how good it may be. The pumping part of a filter always demands a good cleaning to optimize flow.