Cleaning Filter Media

[leighton_87]

Hi

As anyone that has looked at my previous threads will no I bought a second hand tank complete with filter and everything except the fish around a week and a half ago.

My questions is how I should be cleaning the filter media. The filter has a working colony of bacteria which straight from day one was getting rid of 4ppm of ammonia in less that 12 hours and therefore I don't want to do anything to damage that.

I've heard you need to squeeze out the sponges in tank water - by stupid question is, is that tank water you have already taken out of the tank or squeezing the sponge into the tank. The reason I ask is the sponges are pretty much black and wouldn't want any of that in my tank.

Also the water left in the filter when it is pretty disguting as well so should I clean that out to stop it being pushed into my tank or will emptying the filter of water Lear me problems when turning the filter back on.

Thanks

 

[SombreroBanana]

Squeeze them out into the tank water you took out of the tank. You could squeeze them back into the tank, but it would ruin the whole purpose of squeezing them, as it would just get sucked back up into the sponge.

 

[garyspence84]

Take a bucket worth of tank water out the tank and use that to clean everything from your filter, sponges and any media you have. And if the water in the bucket gets too dirty, just empty it out and take an other bucket out

Edit: didn't notice someone has already replied to your post with the same answer.
Echo
Echo
Echo

 

[leighton_87]

Thanks - I was worried that squeezing it into a bucket would somehow lose the bacteria

 

[the_lock_man]

Nah, they cling on VERY tight.