Cleaning Internal Filters Is A Nightmare

[MermaidMel]

How do you do it without re-introducing half the gunk back into the tank?

 

[Mikaila31]

I put mine in a bucket w/ tank water and clean it in there.

 

[MermaidMel]

Yeah but when you remove the actual unit from the tank, debris sort of swims away from the filter and back into the tank

 

[rocknurworld2006]

Yeah but when you remove the actual unit from the tank, debris sort of swims away from the filter and back into the tank

i know what u mean lol its a nightmare. sometimes if u remove it when it is still going then turn it off, u get a bit less

 

[wackystarfish]

There isnt really a way around it. I put plants around the inlets, and just pull it out as quickly as possable It is kinda double handed as the internal filter soon sucks it back in.

 

[piranha_tim]

Never saw a point to internal filters.

AquaClears (first choice)
Unless you have the money for a Canister.

 

[chesterscot]

i did mine yesterday and got water everywhere lol I forgot how strong it was and when I turned it back on it turned the tank in to a jaccuz lol the danios love it though
scoti

 

[vinylman]

I had a Fluval 4plus internal on my 4ft tank. Great filter, not a minute's trouble, did a brilliant job and large sponges. BUT......no matter how many times I cleaned it, I could never stop some of the cack going back in when I removed it. That's the main reason I changed to an external. Try one; dirt cheap online, you'll wonder why you didn't do it ages ago, just put all your internal filter media in the new filter alongside the new. If you think your water's clean now, wait until you see what a difference an external will make, even after a few hours.

 

[rossyboy]

With my juwel filters... i drain the water out of the tank with the syphon pipe down to just below the top vent intake to the filter.

then you can pull out the top white filter sponge to do what you need to do, without any chance of the water flowing back into the tank!

but as for other filters, i've no idea lol