Cleaning Schedule?

[geordieelvis]

Guys, I was just wondering how often you do do water changes/gravel cleaning/filter cleaning and replacements? At the minute I have a 90 ltr tank and I do a weekly gravel clean which takes about 25% of my water as well, I wash out my filter sponge once a month in the removed water but haven't replaced any of them even though they say to replace every 3-4 weeks?? My tank has been set up for about 3 months and has had fish in for about 6 weeks. Had a recent ammonia spike so had to do big water changes daily.

 

[frapadoodle]

Are we talking sponge, or the cartridges?
If cartridges, wouldn't replace more than one at a time.
As for water changes, sounds like a good schedule. I do a 20-30% water change weekly, with a glass wipe down and hovering over the sand to vac up detrius. Clean the filter once a month, with tank water. Just swish around the sponge and floss to get rid of big gunk, replace floss when it deteriorates. The ceramic just gets a dunk.

Do you know why the ammonia spiked?

 

[geordieelvis]

Are we talking sponge, or the cartridges?
If cartridges, wouldn't replace more than one at a time.
As for water changes, sounds like a good schedule. I do a 20-30% water change weekly, with a glass wipe down and hovering over the sand to vac up detrius. Clean the filter once a month, with tank water. Just swish around the sponge and floss to get rid of big gunk, replace floss when it deteriorates. The ceramic just gets a dunk.
Do you know why the ammonia spiked?

I don't, but possibly due to adding too many fish in quick successsion I have a post in another topic about this, I lost fish and have been doing big changes since. Got my level down to between 0.25 and 1ppm but just can't get rid of it all. It's the fluval U2 filter with the 2sponges.

 

[frapadoodle]

Hmm. Pain looking for info on that filter. Anyway, if it's sponge, don't change em till they fall apart.
If it was too much bioload too quickly, keep up the waterchanges. The bacteria will catch up eventually.
I know it's a pain, just have patience. Been there myself.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

My maintenance schedule changes with the seasons...
 
 
Fall/Winter:
25% weekly
50% monthly
75% at the end of the winter (coming up at the vernal equinox)
 
Spring/Summer:
25% weekly - spring
then 25% two or three times a week in the summer, including a 50+% change weekly.
 
 
Why the extra changes in the spring/summer.... I use the used water to water my plants outside.  They love the fishy poo water.  And, the fish seem to really appreciate the "dry/rainy" seasons they get to experience.
 
 
As far as cleaning stuff... monthly rinse of all filter material.  I have cartridges.  I change them VERY infrequently.  I've had the current tank and filters set-up for nearly 3 years now.  The cartridges have been changed twice, I think.  And one of those times was because I was setting up another tank and wanted to seed the new tank with bacteria.

 

[frapadoodle]

Yes, I water plants with used tank water as well. Great fertilser, and less of a load on the septic tank.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I do thereabouts a 25% change on a Wednesday (gravel cleaning too) and 50% or more on the weekend. Have just found my fish tend to be healthier with that schedule than they were when I did it weekly. (I have sponge HOB filters in all my tank).

 

[Mikey1]

Guys, I was just wondering how often you do do water changes/gravel cleaning/filter cleaning and replacements? At the minute I have a 90 ltr tank and I do a weekly gravel clean which takes about 25% of my water as well, I wash out my filter sponge once a month in the removed water but haven't replaced any of them even though they say to replace every 3-4 weeks?? My tank has been set up for about 3 months and has had fish in for about 6 weeks. Had a recent ammonia spike so had to do big water changes daily.

 
too many different variables come into play here....
 
every tank is different, no two tanks are the same, so its impossible to have "blanket rules" for all aquariums....
 
some tanks i change 50% once a week, other tanks i change 25% every two weeks
 
in my opinion its never a good idea to do all of your maintanance on the same day at the same time....if your vacuuming your gravel, doing a water change, and cleaning your filter once a week, then each one of those tasks should be done on a different day
 
a filter sponge should be replaced only when nessessary (when it is literally falling apart) most should last 6+ months

 

[DreamertK]

I clean my sponge whenever there's more than an inch between water levels. Usually I have a slight amount of NH3 appear after washing the sponge because I use cold tank water.