Filter Cleaning

[juniorskeptical]

As my tank is going through the cycling process, I want to make sure I know how to properly clean the filter for when the times comes. How do I go about this? It is an Aqua-Tech 10-20. Do I need to replace the cartridge, and if so, how often? If not, then what exactly do I do?

 

[Sgooosh]

As my tank is going through the cycling process, I want to make sure I know how to properly clean the filter for when the times comes. How do I go about this? It is an Aqua-Tech 10-20. Do I need to replace the cartridge, and if so, how often? If not, then what exactly do I do?

replace after it gets veerrry dirty, if you can wash it off, wash it off eveery month or two

 

[seangee]

That cartridge contains activated carbin which needs to be replaced every month. Carbon is not neccessary so my advice would be to cut a piece of sponge to the same size and shape and use that instead of the cartridge.
Squeeze out the sponge and rinse the filter in tank water (after removing it for the water change) once a week. Don't replace the sponge until it falls apart (which should be years). The other maintenance you will need to do is to periodically (say monthly) clean the impellor and its shaft. I use a toothbrush head (not used) to do this. If the instructionn booklet does not give details on this search YouTube, even if you can't find the exact model they all work the same way.
Since the filter is cycling I would not clean it for the first 6-8 weeks unless it becomes really mucky. Once the filter is established the bacteria are tightly bound to the surfaces and won' t just rinse off - but until then they can be a bit fragile.

 

[juniorskeptical]

That cartridge contains activated carbin which needs to be replaced every month. Carbon is not neccessary so my advice would be to cut a piece of sponge to the same size and shape and use that instead of the cartridge.
Squeeze out the sponge and rinse the filter in tank water (after removing it for the water change) once a week. Don't replace the sponge until it falls apart (which should be years). The other maintenance you will need to do is to periodically (say monthly) clean the impellor and its shaft. I use a toothbrush head (not used) to do this. If the instructionn booklet does not give details on this search YouTube, even if you can't find the exact model they all work the same way.
Since the filter is cycling I would not clean it for the first 6-8 weeks unless it becomes really mucky. Once the filter is established the bacteria are tightly bound to the surfaces and won' t just rinse off - but until then they can be a bit fragile.

Since the tank is well into the cycling process(and I don't really want to start over), how would I replace the cartridge with the sponge without getting rid of all the good bacteria that is already on the cartridge?

 

[GobyMaster11276]

Since the tank is well into the cycling process(and I don't really want to start over), how would I replace the cartridge with the sponge without getting rid of all the good bacteria that is already on the cartridge?

I don’t think that it should cause any issues, since carbon is more for chemical filtration (i.e. removes nitrates and stuff from the water), rather than biological, which is done by bioballs and similar things (partially by sponges, which double as mechanical). A good article on it can be found here. Given regular water changes, which are a must, carbon might be unnecessary, hence why it was recommended you replace it with a sponge.

Of course, it will take time for bacteria to colonise the sponge, but I don’t imagine it will affect your cycle. If in doubt, give it some time and test your parameters before stocking