Filter Maintenance

[onidrase]

Before I joined this forum, My filter maintenance was as it told me to do it, change the filter pads and give the filter a good scrubbing every month, and every week run them under tap water to clean them off.

Now that I know all about this beneficial bacteria and such, and being on this forum for a good amount of time, I've been a little reluctant to touch it, since I'm not really sure what to do anymore. I tried swishing the pads around in a bucket of tank water during water changes to free some gunk, but it really didn't do anything. The filters were still pretty clogged up.

The filter I'm having issues with is the 75 gallon filter (it's a marineland Bio Wheel Filter) on my 37 gal tank. Recently, it's been so clogged up with gunk that it's nearly overflowing, and all the little "gutters" on the sides of it drain it into the tank, but unfortunately, since I had to make modifications to the filter since it's so big (i had to take a saw to it and cut out a little divet so it wasn't resting on the center brace of the tank) there has been water flowing onto the center brace from the gutters, getting the hood all wet, and splashing me with water whenever I open the hood.

The bio wheels have been turning a lot less rabidly, and the current has most definitely slowed in comparison to how it used to be.

Anyways. What should I do to "clean" my filter? I haven't touched it for a good long while, I feel like something needs to be done, but I have no idea what.

 

[Cossie1111]

NEVER run your filter media under tap water, it kills the good bacteria.

When you clean the media pour your tank water over it.

And you never need to replace media unless its literally falling apart.

 

[Tizer]

bacteria cling on really well to media, dont fret too much, just go for it...worst that can happen is a few water changes

 

[RZayneC]

• Empty your your tank water in to a bucket.
• Take everything out of it and give it a quick squeeze but not to hard.
• Anything else give a shake in the bucket to release all the waste ect.
• Tip the water out of the now empty canister and refill with tank water(optional, I do this to empty anything that may be hidden at the bottom.)
• Depending on the filter remove the panel covering the pump fan and make sure that is clear of gunk
• Fill up tank and reset the filter.

 

[OldMan47]

Cleaning a bio-wheel filter is easy. Pull the power plug, remove the filter pads and rinse them thoroughly in old tank water, remove the impeller and clean it and the well that it sits in, reassemble and fill the filter body and plug in the power cord. Do nothing to clean the wheel but do make sure that you keep the axle points clean so that it keeps turning.

 

[fishlover24]

"rinsing the filter pads in tap water doesn't stertlize it"(quoted from a fish master from another forum) plus you have a givin bio media in you filter