Help Required Please

[smithyif]

Hello all just a quick note (hopefully)

just want a bit of help on helping with cleaning my filter

1 , When cleaning the foam do i clean it completely so it is spotless or leave a small amount
of debris/substrate on it ?

2 , when cleaning the carbon cartridge do i have to clean this the same way so it is clear ?

3 , how often do i need to replace the carbon cartridge ?

4 , is it best to clean the filter and gravel at the same time or clean 1 1 week then the
other a week later ?

THANKS FOR ANY HELP

 

[Joe97]

Hi Smithyif,
I'll try my best to answer your questions!
1) Leave a bit of debri on the filter because you need a bit of Beneficial Bactiria!
2)I don't know.
3)Ditto^^^^^^^^
4)Maybe to not give your fish to much of a shock it would be wise to clean a different one each week.
Hope I've helped!
Joe

 

[toshapetriji]

Just swish it in old tank water and replace it. Your bacteria are living there so not too much cleaning needed.

 

[arobinson1984]

1. Just swish in old tank water in order to remove any large excess debris. You can give it a gentle squeeze but nothing too excessive.

2. Carbon pads are ineffective after about 3-4 days. Carbon pads are primarily used to remove chemicals from the water such as medications. The effect of carbon is minimal after a few days so a carbon pad will then be basically acting as another sponge for bacteria to grow on.

3. You dont need to keep carbon in the filter 24/7 as mentioned above it is only needed for removing medications etc from the water so if you are not treating the tank then the carbon is basically rendered useless. You can as mentioned leave the carbon in to act as another media sponge for the bacteria to grow on.

4. You only need to clean the filter when the flow slows down. Cleaning every week will more than likely cause you to destroy some beneficial bacteria and cause problems with your water quality. You'd be much better cleaning the filter media every 1 or 2 months, or as mentioned when the flow slows down. If you have an external filter, many of these can easily run for 6 months before cleaning is required. You dont need to replace any filter sponges until they are literally falling apart, with the exception of filter floss if your filter has this in it, this should be changed every few weeks.

Andy

 

[Wills]

Hi there I'll give it ago..


1 , When cleaning the foam do i clean it completely so it is spotless or leave a small amount
of debris/substrate on it ?

As said just swish it about if you clean it totaly you will loose your bacteria colony

2 , when cleaning the carbon cartridge do i have to clean this the same way so it is clear ?

Carbon has a limited life and only really works for 6 weeks ish. Personally I dont use carbon in my filters unless I was needing to use it to mop up some meds for what ever reason, I would rather pack in some bio media instead.

3 , how often do i need to replace the carbon cartridge ?

As above

4 , is it best to clean the filter and gravel at the same time or clean 1 1 week then the
other a week later ?

I clean my gravel every week but I swish out my sponges (from internals) every other week. Switching to external now so might see how my routine works out with that now.

Hope thats helped
Wills