How Often Do I Clean My External Filter

[OldMan47]

Like many others have already said shelagh, I only find it necessary to clean my biomedia every few months. I do it by gently cleaning the filter media in used tank water as you have read of many times by many people. So far the media in my cansiter filters is over 3 years old and is doing what its supposed to do. The ammonia and nitrites never stand a chance in my tanks even though my tap water has ammonia at about 1 ppm. I did remove the bio-chemsorb after the first month and replaced it with more biomedia but that's because I hadn't figured out how to work with a canister filter at the time. (I came from a very different time when filters were lucky to be called power filters instead of air driven) After figuring out the more modern approaches to fish keeping, my fish have been healthier than I ever experienced in the past and I have stopped spending money on filter media and started spending it on water changes and dechlorinator instead. My fish have been much healthier as a result.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Everybody has their own opinions and methods. Among other things I run 23 AquaClears all loaded with sponges and filter floss. I rinse the sponges in tap water and replace the floss weekly along with doing 35-50% water changes.

Sponges are really dual media- mechanical and biological. When waste is allowed too build up in sponges it has two detrimental effects. First, as the waste builds, it impedes the flow, Impeding the flow to the good bacterial makes the sponge a less hospitable environment for max. colonization there. Second, when mech waste stays inside the media it tends to break down over time into smaller and smaller particles. Eventually they can find their way out of the sponge and back into the water. This is also not good for the water quality.

There are not a lot of things we as fishkeepers can do for out charges to help keep them healthy and "happy". One is to provide them with good clean water to live in. If you have spent much time reading on fish forums orr talking to fishkeepers, I would bet dollars to donuts you have never heard anybody say their fish died or got sick because the water was too clean.

 

[shelaghfishface]

Looks like i didn't make myself clear.

I use 2 externals on my tank and each external has only sponge in it. Sponge is my bio media and i don't use any chemical filtration. The sponge acts as mechanical filtration as well as bio filtration.

If i was running carbon, rowaphos etc etc, obviously they have a finite life and need changed sooner than 6 months, however i can't even remember the last time i used anything of the sort. With quality Scottish water pouring from the tap, these additives don't achieve anything that i can't fix with a water change. I was referring to bio-media only when i said

With any filter, you really want to clean the media as little as possible to avoid bacteria loss. The media (sponges) in the external, as with all other filters, should only be cleaned if it gets dirty enough to reduce flow through the filter significantly.

I usually clean my externals every 6 - 12 months, unless flow slows drastically before then.

So, to clear this up once and for all, which media do you have in your external, Shelagh? I suppose i assumed you had the same as me. Bad me!!

BTT

hi BTT
its got, balls, noodles, sponges,and more sponges ( carbon is out now)
and thanks for all the replies x

 

[backtotropical]

Hi Shelagh,

The sponges in your filter are probably there for mechanical filtration, as you have bio balls and ceramic noodles to take care of the bio-filtration. Again though, theres only ever a need to clean any of it if it is dirty enough to reduce flow through the filter.

I would advise that you should only clean either the balls or the noodles or the sponges at any one time, to retain as much bacteria as possible. The sponges will need cleaned more often than the balls or noodles as the sponges are there to catch dirt and detritus to keep the balls and noodles clean in order that they can work more efficiently.

Hope this clears things up for you.

BTT

P.S. Is Jambo a jambo (Hearts supporter)?

 

[shelaghfishface]

Hi Shelagh,

The sponges in your filter are probably there for mechanical filtration, as you have bio balls and ceramic noodles to take care of the bio-filtration. Again though, theres only ever a need to clean any of it if it is dirty enough to reduce flow through the filter.

I would advise that you should only clean either the balls or the noodles or the sponges at any one time, to retain as much bacteria as possible. The sponges will need cleaned more often than the balls or noodles as the sponges are there to catch dirt and detritus to keep the balls and noodles clean in order that they can work more efficiently.

Hope this clears things up for you.

BTT

P.S. Is Jambo a jambo (Hearts supporter)?

ha that is exactly where i got his name from lol( was thinking about calling them the bhoys(sp) but i think that would have been too far!)- good guess, unfortunatley hes never seen his team play as any footie on our tv is rangers or man u- but thats not my department lol, anyway thanks for the advice on the filter, i have checked and nothing seems in urgent need of cleaning to be honest and im in the middle of a wc as we speak, and the flow is fine, so ill just leave it for now, but i do check regularyly anyway, only as im a bit nervous of leaks from the filter after a bad experience with a 405, but all good till now)

shelagh xxxx

 

[poconoboss]

When you all are referring to "sponges", are you referring to course plasticy type or the polishing pads which are more like cotton floss?

I agree, that the course sponges can just be rinsed to get rid of the debris and reused. However, with the polishing pads, I have to replace about each week. They get disgusting and full of crud and simply cannot be cleaned.

 

[shelaghfishface]

i did have a polishing pad in there for about 2 days when i had sand as a substrate,to be honest it was so flimsy it wasnt worth having and after the 2 days it had had it!.....yes the sponges are the course plasticy ones... i am now using filter wool to "polish" as it seems to be more substantail, and is doing just as good a job, its only a quid a bag from my local genral pet shop so thats good too.

shelagh xxx