How Often Should I Clean My Fluval 4 Plus Filter

[scotslasszoe]

I have got high ammonia and have been doing several water changes a day for last couple of days. I have the polyester pad in my filter and was wondering how often i should clean this while having ammonia problems.

Thanks for your time

Zoe

 

[rdd1952]

I assume you are cycling your tank with fish??? If that is the case, don't clean the filter at all. That is where your bacteria colonize and you don't want to do anything that disrupts them. How high is your ammonia? If it's over about .25 to .5 ppm, do a larger water change (about 50%) to get it down. You may even have to do a couple a day for a while. You really need to keep the ammonia and nitrite below .25 ppm.

 

[england]

hi scottlass,id imagine your cycling your tank...dont clean filter for aleast one month........then only clean with the tank water.....
apply a 25% water change to the tank for fresh water.......keep doing this every other day until you get ammonia down...is it cycling with fish

 

[Musho3210]

is it a fish cycle or a fishless?

 

[scotslasszoe]

Its a fish Cycle. and rather a lot of fish. (slap slap)

Couldnt resist. Fish keeper along road from me was getting rid of most of them and a few were bought from LPS the day before i bought the other lot

Had fish in tank for 5 days with no fatalities apart from neons being eaten by Black Ghost fish.

 

[GRJ]

Dont clean your filter out at all while its cycling, you need to keep all the bacteria building up in there to process the high amounts of ammonia in the tank. Keep up the water changes and keep it below 0.25. I had to do it this way as i told you and it took 3 months or so for it to completely settle ow. Its very very hard work but really rewarding when its complete. GRJ

 

[scotslasszoe]

Ty Very much everyone .

 

[england]

try to keep up with water changes