Keeping External Filters Healthy

[glolite]

Hi guys
Don't know if this is in the right forum but here goes.

Do you empty the yucky water from external filters when you change them? I rinse the floss every week in used tank water but sometimes the water in the external filter looks so polluted I empty it and put fresh water in. In the instructions it says this isn't necessary but the water gets so YUK I do sometimes. Is this harmfull? Need an expert please.

 

[Super Dude]

i usually put my wc bucket under the output of the filter (right after i remove the media) until all the nasty is flowed out and the filter is filled with regular water.

 

[Mikaila31]

I usually dump out the water in the filter and fill it with tank water. I don't see any problem filling it with tap water as long as you declorinate.

 

[glolite]

Thanx that makes me feel better ta

 

[OldMan47]

My external always gets dumped and the casing gets a good scrub. When everything goes back together, I connect it to the tank tubing and let it self prime using tank water. I run an XP3 so it sucks down about a gallon of water from the tank while it primes itself.

 

[vinylman]

Cleaned one of my externals out on Friday; the water always goes on the plants in the garden. The best fertiliser you can get and it's free. VERY effective if you have plants in the house, too.