Sponge Filter Cleaning

[craigt2005]

Hi

I usually rinse the filter pads in the old tank water, if the tank is diseased can I wash / replace the pads completely. Do you then have to add some sort of bacteria to the tank again?

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Hi

I usually rinse the filter pads in the old tank water, if the tank is diseased can I wash / replace the pads completely. Do you then have to add some sort of bacteria to the tank again?

Hi there , replacing the filter pads/sponges in the situation of a desease outbreak will do little as fish deseases are always present in the tank water, but generally you do not want to replace them because it will damage your beneficial bacterial colony in your filter and will cause the tank to cycle(which is bad). If you are concerned about the desease levels in your tank you can always add "Liquisel" by Interpet to the tank water, which will lower harmful desease levels without damaging filtration or anything .
Have you encountered any fish deseases or somthing?

 

[craigt2005]

Hi, thanks for reply. Not sure if disease or not as yet, lost a couple fish for no apparent reason. one was actually in the filter, decaying! rinsed the sponges in this case but didnt want the possibility of what killed the guarami spreading.

Hi

I usually rinse the filter pads in the old tank water, if the tank is diseased can I wash / replace the pads completely. Do you then have to add some sort of bacteria to the tank again?

Hi there , replacing the filter pads/sponges in the situation of a desease outbreak will do little as fish deseases are always present in the tank water, but generally you do not want to replace them because it will damage your beneficial bacterial colony in your filter and will cause the tank to cycle(which is bad). If you are concerned about the desease levels in your tank you can always add "Liquisel" by Interpet to the tank water, which will lower harmful desease levels without damaging filtration or anything .
Have you encountered any fish deseases or somthing?

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Your basic tank maintanence for your average tank should be a once weekly 25-35% water change with dechlorinator, and rinse the filter sponge out in water from water changes every 10days to 2weeks+, do you ever test your tank for ammonia, nitrates and nitrites ?