tap water wash

[nu2fish]

i have just cleaned the filter with tap water then read this website that tells me not to will this affect the tank or fish?

 

[The-Wolf]

By cleaning the filter in tap water you hae killed the bacteria living in it and therefor expect your tank to crash then re-cycle.

 

[nu2fish]

so what happens EXACTLY when the tank crashes?

 

[The-Wolf]

The existing bacteria (in substrate etc) can no longer cope with the ammount of ammonia your fish are creating;
ammonia will spike, which starts the cycle off again.

 

[nu2fish]

so it doesn't harm eny fing?

 

[daza]

hi nu2fish,

If you don't know about cycling then this link explains all about it. If the bacteria in your filter media has died off then the tank will effectively be a new tank and suffer from new tank syndrome (i.e. it will re-cycle). Some may still be present and you might be okay.

Do you have ammonia, nitrite and nitrate test kits? If so then take daily measurements for the next few days and ensure that the ammonia and nitrite levels do not rise above zero. If not, then get some or take a sample to your lfs for testing each day.

If ammonia is present then do a water change and look for advice on cycling with fish (something I have never done but there is plenty of info on the forum).

You might be okay, it depends on if you cleaned every bit of filter media thoroughly I guess. But best to do the above and make sure. In the future, clean one sponge (or equivalent) at a time (each water change say) in old tank water.

 

[paige]

hu i always clean mine out with tap water and no fish die.

 

[pahansen]

While it's never a good idea to clean your sponge with tap water, I think the extent of the danger depends on your filtration system. Bacteria lives on all parts of the filter, plus it lives on the gravel in your tank. If you have a sponge filter system, you may well have killed off the majority of your beneficial bacteria.

If, however, you have a hang-on filter system, like Whisper or AquaClear, like I do, this may not be a problem for you. My filter is made with separate sponge, (optional) carbon, and biological media. These media are made to be replaced, although never all at once, with the assumption that you will still have beneficial bacteria remaining on the other media elements. If this is the type of filtration you use, then washing the filter in tap water will not do any more harm than simply replacing the sponge media, as the manufacturer suggests.

Anyhow, the confusion in filter systems could explain why some people are telling you to expect a crash while others are saying that it's never caused a problem for them. From what I've gathered from members' posts, I believe that the multi-media external filters seem to be more common in the US than in the UK.

Good luck with the filter -- I hope you don't crash, and I'm sure you'll rinse the filter in tank water from now on!

-- Pamela

 

[Tolak]

This all has to do with the type of tap water you have. If you are on your own well, no chlorine or chloramine added, it is fine to rinse your filter with tap water. The problem arises with city water systems who add chlorine and chloramine as a disinfectant. They add this to kill bacteria, and they don't discriminate between harmful bacteria that will make you ill, or the good bacteria in your filter media.

Tolak

 

[pnyklr3]

I accidently (brain fart) washed my filter sponge out in city tap water, and frantically came here to see if I would have a mini-cycle. Luckily, I have a bio-bag, and the bacteria in the gravel, so no cycle. Just test the water often and do any needed water changes if the levels of ammonia and nitrite get too high.