Canister filter cleaning schedule?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Depends on what kind of media you are using.
For me, canisters are mechanical filters, I don't use large media like carbon, phosphate sponge or ceramic for surface area.
For mechanical, they work best right before you clean them. So it's a trade off between working extra well and losing flow in your tank.

If you are using it as biological, it's best to have some kind of mechanical in front of it. Biological should be clean surface area for bacteria to grow, and not be forced to pull sediment out of the water.
 
The bottom level is really thick wirey stuff to weed out large debris. The 2nd level is carbon, the 3rd level is ammo chips, the 4th level is ceramic tubes for positive bacteria to grow. It just seems like it gets really gunky in there and it keeps making me wonder if it's not working properly or if it's just throwing nasty stuff back out into the tank. It's not so bad now that there's no substrate, but I see this residue in the tubes and in the filter trays and don't know if it's good or bad to have it there. Until I got rid of that aragonite sand, I had to keep taking apart the canister and hosing EVERYTHING off because it was getting caked in sand inside and got to the point where the handles on the trays wouldn't even lay flat and allow me to re-lock the canister.

Yes, I use tap water when spraying off the bottom filter material and the pillow fiber pad to get the debris off. My tap water doesn't have anything in it in terms of chlorine or chemicals, I have my own well supply because my house used to be the fire station until they built a new one. I don't spray off the ceramic stuff, I leave those sitting in the tank water, but I do recharge the ammo chips in salt solution per the directions.
 
2 fx 5's. I clean them out bout 3-4 times a year max...

Never clean the bio rings
Only rinse the mechanical Sponges
never rinse through the pipes ( though I may do eventually)
Empty whole canister and pour away any sediment at bottom then refill with tank water.

I rotate the 2 filters for cleaning, so both r never cleaned at same time.

Best to be overfiltered..... I don't like my filters being overworked.
 
PinkLady;3518770; said:
The bottom level is really thick wirey stuff to weed out large debris. The 2nd level is carbon, the 3rd level is ammo chips, the 4th level is ceramic tubes for positive bacteria to grow. It just seems like it gets really gunky in there and it keeps making me wonder if it's not working properly or if it's just throwing nasty stuff back out into the tank. It's not so bad now that there's no substrate, but I see this residue in the tubes and in the filter trays and don't know if it's good or bad to have it there. Until I got rid of that aragonite sand, I had to keep taking apart the canister and hosing EVERYTHING off because it was getting caked in sand inside and got to the point where the handles on the trays wouldn't even lay flat and allow me to re-lock the canister.

Yes, I use tap water when spraying off the bottom filter material and the pillow fiber pad to get the debris off. My tap water doesn't have anything in it in

terms of chlorine or chemicals, I have my own well supply because my house used to be the fire station until they built a new one. I don't spray off the ceramic stuff, I leave those sitting in the tank water, but I do recharge the ammo chips in salt solution per the directions.
Click to expand...

take all that carbon and ammo chip out . Replace all tray with bio media. And one tray for mechanical sponge.

Your having to clean the filter too much, cause your fish r producing waste faster than your bb can handle/convert.
More bio filtration and buy another canister to assist.
 
Ade;3519201; said:
take all that carbon and ammo chip out . Replace all tray with bio media. And one tray for mechanical sponge.

Your having to clean the filter too much, cause your fish r producing waste faster than your bb can handle/convert.
More bio filtration and buy another canister to assist.
Click to expand...

There's only one fish in the tank -- the stingray. The ammo chips made a huge difference in reducing nitrates/nitrites from before I bought it (that level formerly had bio-balls and did nothing), so I don't want to remove them. They work well.

I also have 2 300gph filters on the back that have carbon and bio-sponges in addition to the canister.
 
what would you guys suggest for a h.o.t canister filter ????the one that h.o.b. but works as a canister....i just started using is today...so when would i mess with it again....btw im using it more as a polishing machanism than anything else i already have two 70 gallon filters going.....any suggestions?
 
PinkLady;3519212; said:
There's only one fish in the tank -- the stingray. The ammo chips made a huge difference in reducing nitrates/nitrites from before I bought it (that level formerly had bio-balls and did nothing), so I don't want to remove them. They work well.

I also have 2 300gph filters on the back that have carbon and bio-sponges in addition to the canister.
Click to expand...

Doesnt matter. Stingray produce loads of waste. How big is your tank?
do bio sponges work as well as other bio media/rings/balls???

Bio media wont reduce nitrates. but it does convert ammonia. If the ammo chips help reduce your nitrates, then you are right to keep them in your filters.

No point in carbon filtering unless you got contaminants and impurities.
 
Well with feeding raw seafood, I figured I never know what ends up in the water so the carbon filtering covers that.

I honestly have no idea how well the sponges work compared to the ceramic rings or the plastic balls. Is there something supposed to be growing on them or is the positive bacteria clear/invisible and just supposed to be a slime? The filters on the back also have these grates over the water flow that are supposed to also grow beneficial bacteria/microbes and I never ever wash or rinse those.
 
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