Canister Filter maintenance

[Gruntking]

Just wondering how often you guys clean out your canisters.

I have a Rena XP3 that i have been running for almost 2 weeks without opening it up. The flow seems to be the same as the day that i bought it, and i have heard that people sometimes dont open these up for 2-3 months.

On my HOB filters, i usually rinse them out every 2-3 water changes( i usually do 1-2 a week) and replace the pads every month.

Was also wondering... when removing the top from the rena filter, will i need to place this in a canister or somewhere where it can get wet? I know i have to take the tubes out of my tank so it doesnt suck up all the water, but does it usually spill water when opened for maintenance?

BTW tank is a 75 gallon and stock consists of mostly 2" fish(around 10)...

 

[ramcharger1979]

I have a fluval 403 on my 125 that I have not opened in over a year. No problems at all.

 

[Gruntking]

I have a fluval 403 on my 125 that I have not opened in over a year. No problems at all.

I would do this, but i have carbon in my filter which i need to change every so often, and im sure the filter pad will need changing as well...

Why have you not opened it in so long, i bet some maintenance will be better for the long haul!

 

[Brian_Indiana]

I open and clean mine about once a month.

It heavily depends on what you have in it. A lot of the fine pads clog up pretty fast.

 

[bigbadfish711]

I clean my fx5 every 2 months unless I notice a decrease in flow. How often you need to do maintenance on you canister filter will depend largely on what stock you have, how many filters you have, and your feeding habits.

 

[Gruntking]

I just got word from a friend that the rena has a quick release valve, so the water inside the tubing going to the tank stays primed... definitely a +