Cleaning your filters

[socalsurfer]

I have 3 fileters, 1 rena Xp3, 1 marineland hob, and 1 ac110.

I have filter floss in the all, as some of the media, I'm going to replace that because It's just sick. I have sand as a sub and whenever the fish stir it up the fine stuff gets in the floss.
Ok now to my questions on cleaning the bio media.

I know you clean it in the already established tank water. OK so what do you exactly do, drain some in a bucket and with all the sponges that are in the xp3 and ac110, do you just squeeze it in the bucket and get all the gunk off? or do you just clean the top layer, and place back in the baskets? Also the ceraminc rings, do you just kinda dunk em into the bucket to get most of the dirt off?

 

[Scottfree]

Hand agitate them in the tanks water....I usually don't clean my bio-balls (now that sounds, uhhh )

 

[socalsurfer]

Hand agitate them in the tanks water....I usually don't clean my bio-balls (now that sounds, uhhh )

lol yea we won't go there
So do you mean take them out the ceramic things (LOL) and clean them in the actual tank?

And what about all those sponges?
Thanks

 

[DiXoN]

i dunk my trays of bio media in a bucket of old tank water and give the fine sponges a light squeeze in the same bucket of water.

 

[shoefreak03]

when i use to run 2 xp3 and 2 aq500, i usually take the water out of the tank into a 5g bucket. take the ceramic rings out and just shake it in the water to get some loose stuff off. the media i just rinse out with regular tap with strong pressure to get all the junk that is stuck in there. The only thing is to make sure you dont clean all your filters at once so the remaining filters still have the BB still in there for the tank.

However this took to much time so i went with a wet/dry.

 

[scottv]

Just cleaned my Xp3 for the first time today....reinstalling it was pretty funny.....water spitting out the wrong way and everything...sure was a *****....I got it all done now....

 

[Scottfree]

i dunk my trays of bio media in a bucket of old tank water and give the fine sponges a light squeeze in the same bucket of water.

What he said...

 

[Hasi]

Yeah i do as Dixon has stated.

I just dunk my media baskets in a bucket of clean tank water and i rinse out the caniste, the sponges i just run some water through whislt squeezing them.

 

[socalsurfer]

good info folks thanks. I cleaned 2 filters today and I will clean the other next week. I've spent all this money on filters, I'm not gonna change now. Maybe if I ever get tired of cleaning them I'll go the wet/dry route. Again thanks for the good info.