Does rinsing filter media through tap water kill BB?

[Bengalcats888]

Hi

I saw a youtube awhile back. They person stated beneficial bacteria is highly resilient. If you run filter media through tap water to clean for less than few minutes, it will not kill off the BB?

I am just curious if this is plausible. I will be using Matala filters. I will only be able to clean them in the bathroom tub. I’m in 2nd floor apt. so cannot rinse them clean with tank water.

I could get a bucket of the tank water but it not like use the shower spray head to clear any debris stuck in the filter pores.

If it does kill the BB, then I would have to just spray down one filter media at a time.

 

[fishguy1978]

Yes, the chlorine/chloromine in your tap water will kill the bb in your filter media. One option for rinsing is to start a siphon into a bucket/toilet/tub and use the flow from the hose to rinse hard media and then to rewet sponges while squeezing out debris.

 

[Bootie08]

In my experience if you have enough filter media in your filter you're completely fine to rinse sponges and such under tap water. There's plenty enough beneficial bacterial in the media which won't cause any negative side effects on your tank. Best option to clean media is to get a bucket of tank water then rinse it. Hope this helps.

 

[Raka]

The best way to clean a sponge filter imo is submerged while actively compressing/squeezing and releasing the sponge to flush it with tank water.

Spraying sponges tends to just push debris further into the sponge. Where ever you are siphoning your water during changes add a bucket and use the tank water.

I will use tap spray occasionally on the mechanical level of my filters but just to clear the heavily soiled surface. Then I move to the submerged method mentioned above to finish the clean.

Prolonged exposure to tap water can be detrimental but an established tank likely has enough BB in other locations this would not be noticed. I take extra care here because I run bare bottom and have less of a safety net without substrate.

 

[celebrist]

Another reason I am blessed to be on a well ?

 

[esoxlucius]

You've really got to know what you are doing. I thoroughly rinse out my mechanical media in tap water every water change. But this is fine because any BB in my mechanical side are expendable anyway because I don't rely on my mechanical side for bio filtration.

But would I risk rinsing my bio media out in tap water? Absolutely never. Not only are you potentially wiping out your BB but the resulting ammonia spike will probably wipe out your fish too!

 

[deeda]

B Bengalcats888 , I would try only cleaning one Matala mat at a time and see by testing if it impacts your water parameters. Do you happen to know whether your water authority uses chlorine, chloramine or another disinfectant?

What other filter media are you using besides the Matala mat? If you have other media, I wouldn't think it would be an issue to use the shower sprayer head. Hopefully it is a hand held type rather than a traditional one to reduce splashing. ?

 

[Bengalcats888]

Thanks

It is Matala media, nothing you can squeeze.
I will do one media at a time.

Looks to be if you have enough bio media, it will not be a great impact if one piece is removed for cleaning.

 

[duanes]

There're a number of ways to look at this.
Do you actually know what the chlorine/chloramine concentration, coming from your tap?
You may want to test your tap water to find out.
If you live a long distance from your water purification plant, or pumping station, the residual might be only a trace, and be benign.
If you live close, the residual may be high.
There are tests available to help determine the ball park residual of your personal tap residual, some made for swimming pools and available at places the sell pool products, home imporovement stores.

I used to work as a chemist at a purification plant, and we found ammonia consuming bacteria started growing about half way into the distribution system, unaffected by the chloramine residual.
There is also a "theory" that rinsing certain media in tap water helps remove some worn out colonies, making room for more robust bacteria to thrive,
at about 7 minutes into the video below, Ted talks about that.
Filtration

 

[Bengalcats888]

That is great info. Thank you.
As you mentioned, key is to find how much chlorine in local tap.

My city says it is safe to drink from tap. Does that mean the Chlorine and Chloramines are low, safe?

BB probably way more resilient than me, lol