filter cleaning

[nobuhiko takada]

i have a 55 with a 10" oscar and a 6" jd,,, i know i know,,,,,

anyways, i have a 60 gallon bio wheel and 2 misc power filters combined rated for 150 gallon tank

i change the blue pads every few weeks or so, and i keep up with my water changes,,,

what im wondering is if its ok every now and then to take the filters apart and give them a good blasting with the hose?

thanks

 

[crashinc25]

Sure, rinse everything but the ceramics or whatever holds the beneficial bacteria. The filter pads (foam stuff) is for cleaning the water particles. The bio media is for "sanitizing" the water, per say. The build up on the ceramic rings or whatever you have is good stuff and shouldn't be rinsed away. Essentially, it is what keeps your tank going, nullifying the poop and bad stuff produced by dying plants, dying animals, waste, etc.

Edit: power filters? You mean HOB's? Do you have any ceramics or things like that?

 

[toehead11183]

i used to clean mine out every 3 monthes but i gave up un it and let it grow. i just added a bunch of pond snails to my power filter to eat the crap in it. plus the fall out and feed my clown loaches

 

[fishieperson321]

The only time I clean my Whisper power filter is when it stops working....almost never. The tube is a dark green/brown color, and I haven't taken the lid off and looked in the filter in so long I forgot what it looks like..but my water is clear, parameters are great..and my fish are happy. I don't change my filter cartridge but about once every 6 months to a year. It may back up and flow around the tube but as long as there is water flowing through the cartridge, I dont change it.

You can clean your power filter as often as you like, just don't clean the bio media. It is a matter of preference and what works for you, not anyone else.

 

[Nic]

float the bio wheels in the tank and only do one filter at a time wait a few weeks before doing the second...