How do I safely clean this?

[RedBellyRhen]

hey guys like I said yesterday I got a new free tank and set up. Thing is that it was totaly CAKED with dried up algae so i used a clean sponge and some vinegar water and scrubed the crap out of it and the glass is finnaly looking good, I want to start cleaning the filter but yeah I have no idea how I would clean this safely without using cleaning chemicals.
Top view of fliter

Front view of filter

here is the tank after 45 mins of scrubbing!!!!

 

[redman88]

viniger?

 

[k0y0te]

let it soak in viniger over night. i got a filter that was the same way. i filled the sink with viniger and let it soak over night. the next day it took little effort to wipe it clean

 

[iloveyouDIE]

Yeah I would do the same thing you did with the tank. With hot water the algae can probably just be wiped out of the filter. Get yourself one of those wire brushes (with the christmas tree shaped brush) to help with the intake tubes.

Had to do a major cleaning of my filters lately (though they weren't dried up, currently being used) but they were SUPER gross. Just make sure you rinse it really well after you clean it before you run it on the tank.

 

[RedBellyRhen]

Alright thanks guys I also have another question. See how I have the i gess you would call it filter media? Would I be able to use that to help cycle it or would all the bb be dead in that?

 

[BODYDUB]

The blue square in the filter is what filters the water itself. Replace it now and with another every 30 days. The BB has already died in it, but everytime you replace it you will lose your BB in the filter. Thus your water will be unfiltered until the BB reestablishes itself in the new filter and your water may be unsafe until it does. If you want to use the same filter just buy some bio balls to place inside the filter to keep your BB filtering your water even when you replace the blue filter. I hope that didn't confuse you............

 

[RedBellyRhen]

The blue square in the filter is what filters the water itself. Replace it now and with another every 30 days. The BB has already died in it, but everytime you replace it you will lose your BB in the filter thus your water will be unfiltered until the BB reestablishes itself in the new filter. If you want to use the same filter just buy some bio balls to place inside the filter to keep your BB filtering your water even when you replace the blue filter. I hope that didn't confuse you............

Ok so I put the bioballs in there with the blue thing?

 

[BODYDUB]

Yes you do, or you can just go to walmart and buy a aquatech 30-60 filter that has a seperate filter that you never replace for BB. It's around $35. IMO I would just buy another filter. That filter you have looks like a Emperor and it's missing a bio-wheel. Alot of people have problems with the bio-wheel stopping from spinning........

 

[Citrinellus]

For my hob i stopped using those cartridges. I use a fistful of filter floss and some other biomedia. Its cheaper and works better imo, atleast for me.

 

[RedBellyRhen]

Yes you do, or you can just go to walmart and buy a aquatech 30-60 filter that has a seperate filter that you never replace for BB. It's around $35. IMO I would just buy another filter. That filter you have looks like a Emperor and it's missing a bio-wheel. Alot of people have problems with the bio-wheel stopping from spinning........

Well I'm kinda tight on cash right now till my birthday so i'm probly gonna keep this one for a while, it has the bio wheel but I think i'm gonna need a new one