Preferential growth of BB

[Laticauda]

I don't use a sprayer to clean my sponge pads. I just use physical force by beating them against a brick wall, the side of a bucket, or whatever other type thing that's hard and handy.

If you are really concerned about it, you can alternate, doing one "layer" of the sponge pads per week. However, it's a real pain to pull out the filter and do maintenance on it once a week, and I normally only pull it out once a month, unless I notice restricted flow, which indicates a clog.

 

[Spiritofthesoul]

Beat them again the wall... LOL!

Great idea, are they really that tough to withstand it?

 

[Laticauda]

Beat them again the wall... LOL!

Great idea, are they really that tough to withstand it?

Yes, they are. I don't hold one end and bang the other end. They have a half circle cut out in the center of each sponge for the initake/outflow tubes. I fold it in half, and beat it against the wall that way, in all directions to get all the crud out. It's really quite nasty the stuff that gets stuck in there!

 

[Spiritofthesoul]

Haha I think I'll stick to the water spray. I don't want poop flying all over me. I seen what comes out from those bichir's butt. It ain't pretty

 

[Pomatomus]

I work for an aquarium maintenance service and my boss is dedicated to cleaning filters in tank water for this reason. I have never done this with any of my filters or any of the filters I cleaned at my previous job at a marine laboratory...but he's the boss.

People don't give enough credit to the BB in the gravel and other surface area. I have never had an ammonia problem with using tap. When I was first starting out and I forgot to use tank water a couple of times my boss said that we will have to watch the tank for an ammonia spike...but the ammonia never came.

If I had a barebottom tank with no non-mechanical bio media I would worry. However, as long as tanks can avoid ammonia problems with only undergravel filters, I'm not going to worry about cleaning mine in tap.

I only clean my own mechanical filter media in tank water if I'm going to use it to seed an uncycled tank.

 

[smitty03281964]

First thing you do not need pressurized water to clean those foam pads. I only rinse mine out in aquarium water and they come very clean. But doing it your way I do not any problems with your bacteria.

 

[Laticauda]

First thing you do not need pressurized water to clean those foam pads. I only rinse mine out in aquarium water and they come very clean. But doing it your way I do not any problems with your bacteria.

Next time you clean your sponges, try banging it against the side of a bucket or brick wall after you've done your normal maintenance on it. You will be really surprised at what comes out and is left behind.