Right, I knew it was in the 20 micron range, just not the exact figure.
From your description, I would say your cleaning is not much different from how I clean mine.
From your stock listing I would guess your filter gets gummed up by the volume of organics your wet-pets are pumping out.
I get a few more days out of my filter cartridges by shutting the filters down during feeding.
By pure luck, I got the flow in my tank so the major poop deposits land in 2 places.
I use a battery powered vac once or twice a day to get most all the poop my Malawi Maniacs pump out.
A different pump might give you a little extra time between cleanings, not sure if I would spend the money or just live with the cleaning schedule.
I have found that pleated filter cartridges, even ones cleaned very well, eventually get enough pores plugged that they need to be replaced.
Not saying yours are ready for replacement.
Kaiser i would like to see what are you running what filter, what pump if you can put some pics of your set up, why I say this, because i believe you don't have this type of filtration; or if you do; you haven't learn how to use it, in the past you have given the wrong info about this type of canisters making me believe you have it wrong or simply you don't have any experience what so ever.
This type of canisters they don't work as the rest of canisters including the magnum micron, (gravity feed) water goes in the canister by gravity
and back to the tank by the pump.
Pressure canister require pressure pumps to get them work, other wise you get no flow even if the cartridge its clean, a circulation pump won't
do it even a 3000 gph your flow will go down in a hurry.
Now if you read inkslinger he its running a blue line 55HD thats a pressure pump he's cleaning schedule its 3 to 5 months.
No need to replace cartriges here every time they get clog, just use a bucket with one cup of chlorine and water,live it over nite
rinse the next day, it will be as new, I have one that I been using for 3 years .
