ok, so I have a 150 gallon tank that is pretty heavily stocked. I have 2 large canisters filtering this tank, the cascade 1200 and cascade 1500. The 1200 has 4 trays for media and the 1500 has 5 trays. What I have been doing is each week cleaning one tray(a different tray each week) in a bowl of tank water, so that I don't kill any beneficial bacteria. Would you say that I have enough beneficial bacteria where I could clean one tray out a week with tap water or should I just continue doing what I've been doing? Thanks in advance.
quick question about cleaning out filters
- Thread starter stingray94
- Start date
how often you do water change? cleaning filter every week is to much IMO. i would clean once a month and do more on water change...or get fx5 or other large canister or wet/dry to help out you casecade
StIcKy~RiCe;2329361; said:
I do 1/3 waterchange once a week. Once a week to much really? There are 9 trays total so each tray is getting cleaned once every two months.
I run a Cascade 1500 on a 50g...I swish the Media in tank water and pressure wash the floss and foam... 1 time a month
stingray94;2329372; said:
increase your water to 50% of water change once a week and clean filter once a month. and/or get another power filter for it.
stingray94;2329344; said:
If it's working for you, keep it going, your not doing anything wrong.
If the nitrAtes are low and everything else is good, keep the W/Cs @ 33% too.
And keep cleaning filter material in tank water or at least in treated water (no chlorine). If you clean too much at one time and it should coincide with a major (Emerg) W/C there wouldn't enough BB to cope and it would start the cycle over again.
Dr Joe
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My water params are as follows:
-nitrates 20 ppm
-ammonia 0 ppm
-nitrites 0 ppm
My nitrates aren't high, I could easily increase my waterchanges to 50% a week if needed because my dad made it so that my tank empties to outsie with the turn of a valve, fills the tank the same way. I can post a thread about this if anybody is interested in seeing it.
About cleaning the filter once a month, I always thought it was better to clean one tray once a week, but I guess I will change to cleaning out the whole thing once a month. Thanks guys!
-nitrates 20 ppm
-ammonia 0 ppm
-nitrites 0 ppm
My nitrates aren't high, I could easily increase my waterchanges to 50% a week if needed because my dad made it so that my tank empties to outsie with the turn of a valve, fills the tank the same way. I can post a thread about this if anybody is interested in seeing it.
About cleaning the filter once a month, I always thought it was better to clean one tray once a week, but I guess I will change to cleaning out the whole thing once a month. Thanks guys!
One more quick question while where talking about cleaning tanks,
I've noticed that at the base of some of my fake plants some gunk starts to get stuck/trapped. Is it okay for once a day to stir up all of this "gunk" and the sand in the tank so that the filter can get it? thanks again
I've noticed that at the base of some of my fake plants some gunk starts to get stuck/trapped. Is it okay for once a day to stir up all of this "gunk" and the sand in the tank so that the filter can get it? thanks again
Vac it all the way out if you can.stingray94;2332987; said:
Or...
net it and remove it...just that much more that your filter doesn't have to process...