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I just cleaned my filters after 3 months last time..
so much dirt...so i wanted to know how often should i clean the filters?

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I know human beings and fish can co-exist peacefully.

Once a month will be fine.



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it depends on the filter, but the foams ones - yeah once per month is fine.

I usually rinse my filter media (the foam inserts) every week to 2 weeks when I do water changes, and then scrub the filter intakes and impeller housing once a month or so. If you use carbon, it needs to be replaced after a month of use as well. If you use ceramic bio-media, you don't need to rinse it unless you see dirty buildup, and you don't need to replace it.

Hoping that there must be a word for everything I mean...

Carbon is usually only good for a maximum of one month before it's saturated and needs to be replaced. Foam can usually be rinsed out as needed and reused until it's too dirty to rinse clean, usually a few months if you rinse it every couple of weeks. If you have zeolite (white gravelly looking stuff that removes ammonia) in your filter you can re-charge it by soaking it in salt water for two hours, rinsing it, and putting it back into the filter. I wouldn't recharge it more than two or three times, though. If it's an all in one cartridge, rinse it every week or two and replace it every month.

I'm so adjective, I verb nouns!

It really depends on the filter and the tank it's running on...I've been told that you don't have to clean the canisters but every 6 months or so, HOBs I usually run the filter pads through tank water (outside of the tank) about every 2 weeks or so, my UGF I never take apart, but it is part of my general tank maintenance (deep gravel vacs, removing uplift tubes 1 each week and using the gravel vac to suck out through the uplift hole...

Again, if the tank is more heavily stocked, you are going to need to clean your filtration more often, if it is less stocked, then cleaning them less often...I tend to overfilter all my tanks (just me) so cleaning the filters as often wouldn't be as necessary...

***hint of advice, if you are running the HOB and rinsing the pads in the fishtank water in another bucket, use that fishy water, or any other fishy water that you pull from the tank to water your plantsdo it and watch for the difference, the gunk in the water makes a great fertilizer that your plants will love you for...

Best of luck, heidi

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

Mt lfs owenr told me to striclty clean my aquarium with aquarium water, i do it is this true??? He said because our tap water contains clorine can it will kill the bacteria.

10gallon: 8neons 5gallon: 1betta
1oto
2platys

Yes it is true. You must rinse or clean your filter media with tank water in order to save the good bacteria on it.

It depends on the type of filter, size of tank, and what is in the tank.

I do a complete clean of my Eheim Canister every month, by doing that I keep it working very well and does not place any pressure on the impella.

My small Eheim Bioball could easly be every 14days as it only has a small foam filter, and if required I will do it weekly.

Keith

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Im using floss on a 5g I rince it out every now & then

Is that good enough?

i do a full clean on my eheim once a month and do a full clean on my submersable filter every 2 weeks! hey keith..i have a real hard time trying to get the water to run thru my eheim after i clean it and it makes a real racket for hrs too...is my impeller busted?? i take it out and clean it and it seems in good nick! i also syphon water thru it and even get the hose onto it sometimes just to get the air out of it... but as soon as a stop 'assisting' it, it just looses all it's oomph! lol any suggestions??

opiate
What Model do you have? I have the Pro11 2026 this has a pump built into the top of the canister. I fill the canister to the required level,& fix top in position. As soon as I connect it all up I press the pump a few times 2-3 then I turn it on and never a problem.

Have a good look at the impella and make sure it is fitted correctly.

If you are still having problems contact the Aust Distributor or Eheim direct.

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW