FishProfiles.com Message Forums

Ok, here's the deal: when i do my weekly water change i first siphon out 20% of the water and after that take the 2 filter sponges out of my Aquaclear and rinse them in the dirty water in the bucket. The only problem is that when i remove the sponges and basket from the filter, all the gunk and debris that was caught in there ends up running back into my tank!!! Am i missing something here? How do I prevent the particles from getting back into the tank? Do i turn off the filter when i rinse the sponges? Thanks.

It is something that just happens. Its a pain, you just have to work around it. Instead of working with the filters AFTER you do the water change, work with them before. That way, any debris rushing back into the tank can be taken out when you do that WC.

Also, turning it off will help to some extent, but stuff still comes out. In the long run, doesn't really make a difference.

get a fish net with fine mesh or make one out of a stocking and hold that under the overflow for minute or so after removing the sponge

OH TOLEEDY!

I too like getting some of the larger particles out of the filter by rinsing in the siphoned water. It doesn't disrupt the bio culture quite as much (although I depend on a bio-wheel for most of my bio-filtration) as cleaning it with tap water.

Here's the routine I use:
1. I get some initial water in the bucket by skimming the tank with a large plastic drinking cup. This gets any floating debris out of the system and provides something to rinse the filters in.
2. I siphon with just the hose (the "big end" being pulled off the siphon), but I siphon the bottom of the filter box. It's amazing how much can build up down in there, especially when you kill as many plants as I do
3. Once the filter box is relatively clean (doesn't take long), I switch it off long enough to pull the media out and rinse it in the bucket.
4. Finally after all that's done, I reattach the wide-end attachment to my siphon host and finish filling the bucket (about 4 of the 5 gallons I take each week) in the usual fashioin off the substrate.

Oh, if there's a need to scrape algae off the glass, that's done between stetp 3 and 4 to capture as much of it as possible. Fortunately my algae eaters make that a pretty rare event.

I still get a bit of a cloud when the pump's back on, but it clears in minutes.

Gary

I do not know of that filter. Removing the sponges and cleaning them in the tank water is the correct thing to do.

I always fully clean my filters including the impellars every time. The Betta tank weekly, and the 5ft monthly.

These are done under a running tap.

A BIG tip always put the plug in when cleaning any small parts especially the impellar.

Have a look in [link=My Profile]http://
www.fishprofiles.com/interactive/forums/profile.asp?userid=6741" style="COLOR: #00FF00[/link] for my tank info

[link=My Betta desk top tank]http://photobucket.com/albums/b209/keithgh/" style="COLOR: #00FF00[/link]

[link=Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.]http://www.fishprofiles.com" style="COLOR: #00FF00[/link]



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

Turning the filter down to a lower flow rate helps, and you should also be cleaning the apparatus at least once a month, that will cut down on the waste particles too You could always take your sponges out, then do your siphoning to get some of the gunk out afterwards

Do as dan76 said & get a net underneath your intake & all the dirt will get in the net & not in your tank.



http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/s8xi5heh/my_photos
http://www.geocities.com/s8xi5heh/classic_blue.html
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/buzaqq/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/corydoras/
Member of the Malta Aquarist Society - 1970.
http://www.maltaaquarist.com

You could also try cleaning one sponge at a time in rotation over a period of weeks, depends if they get clogged quickly or not. Most manufacturers recommend this as the one dirty sponge will help the other repopulate quickly.

Whenever I pull out the cartridges to my penguin filters they also have alot of junk that goes floating into the tank. I figured out if I pull the intake up and then quickly unplug the filter all the water and junk in it stays in the filter. Then I can pull the cartridges out, rinse them, and dump the dirty water in the filter into a bucket without any of the stuff that was trapped being released into the tank.

I just turn off the filter and remove the media- rinse in tank water I siphon out during a water change. I rotate the media/replace if necesary about once a month.

BTW- the only stupid questions are the ones that are never asked

Better to ask than learn the hard way

http://www.fishprofiles.com/site/aquarank.aspx