# How often to clean canister filter?



## djm761 (May 23, 2011)

I have ten canisters in use at this time and was told when I set them up I could go years without cleaning them, my canisters are setup with very course sponges and Eheim Mechanical medium (no polishing pads or carbon) nitrates never go above 20 ppm. as I said, I was told I could go years but my son says no they should be cleaned monthly, I would like to hear more opinions.


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

Really depends on what you are trying to accomplish. However I would not let a canister filter run for years without cleaning. They need to be cleaned to remove the buildup so they work more efficiently especially in regards to the nitrifying bacteria. They will not perform correctly when covered in gunk.


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## Anthraxx8500 (Feb 11, 2011)

a lot of canister filters will also not function as well when they get full of gunk (imagine a full vaccum and expecting it to still pick up debris) i personally have two canisters on my 125 and clean out one every two weeks (once a month) the sponge filters get cleaned weekly and i do 50% wc's twice weekly. when i first got into canisters i figured the same thing.. until i cleaned my gf's discus tank after 3 months. all the waste had literally turn into a soil like substance. i also suggest you add a polishing media to the filter itself. itll help remove some of the loose debris, my canisters r set up w/ polishing pads on top, bio media all thru the center, and sponges on the bottom. seems to work out well. GL to ya


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## reflexhunter (Jul 25, 2009)

Is there a large difference in nitrate levels in your tank when you clean a canister in two weeks or two months?


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## biglove (Jan 4, 2010)

I have had 2 Rena XP3s in my 220 where I was overstocked and overfed. I maintain each one every four months, alternating so that one is cleaned every two months. Has worked well for me.

I do have 3 Aquaclear 70 powerhead w/ quickfilters that I replace every 2-4 weeks though. Keeps the water polished.


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## Anthraxx8500 (Feb 11, 2011)

ya after about a month and a half of not doing maintenance my fish tend to get a little itchy if i leave it alone. tank is pretty heavily stocked tho might be able to get away with it if the tank was planted or lightly populated.


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## S14Swap240sx (Jan 3, 2011)

reflexhunter said:


> Is there a large difference in nitrate levels in your tank when you clean a canister in two weeks or two months?


from what *** noticed when i started my 125g.. if i didnt do a deep clean at least once every 2-3 weeks, my regular water changes which is about 40-50% twice a week, my nitrates would stay around 20ppm (up to 40 while i was on vacation).. but now with more rock moving, focused vaccuming targeting poop, and cleaning sponges in canister filter im down to 5-10ppm.

so yeah.. poop is poop and it builds up in the sponges.. they need to be rinsed. thats why most discus tanks are bare bottom.. easy to clean poop and prevent excessive nitrates


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