# How Often Do You Clean Your AC Filters?



## Guest (Jan 23, 2005)

*How often do you clean your AC media?*​
Once a week1015.38%Once every 2 weeks1320.00%Once a month2944.62%When the water flow slows to a trickle1320.00%


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## Guest (Jan 23, 2005)

Just curious ....


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## Fish Phenom (Oct 1, 2003)

Howdy stranger,

In all my AC's I presently keep two sponges per filter. I prefer to rinse one sponge per week in aquarium water then rotate sponge rinsing the following week... :wink:


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## garbun0629 (Sep 20, 2004)

I have one AC 300.
I have one sponge, one bag of bio-max and filter floss.

I rinsed the sponge almost once a month only....
so far so good, maybe i have 3 other filters running..


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## Guest (Jan 25, 2005)

Only 18 people use AC filters? :lol:


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## Something Fishy (Oct 23, 2002)

Each of my AC's have 2 foam inserts which i squeaze and rinse weekly.


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## motorfin (Mar 19, 2004)

I have 1 sponge followed by a layer of course floss,2 layers of fine floss and topped with a bio bag with lava rock. The sponge gets a complete cleaning under a running tap once every three months. The floss gets the same cleaning weekly. The rock will get tossed and replaced when it has been used up.


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## bloodmoney (Oct 13, 2002)

I have 2 AC500's on a 180 with the sponge that came with it and a bag of Oyster shell on top for weight and ph media, I do a water change about once a month and clean/rinse one of the filters in tap water and just alternate which filter do the rinseing on.


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## Nicholo (Nov 7, 2003)

I'd like to say once a month, RD, but it's more usually when I notice the media basket start to rise up a bit, due to the sponge (at the bottom) being nearly impervious to water flow from the gunk build-up at the bottom. So it's probably more like once every two months. (Two AC500/110s on my 75g and two AC300/70s on my 20g.)


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## Guest (Jan 26, 2005)

Thanks guys, I appreciate the responses.


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## Guest (Jan 27, 2005)

Wow, with all the AC users I figured I'd get at least 50 votes. :wink:


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## Guest (Jan 31, 2005)

5 to go.


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## Guest (Feb 2, 2005)

One final 'mercy' bump for the last vote.


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## FishBaby (Dec 18, 2003)

I run 2 ACs on each of my larger tanks. So I do one AC one week, then the other the next week, then skip 2 weeks unless the water flow slows or media basket rises. I use filter floss between 1 full size sponge and 1/2 sponge. Works great!


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## FishBaby (Dec 18, 2003)

I was your 51st vote!!! Tee - hee!


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## Kinguni (Mar 1, 2004)

I voted once a month, but sometimes do it more often. Depends on how much the flow is slowed, and how much the media is rising in the trays.


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## nuno velhinho (Feb 8, 2004)

I have 4 AC300 running on a 170 gallon tank, all double-sponged.

I clean all units on a weekly basis.

Great filters, but require too much maintenance.


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