# Canister filter maintenance



## mac10 (Dec 8, 2011)

I currently have two C-530's canisters liters running on a 125g. I take a filter apart every two weeks and rinse the media with tank water, clean impeller, and change floss. So I only maintenance one filter at a time.

Are you supposed to change the water in the canister with tank water? Rinsing the media seems pointless if you just put it back in the filthy water.


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## 748johnd (Jun 30, 2007)

I have an Eheim 2028 and I only clean the filter every 6 months. My tank is lightly stocked. I fill 3 5-gallon buckets with tap water a couple of days before I clean the filter. I rinse each media in a separate container until it is clean. Once every thing is clean, including the filter itself, I fill the filter with the remaining clean water. I have never had a problem doing it this way. Cleaning a canister filter every 2 weeks seems like overkill to me plus a lot of work.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

I empty the water from the canister, rinse the media, replace fine filtration pads, rinse gunk off impeller, etc when maintaining my canister filters. Emptying the dirty water is preferred.

I agree that every 2 weeks seems excessive unless you are experiencing reduced filter flow. Is there a particular reason you clean alternate filters every two weeks?


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## mac10 (Dec 8, 2011)

Deeda said:


> I empty the water from the canister, rinse the media, replace fine filtration pads, rinse gunk off impeller, etc when maintaining my canister filters. Emptying the dirty water is preferred.
> 
> I agree that every 2 weeks seems excessive unless you are experiencing reduced filter flow. Is there a particular reason you clean alternate filters every two weeks?


I was just going with the manufactures recommendations of changing floss once a month and rinsing the media regularly.

It's really once a month because I clean one filter then two weeks later I clean the other one.

How often do you do your maintenance?


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## frank1rizzo (Mar 14, 2005)

every 2-3 months here.

If they are that dirty after 2 weeks, you may be over feeding.


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## smitty (May 7, 2004)

You should empty the filter of the dirty water after you clean the media. But refill it with aquarium water.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

When to clean a filter will vary depending on a lot of variables such as tank stocking, size of tank vs. filter model size, type of filter media, etc.

Filter floss can become clogged extremely fast because it traps a lot of fine debris and depending on where the floss is placed in the filter, it can cause premature filter clogging. It should be installed as the final media before the filtered water reenters your aquarium.

I average at least 4 months before needing to clean my canister filters. Everyone's experience will be different depending on the variables I posted above.


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## BillD (May 17, 2005)

Sounds like most people like storing crud out of sight rather than removing it from their tank. Anything in your filter needs to be considered still in the tank.


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## 748johnd (Jun 30, 2007)

If the crud is still in the tank maybe I should clean the filter every other day just to be on the safe side.


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## nodima (Oct 3, 2002)

I also clean my eheims around the 6 month mark, or when the flow rate is noticeably lower. A cleaning consists of removing filter, rinsing the pads in the sink (tap water  ), a quick rinse of the ceramic media, and then replace the trays in the filter, fill the filter with tap water and go.

Never noticed any change in water parameters from doing it this way, nor has it affected the fish in any way. Rinsing with tap water always seems like such a hassle, and I never felt the pads or foam gets clean enough. Since I reuse filter pads and foam for a long time, they need stronger cleaning than just a simple squeeze in a bucket. Sometimes the gunk on the foam or pad needs the power a sink sprayer or hose nozzle can produce.

Obviously, your mileage may vary, etc. opcorn:


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## BillD (May 17, 2005)

nodima said:


> I also clean my eheims around the 6 month mark, or when the flow rate is noticeably lower. A cleaning consists of removing filter, rinsing the pads in the sink (tap water  ), a quick rinse of the ceramic media, and then replace the trays in the filter, fill the filter with tap water and go.
> 
> Never noticed any change in water parameters from doing it this way, nor has it affected the fish in any way. Rinsing with tap water always seems like such a hassle, and I never felt the pads or foam gets clean enough. Since I reuse filter pads and foam for a long time, they need stronger cleaning than just a simple squeeze in a bucket. Sometimes the gunk on the foam or pad needs the power a sink sprayer or hose nozzle can produce.
> 
> Obviously, your mileage may vary, etc. opcorn:


The difficulty you are having cleaning the filter elements is from leaving them too long. I can just imagine the comments one would hear if someone came on here and said they used an undergravel filter and only vacuumed it every six months.


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## lucid_eye (Apr 12, 2009)

I have 5 canisters between my two big tanks and I clean one of them with almost every water change, so they don't go more than 2 months. Closer to once a month.


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## nodima (Oct 3, 2002)

BillD said:


> nodima said:
> 
> 
> > I also clean my eheims around the 6 month mark, or when the flow rate is noticeably lower. A cleaning consists of removing filter, rinsing the pads in the sink (tap water  ), a quick rinse of the ceramic media, and then replace the trays in the filter, fill the filter with tap water and go.
> ...


Perhaps, though maybe this is the reason that most companies seem to recommend throwing media away during the change, rather than rinsing it. You are spot on about the UGF reaction though. For some reason, that would freak me out, yet leaving the detritus in the filter does not. Go figure.


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## kpswd (Sep 13, 2011)

Why would you change your media that often? When you make a change like that it is like cycling your tank all over again. It makes no sense.

Change media when it is needed (reduced water flow), and don't change all of it at the same time. I always dispose of all the dirty water in the cansiter and then lightly rinse the canister itself using aquarium water. When you refill the cansiter, or even rinse the media, use aquarium water to reduce the risk of killing beneficial bacteria located in the canister.

There is a reason why you cycle a tank/filtration system before adding livestock. The same thing applies here.


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## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)

Depending on what kinda canisters everyone is using could be a big reason as to why they're quickly changing things over. Also, in an established tank, isn't most of the beneficial bacteria in the substrate, on the rocks, etc?


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## lucid_eye (Apr 12, 2009)

Cleaning you filters does not cause a cycle. Most of the beneficial bacterial is not removed or destroyed. And in my case I only clean on filter at a time so the others are unaffected. If you rinse a filter properly in tank water you are actually helping the beneficial bacterial, by giving it more oxygen and flow.


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## hawkkerw (Jan 31, 2012)

If you using the polishing pad for the 530 ? I know mine can clog up in the matter of a few days.


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## mac10 (Dec 8, 2011)

So, I haven't been on here in a while but I am using the floss. I just buy a roll of floss and cut my own and I change the floss once a month also. I've started changing the water in the filters when I rinse the media. The water and fish have never been better! Thanks for all the replies.


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## djm761 (May 23, 2011)

Thought I would revive this thread, 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) this should break down the Ammonia and Nitrite and put the debris back into the tank so it can be removed with the siphon and I siphon twice a week, 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 your opinion.


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## BillD (May 17, 2005)

With your maintenance regimen, you would be better off losing the cannisters and go with sponges. Running the detritus through the filters and then vacuuming it up, defeats the purpose of having a cannister. Whoever told you cannisters could go years between cleaning is an idiot. If your coarse sponges become clogged with detritus, they lose efficiency as the nitrifying bacteria are aerobic, and it makes it difficult for them to function. Cleaning the detritus from the filters before it is broken down, will result in lower nitrate numbers. Actually, if the detritus is in fact going through the filter, the filter isn't working properly.


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

BillD said:


> With your maintenance regimen, you would be better off losing the cannisters and go with sponges. Running the detritus through the filters and then vacuuming it up, defeats the purpose of having a cannister. Whoever told you cannisters could go years between cleaning is an idiot. If your coarse sponges become clogged with detritus, they lose efficiency as the nitrifying bacteria are aerobic, and it makes it difficult for them to function. Cleaning the detritus from the filters before it is broken down, will result in lower nitrate numbers. Actually, if the detritus is in fact going through the filter, the filter isn't working properly.


Agreed....Dr.Tim said as much recently in regards to nitrifying bacteria in canister filters.


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## djm761 (May 23, 2011)

BillD said:


> With your maintenance regimen, you would be better off losing the cannisters and go with sponges. Running the detritus through the filters and then vacuuming it up, defeats the purpose of having a cannister. Whoever told you cannisters could go years between cleaning is an idiot. If your coarse sponges become clogged with detritus, they lose efficiency as the nitrifying bacteria are aerobic, and it makes it difficult for them to function. Cleaning the detritus from the filters before it is broken down, will result in lower nitrate numbers. Actually, if the detritus is in fact going through the filter, the filter isn't working properly.


It seems I received some bad info, the LFS that sold me the over priced Medium are the ones that told me I could go years with out cleaning the canisters.

PS: by over priced I mean double what I would have paid on line, but then I wouldn't have gotten the great advice.


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