# FLUVAL FOAMS



## kwang (Sep 16, 2012)

I have been running a Fluval 406 canister filter in my 100 gallon Malawi tank for almost a year now. I also have a Aquatop CF500 UV canister filter as well.

My questions are:
How often should I replace the Foam Filter Block? (4 in the canister)
How often should I replace the Bio Foam? (2 in the canister)

Currently I rinse them out monthly.


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## nodima (Oct 3, 2002)

I rarely replaced the filter foams in my fluvals. Just gave them good rinses regularly. The only time I replaced them was with the old 03 series foam which were 4" thick or so, the newer foams are much thinner, so it is easy to rinse.


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## kwang (Sep 16, 2012)

nodima said:


> I rarely replaced the filter foams in my fluvals. Just gave them good rinses regularly. The only time I replaced them was with the old 03 series foam which were 4" thick or so, the newer foams are much thinner, so it is easy to rinse.


Can I use tap water to rinse out the foams? I hear different sides all the time.

I always and will continue to use tank water to rinse the biomax ceramic rings.


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## Brentt700 (Mar 14, 2013)

I wouldn't use tap water to clean the sponges......especially the Bio-sponge 3-dimensional pieces as they are for biological filtration. I would think that the others would harbor a little bit of beneficial bacteria as well, so I would keep to using the tank water to clean them. I have three Fluvals running on my 75 gallon tank and I know how convenient it would be to just use tap water, but it wouldn't be a healthy alternative for the biological filtration system and would end up killing your beneficial bacteria in those sponges. My take on this at least.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Kwang, I personally don't think you would have any problems rinsing out the foam sponges in tap water since they aren't the sole media in the filter. Even a good spray with a hose to get gunk out shouldn't be a problem. If you are concerned, you can alternate thorough cleaning of two of the sponges with tap water during your regular filter maintenance.


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## kwang (Sep 16, 2012)

Deeda said:


> Kwang, I personally don't think you would have any problems rinsing out the foam sponges in tap water since they aren't the sole media in the filter. Even a good spray with a hose to get gunk out shouldn't be a problem. If you are concerned, you can alternate thorough cleaning of two of the sponges with tap water during your regular filter maintenance.


As mentioned, I have 2 filters running in the tank.
I assume I can also use tap water to rinse the pads in my Aquatop CF 500 filter and continue to use tank water for the bio media. I clean filters once a month but not at the same time.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

You should be fine.


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## nodima (Oct 3, 2002)

Deeda said:


> You should be fine.


+ 1

I approached it the same way.


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## Brentt700 (Mar 14, 2013)

Decided to write to Hagen to see if they could shed some light on to this. I am a firm believer that you don't want tap water and all the hosts of chemicals that come with it cleaning four of your mechanical sponges which I am sure hosts a small amount of BB and who knows where else the chemicals will seep even though you have wrung them out the best you could. May be making mountains out of molehills but we'll see when Hagen writes me back. I will also admit when I am wrong as well.....but this seems too serious to just spray tap water inside half of a biological filter to me.


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## Brentt700 (Mar 14, 2013)

Well.....they wrote me back but I cannot get into where they want me to read on my PC BUT I did find this tidbit on their site on their four mechanical sponges.......

Fluval Foams capture large particles and debris for effective mechanical filtration, the crucial first stage in the filtration process. Custom fit to prevent bypass, they have a pore size that allows efficient water flow with less clogging for long-lasting filtration. These inserts also enhance biological filtration.
For freshwater and marine environments.
For Fluval filter models: 204, 205, 206, 304, 305, 306.

So.....if there IS a chance that there is some biological fuctioning going on there.....I wouldn't just use tap water to clean the sponges. JMO, though.


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## Brentt700 (Mar 14, 2013)

Just talked to Hagen/Fluval and they do NOT recommend using tap water to clean anything inside of their filters period. They even recommend using old tank water to rinse the new media when setting up the NEW filter. SO.....do what you are going to do I guess. I was pretty sure that I was right on not usimg tap water to clean insides of canisters especially when there is a chance of having a supply of beneficial bacteria inside of them however small it might be. :fish:

But....Not trying to cause waves here. I just always want what's best for everyone who keeps cichlids.


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## nodima (Oct 3, 2002)

Brentt700 said:


> Just talked to Hagen/Fluval and they do NOT recommend using tap water to clean anything inside of their filters period. They even recommend using old tank water to rinse the new media when setting up the NEW filter. SO.....do what you are going to do I guess. I was pretty sure that I was right on not usimg tap water to clean insides of canisters especially when there is a chance of having a supply of beneficial bacteria inside of them however small it might be. :fish:
> 
> But....Not trying to cause waves here. I just always want what's best for everyone who keeps cichlids.


no worries on waves - everyone is entitled to their own opinions, and I've even seem some changed here too! That said, what works for one, may not work for another for any number of reasons - there is no "Best" which fits every scenario. In my case, I've used tap water to clean filter parts since long before the internet told me that I'm going to the land of HE - double hockey sticks for doing so. I understand that it might put the bacteria on those parts at risk, but that risk is mitigated by not cleaning everything at once. Using multiple filters and maintaining reasonable stocking levels also reduces the risk. Finally, my tap water is good and for that I'm thankful, not everyone is in that situation. For me, it is much easier to clean foams with a hard spray of tap water than to rinse in a bucket, and I feel it does a much better job.

I'd have been shocked if a company went on the record as saying it was a good idea though.  Of course, they'd much rather we throw the foam away and not rinse at all, as it would mean they would sell more of it...


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## Brentt700 (Mar 14, 2013)

Dear Brent Tuttle,

We thank you for taking the time to contact us.

You should always use tank water to rinse any media, even new media.

Thank you,
Elaine Boyce
Customer Service Dept.
Rolf C. Hagen (USA) Corp.


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## AlCzervik (Oct 6, 2012)

Not sure if I'm allowed to post this but *vendor name removed* is both an ebay seller and they have a website and sell filter foam for almost any filter at a fraction of retail prices. Check them out.


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Sponges hold plenty of beneficial bacteria. I've kick started a cycle with nothing other than an established sponge, and skipped the long process of dealing with the nitrite spike/conversion to nitrate.

I have well water, and luckily for me, I need not worry about using tap water to blast off sponges/media. That being said, there's a moderator on this site that has a massive tank, and uses an outdoor spigot/hose to clean off all his filter mats.


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## Brentt700 (Mar 14, 2013)

Well...it must kill off some of the beneficial bacteria that lives in the sponges. If it were me, I would want my canister filter given the chance to work at it's maximum potential versus say at 85% or 90% or whatever it works out to be once the chlorine and chemicals in the tap water kill the beneficial bacteria. Just my thoughts on this subject. And I would guess that there would be a good enough volume of nitrifying bacteria in there that you wouldn't want to kill if you knew that. I know I will never clean my filters with nothing but tank water....period. I don't trust using tap water with all the **** that they put in it!


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## kwang (Sep 16, 2012)

Going back to the 1st post, after how many rinses should I replace my fluval 406:

Foam filterblocks
And Bio foams?


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## Bowfront (Jun 3, 2013)

There is really no reason to replace them, just clean them thou roughly every 2 months in a 5 gallon bucket of tank water.

.


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