# How/When to clean canister filter?



## TorontoPlantMan (Aug 16, 2013)

I know this is a pretty noob question but I only recently got my first canister filter about two months back more or less and I really have no idea how to properly clean it? 

Do you guys clean the tubes or just rinse the media in aquarium water? 

Thanks for your help


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

each time you clean it is different.

the tubes do get clogged over time. One person had just a trickle of flow due to clogged tubes. Once or twice a year for the tubes in general. when I turn my filter back on, I often get a bunch of junk come free from the tubes.

Generally speaking, most cleanings are just rinsing in aquarium water. How often depends on your tank. Some people have to do it once a month, some just once a year.

I check the flow out once in a while to check for slow downs. Also, my rena xp3 starts to shoot out air bubbles when it needs to be cleaned.

what I do with the sponges in my xp3 is rinse in one bucket of old water and then again in a second bucket. I tend to not clean often enough and it gets pretty dirty.

Main thing is to know how the flow looks when it is clean and watch for it slowing down.


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## kevinli1021 (Sep 9, 2010)

I clean my filter once in 3 months. It depends on the algae build up if any. For me I only have diatom build up in the tubes whereas a tank with lots of fishes will tend to get a slimy brown build up in the tubes which stop water flow. 

In my opinion, unless the ammonia levels start increasing that's the only time it is necessary to clean the filter by rinsing it with tank water. OR if the water flow of the filter is reduced greatly, that is when I would recommend a filter clean up (tubes + media).


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## TankCla (Dec 31, 2010)

When I had FW, I had on my Fluval 305 intake, a sponge. That kept all the junk from going in the canister.
I was washing that sponge with every wc, and canister, every 6 months. 
Washing it to often will disrupt the bacteria, and we don't want that. A canister filter is mainly for biological filtration. I don't recommend putting filter media which has to be changed sooner than a couple of months.


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## george (Apr 11, 2009)

Most clean their canister when needed. Once you know how the flow looks like when it is getting clogged, then you will need to clean it. Get a bucket of aquarium water, rinse the sponges and what I like to go is to to the sponges on the side of the tub. That way it dislocates the junk easier. 

I put a floss sponge in my 2215 and I still didn't had to clean it more than every 3 months. If you put a pre-filter, it can last even longer.


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

If you wait for a noticeable loss in flow, you have gone too long. Every tank is different, so judge accordingly. Keep in mind that anything in the filter is still in the tank. removing solid materials before they break down (true for every type of filter) will result in a slower rise in nitrates. gunk in the tubes does not have to block the tube to affect the flow.


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## TorontoPlantMan (Aug 16, 2013)

Thanks for the help everyone, I haven't really noticed a loss in flow yet from the output but the tubes look gunked up like crazy. I'll try giving it a rinse next week and see if theres any difference.

So as per cleaning the tubes, is that like a once or twice a year thing? or every couple months like when you clean the canister?


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

If the tubes look gunked up clean them. I used a bamboo garden stake and a piece of paper towel.


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