Filter Cleaning.

[Arcticfox1977]

I am just wondering how often you should give your filter a clean? I think I've cleaned it 2\3 times in a year. I rinsed the media in old tank water and scraped the sides of it to remove algae and other gunk.

 

[Mamashack]

You'll need to remove the impeller from the impeller shaft and clean both every few months too - they can get gunked up and stop the filter from working. I clean mine with a cotton bud.
Otherwise I rinse my filter sponge in old tank water every time I do a water change (every couple of weeks) by which time it's really gunky! Brilliant for plants tho!

 

[scrage]

My filter is clear, most of it anyways. Usually when it starts to look a bit grimey and the flow is slowin a bit, I clean it. Take it apart and swab it with qtips. Then it bumps back up to how it was when I first got it.

 

[DrRob]

I give my pumps an occasional clean down with cotton buds and some lubricant on the seals. Media gets cleaned if it gets too dirty or the flow is impaired.
 
Internals I find need cleaning far more frequently than externals, but that may simply be flow rate in the filter mixed with size.

 

[yinyangpete]

When it comes to rinsing out media and dumping out the gunk, I'm a big believer in a weekly routine.
 
I do it with every weekly water change.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Depends on which filter am doing maintenance on, on my HOB and internal filter on separate tanks  needs a quick clean every 2 or 3 weeks as gunk fills and slows the impeller and clean out the filter floss.
 
My Tetratec External filter, need less cleaning, once every 3 or 4 months maybe, but given a big clean and sponge swished in old tank water to get rid of worst of gunk. Impeller cleaned and seals lubricated and whole filter given a quick check over.
 
Mamshack said something that i do as well, don't throw away that old tank water btw, esp after cleaning sponge media in it, get a large bottle, 2 litre bottle or something, fill it up with this tank water, chuck the rest away, use it for your houseplants as this water has excellent nutrients for house plants

 

[b3cca]

I Change my cheap filter floss that I cut from a roll every week or so.
I have Cleaned the actual media and impeller/pump once in nearly 2 years