Fliter Maintenance Regime

[julia298]

As there arent really any guidelines in the Ehiems manuel I was just wondering how often people clean their eheim filters, change the wool, sponge, and rinsing the balls etc, and at some point changing some of the balls etc?


Also is the canister supposed to stay full of water when you turn it off - I have a bu##er of a job lifting out of the cabinet?

Thanks
J

 

[Tolak]

Maintenance frequency will depend on the quantity & type of fish you are keeping. A tank full of neons makes less mess than a tank with large cichlids or plecs.

I have a 2026 on a 65 gallon, along with an Aqua Clear 300. This tank has 7 adult angels, a couple of bristlenose plecs, and a group of corys. I clean the 2026 every 6 months, the AC gets cleaned monthly. Neither filter is really that dirty, I have yet to need to replace any media or pads in 2 1/2 years.

The pads only need to be replaced when they are falling apart; your ceramic bio media lasts indefinitely, and doesn't need to be replaced. Rinsing the media & pads in old tank water is all that is really needed, until the pads start to fall apart.

For comparison, I have a 55 with a 2222, 2224, AC 200, and a homemade 1000 lph filter. This tank is overstocked, with a few common plecs, and around a dozen dollar body size angels. The canisters get cleaned every 4 to 6 months, they need it, the AC & homemade filter get cleaned twice monthly.

 

[anodized]

i change the carbon pad monthly
rinse mechanical media under tap monthly
sponges and bio media in tank water monthly

been doing it monthly only because i still havent found the plant arrangement i want yet and that tends to stir up some silt. i may go 2-3 months between filter maintenance once i'm done fiddling.

 

[ulster exile]

I usually use the flow indicator to tell me when to do some cleaning, when it drops significantly, it's time to do something.

Don't bother with the Eheim filter wool - get yourself the cheapo rolls off ebay or at your lfs and cut the holes in them yourself...this will save you a fortune.

I also wouldn't bother changing the blue pad myself, just rinse this clean.

As for taking it out full - I know what you mean, it's a bit of a bugger isn't it? Don't know how else to take it out though without making a huge mess.

I also find these are a pain to re-prime, but as long as the cannister is chocca full of water (keep a jug or two handy) when you're connecting up the hoses, it makes it loads easier.

HTH

 

[Tolak]

I pulled out the flow indicator on mine, useless widget. I've been doing mods like this for years on everything from filters to machines at work that cost more than my house. The flow indicator impedes flow.

Once you prime a canister, you should never have any trouble priming again. When you clean it, shut off the taps, & unplug it. Drain the hose with the spray bar, and leave the spray bar out of the water. After cleaning, attach the hoses, and open the shutoffs. The input will automatically siphon, the air will exit the spray bar. Once you see water in the output hose, it's ready to plug in.