How Often Should I Clean Out Filter?

[arobinson1984]

I'm currently seeding my new eheim pro 3 2075 alongside my internal jewul filter and they have been running together for about a week now. I plan to keep seeding for another 5-6 weeks before removing the internal filter and housing.

What I want to know is, once i have removed the internal and the external is the only filter running the tank, how often do the eheim externals require cleaning??

Is it once a month as per usual for an internal or is it less than this given the capacity of the filter.

Any advice would be great as I dont tend to believe what is stated in user manuals etc.

Andy

 

[gaz gun man]

once a month is fine, if not alittle over-kill

I normally clean the input nozzle once a month to clean out any gunk/plant leaves that could be restricting the flow - that is normally enough, but if the flow is still restricted then I give the media a rinse. Just remember to make sure you do it in tank water though!

 

[hollanda88]

once a month is fine, if not alittle over-kill

I normally clean the input nozzle once a month to clean out any gunk/plant leaves that could be restricting the flow - that is normally enough, but if the flow is still restricted then I give the media a rinse. Just remember to make sure you do it in tank water though!

The fluval DVD tells and shows you how ot wash your media under the tap, TUT TUT fluval

andrew

 

[rabbut]

Tut, you can tell Fluval users a mile off. "My filter needs monthly attention on fairly lightly stocked tanks". Let the Eheim go till the flow drops off. The media has a larger surface area after the pre-filters than the Fluval 05 series the above users have, so it should go at least 6 months before it needs a clean. The pump also has greater pressure, so it will pull against resistance better

All the best
Rabbut

 

[arobinson1984]

Thanks for the replies, I had read somewhere that it should be cleaned every 3-6 months but I wasn't sure how reliable the info was.

Andy

 

[rabbut]

Well, you cannot say for certain. Running on a heavily stocked tank that the filter is just coping with should let a can go for 6 months, with a few brand-specific exceptions. Lightly stocked or low-waste systems will require less frequent canister cleaning Filters with ridiculously small surface areas for media after the pre-filters will need more frequent cleans (Fluval 04/05 series *cough**cough*)

All the best
Rabbut

 

[jmkgreen]

I was wondering about frequency myself. Am likely (unless I find something better) to be getting a Fluval 260L tank which comes with a 305.

However, I'm thinking about getting an Eheim 2026 as an addition to the existing filter. Provides a bit of redundancy and gloriously clean water at the same time.

With those two installed I'm assuming the filters won't need cleaning as much as with just one? Presumably though I need to maintain monthly 10% water changes just to keep nitrates down to acceptable levels?

 

[hollanda88]

I was wondering about frequency myself. Am likely (unless I find something better) to be getting a Fluval 260L tank which comes with a 305.

However, I'm thinking about getting an Eheim 2026 as an addition to the existing filter. Provides a bit of redundancy and gloriously clean water at the same time.

With those two installed I'm assuming the filters won't need cleaning as much as with just one? Presumably though I need to maintain monthly 10% water changes just to keep nitrates down to acceptable levels?

If your going to plant the tank you will need weekly changes to replace minerals, but otherwise the monthly changes to reduce nitrates will be fine.

andrew