How often to clean canister filter hoses?

[Playsander]

Fluval 207 and APS ef1000

Yea. I run a fluval 307. It's on my 180litre tank. Totaly overfiltered but I feel better too much than not enough.

 

[AmyKieran]

Whatever works. Replacing it is probably less work and doesn't hurt anything, as long as you have other media to hold the good bacteria. I prefer sponges, myself.

I have 2 filters that have more or less the same setup

In water flow order-

Bottom drawer - sponge of varying sizes
Middle - ceramic rings or plastic ball things and crushed coral
Top - phosphate pad and filterfloss

 

[AmyKieran]

Yea. I run a fluval 307. It's on my 180litre tank. Totaly overfiltered but I feel better too much than not enough.

Well I’m running those 2 filters on my 190l tank so I’m also over filtered lol

 

[Playsander]

Well I’m running those 2 filters on my 190l tank so I’m also over filtered lol

Wow. What you got in there a leviathan?

 

[AmyKieran]

Wow. What you got in there a leviathan?

No about 40 African cichlids

 

[Slaphppy7]

I don’t, I simple pull the lever on the end of the hoses that connects them to the filter. Leave hoses in place. Take filters and clean them. Then plug hoses back in, pull lever and siphon starts, power on and that’s it

Ahhh...I always remove mine and clean them, when I clean the filters, every 3 months

The gunk you find in your canister will be in your hoses, as well

 

[AmyKieran]

Ahhh...I always remove mine and clean them, when I clean the filters, every 3 months

The gunk you find in your canister will be in your hoses, as well

So maybe due a clean. I’ll give them a clean

 

[GaryE]

Ever had any unexpected life-forms emerge?

Those things from Alien emerged a couple of times. They're scared of Ancistrus, so they headed south.

I don't clean mine enough. Every couple of years. I should remedy that.

 

[Slaphppy7]

So maybe due a clean. I’ll give them a clean

Those flexible brushes I linked above work really well...run hot tap water through the hose while brushing

 

[AmyKieran]

Those flexible brushes I linked above work really well...run hot tap water through the hose while brushing

Great thankyou, I was originally gunna get the brush I got with my turkey baster and tie it to some string and pull it through but they seem more convenient

 

[Slaphppy7]

Great thankyou, I was originally gunna get the brush I got with my turkey baster and tie it to some string and pull it through but they seem more convenient

Welcome, and yes, MUCH more convenient...

 

[Playsander]

Brushes? Meh. To quote home improvment "more power" HOSEPIPE.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I run only 3 canisters, all Eheim Pro II 2026. I use very little of the Eheim media- in just one of the 3 it is all Eheim noodles and bio rocks their blue and white floss and then additional floss. Another use Aquaclear sponges and noodles and the third uses 100% Poret 20 ppi foam and nothing else (no floss). All three filters also have Hydor inline heaters. Every hose connection in the canister filtration systems has a hose clamp on it. BTW, I do not rinse the floss in the canisters, I replace it. I may einse floss in an H.O.B., but more often I replace it. It is faster.

I clean 2/3 of my Eheim canisters twice a years. I replace the fine floss but just rinse the coarse blue one. The 3rd filter is loaded with 100% 20 ppi Poret foam has been running for almost 6 year and has been cleaned once. I only clean it when the output slows.

I cleaned my hoses for the first two canisters once and never since. One has been running for almost 20 years. Hose cleaning is too much work and doesn't seem needed. I have 6 hose clamps onr each filter/heater combo and I would have to remove them all and then return them to clean the hoses. Also most are pretty long hoses and none of my hose cleaning equipment is long enough to clean the entire length even going in from both ends.

I am actually more concerned about the build up on the impellers in the filter motor than I am about it in the hoses.

 

[Uberhoust]

Never cleaned the hoses yet but the interior of the filter doesn't get gummed up, Fluval 407. I run a pre filter that keeps larger material clean out and that gets cleaned weekly, easier to get to for cleaning than the filter. Other than the sponges I run with 4 trays of ceramic rings.

 

[Playsander]

Never cleaned the hoses yet but the interior of the filter doesn't get gummed up, Fluval 407. I run a pre filter that keeps larger material clean out and that gets cleaned weekly, easier to get to for cleaning than the filter. Other than the sponges I run with 4 trays of ceramic rings.

That is my set up as well apart from the pre filter.