# How often do you clean your canister filter?



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

I clean mine when it slows down. ~3 months or so. The average is probably around once a month.


----------



## Elrodg (Sep 14, 2011)

Thanks.


----------



## Knotyoureality (Aug 3, 2012)

Mine average about 1x monthly--micro polish cloth or floss pulled and replaced, coarse filter pads rinsed, inside of the canister scoured to remove excess algae and baby snails. 

If I've been keeping my hands out of the tank entirely, it can go 3 months. If I've been mucking about kicking up substrate or doing a lot of plant trims, it's every week for 2-3 weeks in a row. Hence "average" of 1x monthly.


----------



## herns (May 6, 2008)

I clean my canister when the outflow trickles.

I placed a pre-filter on the intake so it takes many months to get the filter pads dirty.


----------



## Elrodg (Sep 14, 2011)

herns said:


> I clean my canister when the outflow trickles.
> 
> I placed a pre-filter on the intake so it takes many months to get the filter pads dirty.


That sounds like a good idea. Think a bioball would suffice? My intake is quite large


----------



## oscarsx (Mar 15, 2011)

Every other month, i try to not to mess with it unless the flow is reduced greatly.

- Oz


----------



## Aquaticfan (Oct 30, 2011)

About every month.


----------



## herns (May 6, 2008)

Elrodg said:


> That sounds like a good idea. Think a bioball would suffice? My intake is quite large


I mean a sponge pre-filter place on the water in take. So, when the outflow trickles you can just remove the sponge pre-filter. I just clean mine in running tap water and place it back. I seldom replace my filter pads.

Sponge prefilter would fit almost intake hose.
I got mine from Fosters and Smith.


----------



## Elrodg (Sep 14, 2011)

Well you have given me some good ideas even if the ball wasn't one of them


----------



## ryc120 (Jan 17, 2012)

I have an eheim 2217 with a prefilter sponge on the intake. I do a light cleaning of it maybe once every 6 months 
And by light cleaning all I do is replace the white pad with a new one. 
The prefilter sponge needs to be rinsed out every 1-2weeks though.


----------



## pandamonium (May 14, 2012)

I clean it once a month or so. Dump out the old water, swish around the bucket and clean the coarse pad. The fine pad I just replace. I'll do it mainly when my filter clogs up which it does after a month to two months


----------



## milesm (Apr 4, 2006)

herns said:


> I clean my canister when the outflow trickles.
> 
> I placed a pre-filter on the intake so it takes many months to get the filter pads dirty.


seems like restricting the inflow may cause undue stress on the motor. we all agree that throttling down a pump is best done on the output, right?


----------



## pejerrey (Dec 5, 2011)

4-6 monrhs


----------



## jamesbaptista (Jul 20, 2012)

milesm said:


> seems like restricting the inflow may cause undue stress on the motor. we all agree that throttling down a pump is best done on the output, right?


I don't think so. I mean what is the difference between the pump pulling water through the pre filter sponge vs the sponges inside the canister? All the pump is doing us spinning in water.


----------



## flight50 (Apr 17, 2012)

On my 2213, I clean every time I do a water change which is about every 2 weeks. I rinse the ceramic disk and clean out the Aquaclear sponges I cut to size and then I replace the filter floss every other water change. I have the Eheim bio balls in a stocking and only give it a quick rinse. I tend to flush the supply and discharge lines outside with my garden hose. It has a lot more force and clears 85-90% of the mulm stuck in the lines. The part I hate is having to prime the system every time. Some days are faster than others.


----------



## accordztech (Dec 6, 2004)

I do mine every 3-5 months depending on flow. I only rinse out the lower discs, rinse the pads and sift the bio media in tank water to get the crud off of it.


----------



## accordztech (Dec 6, 2004)

flight50 said:


> On my 2213, I clean every time I do a water change which is about every 2 weeks. I rinse the ceramic disk and clean out the Aquaclear sponges I cut to size and then I replace the filter floss every other water change. I have the Eheim bio balls in a stocking and only give it a quick rinse. I tend to flush the supply and discharge lines outside with my garden hose. It has a lot more force and clears 85-90% of the mulm stuck in the lines. The part I hate is having to prime the system every time. Some days are faster than others.



Priming is easy. The best way I found is this.

WHen you want to service your filter you close off the shutoff valves right? 
-So when you put it back together connect the shutoff valve to the inlet from the aquarium. 
-Then get a small pail or bucket ready and put the output line in it and open the valve. 
-Then open the inlet valve from the tank and to the filter and let all the air out. Keep going till just water comes out of the outlet.
-Then put the outlet shutoff valve back on, open the valves and turn on your pump...done! 

It will have a trickle for a while to get the small air bubbles out.


----------



## jwalls1082 (Jul 14, 2010)

I only clean mine when the flow is super low. I have a sponge prefilter and a co2 reactor in-line as well. I squeeze out the sponge every couple weeks or so, but the filter is usually 3-4 months.


----------



## Jeff5614 (Dec 29, 2005)

Eheim 2076 here and I clean the coarse pad every couple of weeks and replace the fine pad every week. Tubing is cleaned monthly and the biomedia gets a light rinsing every couple of months.


----------



## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

I clean my canisters about once per year. Maybe 6 months on some of my more heavily stocked tanks over the years.


----------

