Filtration help needed
- Thread starter wilsonriverfish
- Start date
I have fluval 403 in my SW tank. The only maintenance that I have done on this filter on regular basis is change the impeller … about every 12 months. I also take the filter apart and clean it about every six months. Besides that they are excellent filters.
Don’t try to clean the bio balls or other filter media in their. You will lose all your beneficial bacteria. Leave it alone.
Rohn
Don’t try to clean the bio balls or other filter media in their. You will lose all your beneficial bacteria. Leave it alone.
Rohn
Filter media or cotton filter ... they are where the bacterial colony will be establsihed and should not ve cleaned ever. You could, if you want to, simply sinse them in the water (water your take out during water change) once in every four or five moths. This is all depend on the bio load, size of tanks and many more.
Rohn
Rohn
Hi wilson...
The mechanical filtration in your filter can be rinsed out in removed tank water (or in dechlorinated tap water) to remove the solid particles and other gunk that has built up. I think 4-5 months is a long time to wait between such rinsings, but to each their own. Personally, I squeeze out the mechanical filtration material at every water change - and replace the mechanical filtration media when it starts falling apart.
Not sure what type of biological filtration you're using (bio-balls, ceramic rings, etc) but the biological filtration is the area that shouldn't need to be cleaned at all, as most of your beneficial bacteria will be there (and in your tank itself - gravel, decor, plants, etc).
It's true that you will have some beneficial bacteria growing in the mechanical filtration area, but a well-established tank should be able to maintain proper water parameters (no ammonia/nitrites) with the bacteria in the biological filtration and inside the tank itself.
Good luck!
The mechanical filtration in your filter can be rinsed out in removed tank water (or in dechlorinated tap water) to remove the solid particles and other gunk that has built up. I think 4-5 months is a long time to wait between such rinsings, but to each their own. Personally, I squeeze out the mechanical filtration material at every water change - and replace the mechanical filtration media when it starts falling apart.
Not sure what type of biological filtration you're using (bio-balls, ceramic rings, etc) but the biological filtration is the area that shouldn't need to be cleaned at all, as most of your beneficial bacteria will be there (and in your tank itself - gravel, decor, plants, etc).
It's true that you will have some beneficial bacteria growing in the mechanical filtration area, but a well-established tank should be able to maintain proper water parameters (no ammonia/nitrites) with the bacteria in the biological filtration and inside the tank itself.
Good luck!
Actually the ceramic rings do need to be rinsed out in dechlorinated water every once in a wile. If you don't do this they tend to get clogged with mulm/gunk. Just like most porous materials the openings or pores tend to catch this stuff as it passes through it.
I simply take the basket and dip it in a bucket of water allowing the gunk to float up and out of the rings. Do this several times until you see little to no more of this stuff coming out of the basket. Doing it like this will only cause minimal loss of beneficial bacteria.
I simply take the basket and dip it in a bucket of water allowing the gunk to float up and out of the rings. Do this several times until you see little to no more of this stuff coming out of the basket. Doing it like this will only cause minimal loss of beneficial bacteria.
Sure, in a perfect world. 
But for the most part I don't have to rinse the bio-media but two or three times a year at most.
The frequency of cleaning the filter is going to depend on the type of filter media, the fish in the tank and how often you feed. If you feed lightly and have a bunch of small fish that don't produce a lot of waste, then your not going to need to clean it as often as say you had two or three large fish that you feed alot.
But for the most part I don't have to rinse the bio-media but two or three times a year at most. The frequency of cleaning the filter is going to depend on the type of filter media, the fish in the tank and how often you feed. If you feed lightly and have a bunch of small fish that don't produce a lot of waste, then your not going to need to clean it as often as say you had two or three large fish that you feed alot.