# cleanliness of water and filter change



## jeff5347 (Aug 15, 2011)

Im just curious on how often everyone changes their fliter/ filter floss. I know some let them go for a real long time but it seems if mine goes more than a week the water gets a cloudiness. I check the ammo, nitrate and nitrites and everything is perfect, so it isnt them making the water cloudy/hazy, but once i put new filters after a few hours the water is "polished" again. I know BB lives on the floss but i like the crystal water. Is a week or so to often to change the filters?


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## TypeYourTextHere (Apr 20, 2011)

What type of filter are you using? I have a AC 110. As far as cleaning goes, the only time I clean my filter is when it looks like the water is getting kinda nasty and stays that way even after a WC. If you have a canister filter I imagine the same rules apply. if the sponge(s) look dirty give it a rinse in used tank water and toss them back into your filter. there really isn't much more to it than that.
Edit: Also, if your tank has a lot of crap floating in it that can cause some issues and may require you to clean your filter more often. I had a recent situation where i was having to clean my filter almost daily due to an excess of stuff floating around after I rescaped my tank. After about a week and a half of daily cleanings I finally got it to the point where i do not have to clean it daily.


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## SuckMyCichlids (Nov 5, 2011)

most hob filters will tell you to change it every 4-6 weeks, some people say that thats garbage and should be changed every 2 weeks, some people say to keep rinsing it off a reusing it, what fish and how many are in your tank? how big is it? how much of a water change are you doing every week?


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## SuckMyCichlids (Nov 5, 2011)

also your problem could be as simple as over feeding


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## jeff5347 (Aug 15, 2011)

HOB filter penguin 330. I have a 20 gal with 2 vlack fin tetras 2 guppies, 1 sword, 1 glolight and 1 amano shrimp. I have cut way back on the feeding. i used to "overfeed" but if anythnig now i underfeed. I was doing 25% 2x a week. Then i kinda guessed/ was told way to much so im looking at doing 1x per week to 1 x per 2 weeks. My parameters never go out of whack so i know the fish are in good water. Plus i have a decent amount of plants and that will add in filtering water as well. 
I havent recaped mine either. I will say that i use the floss for pillows that you get at walmart.. polyfil. I notice and have notice that when i change otr clean the floss it has a gray tinge from the water. Like it is taking a lot of material out of the tank. Only other thing i can think of is that it is cleaning it really well and gets clogged quicker


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

What you need and what you do is really all up to you. It's a bio-wheel filter, right? I personally don't think you need it, but if it is working for you and not causing any issues, why not. You're just replacing something that actually isn't part of the filter to begin with, right?


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## jeff5347 (Aug 15, 2011)

Ben , yea the 330 is a HOB with 2 filter and has a slot on each side for a bio wheel each so 2 total. 








The filter floss (polyfil) sits between the wheels and the buckets. Are you saying ben i should/can remove the bio wheels and be ok? I dont have issues with toxicity of anything more just having the water nice and clear. Since replacing the polyfil last night the tank water this morning is beautiful and clear.


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## GamecockSean (Nov 8, 2011)

When you change your water are you treating it with dechlor before you put the water in or after??


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I was just saying that you probably don't need to do what you are doing, but if it works for you then go for it. If it causes no issues, how can anyone argue your methods? I would keep the bio-wheels personally, if they work correctly.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

Sorry I can't help you on the filter as I don't use any.

But if (when) I get some cloudiness I kill the lights and stop feeding until it clears.

The cloudiness is the tank reacting to nutrients and light forming a "smog" of algae. Killing the lights and stoping feeding allows the "smog" to die off and my live plants to catch up.


my .02


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

What? Cloudiness is algae? If it is green maybe... Killing the lights for a bacteria bloom will not cure it. Stop feeding will help for sure, but lights have nothing to do with it.


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## GamecockSean (Nov 8, 2011)

Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me that what you're experiencing is a never ending cycle period. Every time you rinse the filter and do a water change, you're taking out the BB that is growing, making it bloom and cycle again. If I were you, I'd just leave it alone for a few weeks and see if it gets better.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Water change isn't removing bacteria, as there is very little in the water column. 

Are you keeping any other media in the filter besides the floss? If you are you can just toss the floss and replace it. If not. Rinsing in old tank water will not remove any bacteria. One the floss gets to bad to rinse out. Just replace one side one week and 2 weeks later replace the other. That way it will have a chance to build up bacteria on the new one before replacing the other.


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## jeff5347 (Aug 15, 2011)

Yes i do use dechlor. I add whatever amount needed for the amount of tap water used. When i clean the filter i usually just toss the filter and add a new one and thats it. I will clean the hole where the impeller goes so i dont get a slime build up and i never clean the bio wheel even though it looks like sludge, i know the BB is there. Also sometimes i will take off the intake pipe and clean it as well as i get a slime buildup in there to. 
Usually what i will do is one day clean the glass of any algaem, junk build up. 
When i was doing the water changes more frequently i was vacuuming the gravel. Now i just vacuum the visible junk on the floor and leave the gravel alone. From reading in the planted forums they state leave the mulm and waste as it will break down from the bacteria and into a finer state from the shrimp and make food for the plants as it seeps to the roots. I did replace both of the filters last night. When i have the filters in for a while the water overflows where the intake pipe is letting unfiltered water back in the tank. So i will try like susan says and replace one at a time and space it 3 or so days. It must be cleaning the tank though as each time i toss them they have debris on them and a grey tarnished color. I would say they start pure white and end up like a dark concrete color. 

Oh and Ben and Beaslbob, the color of the cloudy/hazy water is not at all green. The only algae i see in the tank is the brown algae. Looking at the tank now it is crystal clear and i would assume the plants being fast growing and ariel plants would help suck up anything making the tank not clean biologically. Only slow plant is the anubius.


Oh and Susan to answer if i have any other media i just have a bucket of gravel in the filter. About 2 cups worth just to house some extra BB and i leave that be as well. So just BW's and the gravel in the filter.


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