How to Clean Out a Fish Tank Filter?

Filters are important to help in keeping the fish tank water clean and purified. Unfortunately, that might not always happen when the filter is clogged with filth or other substances. You now have to clean the filter before it can get back to working properly.

When to clean the filter

The main reason would be that it is dirty. Most people would give it a period of a week since the last time they cleaned the fish tank. This way, the fish would have had the time to adjust to the new environment before another change has to be made. The fish also gets affected when you keep on moving it to different environments for various reasons such as cleaning.

Cleaning your filter is not automatic that the process would be the same. You need to clean based on the type of filter you have. The best way to do this would be consulting your product manual. Every manufacturer would include a way of cleaning the filters so that you can get it done faster. Below are some tips for cleaning basic types of filters.

Mechanical filters

Here are the steps for cleaning mechanical filters.

1. You will have to use the tank water to clean the mechanical filter. This should be for the benefit of the fish living in the tank. Of course, the filter will not smell as fresh as you might have wanted, but the fish will notice there is the difference.
2. Make sure that your filter is unplugged to avoid shocking yourself in the process of cleaning it. Take it off the tank for easier cleaning.
3. Now it is time to clean your sponge or pad in the bowl of water from the tank. Simply scrape off the gunk off the sponge with your hands. You can wear gloves if the aquarium water feels too icky.
4. The leftover water in the bowl could still be used to clean the remaining parts of the filter. Scrub each part to ensure the gunk is removed to leave it clean. You can use a cleaning brush to clean the hard to reach spots.
5. You are done at this point, simply return the pad or sponge into the filter and place it back into the fish tank. Turn the filter back on to see if it is working.

Chemical filters

For the chemical filters, the only way you are going to clean it is through swapping of the carbon on a regular basis. You can do it once a week or whenever you see the water in the tank turning cloudy. Simply follow the procedure given by the filter manufacturer to end up with a clean filter again.

Biological filters

You might not have to clean the biological filter more often as you want the fish tank filters filled with lots of bacteria important for the filtration. Cleaning it simple, as you have to give the filter a quick rinse in the water from the tank and put it back.