Filter cleaning and general maintenance

[gerritv]

Hi Everyone,

My first time here, and new to the aquarium hobby.(very nice so far)

I need some help with filter cleaning please. I have a all in one tank as a starter tank (Boyu MT40) It works very well given that its got all the filter and pump ect. neatly stashed in the back of the tank.

Its got a mechanical sponge filter then a ceramic filter bag with ceraminc thingies and then bio balls. From there it goes to another chamber where the heater and pump is.

How often do i have to clean the mechanical sponge filter? If i open the lid i can see some old food and other stuff on the sponge but its not affecting water flow. There is 3 square sponge blocks on top of each other about 7cm x 8cm x 6cm.

Should i clean al three of them because the top one is the "dirtiest", and then how should i wash / rinse them?

Also how ofter should you change water in the above 35lt tank? And how often should you vacuum the substrate?( Asuming with water change)

Lastly how many plants is good for a aquarium? Can you have too many?

Thanks for all your answers and help so far.

Regards
Newbie Gerrit

[Lady Hobbs]

Rinse your sponges out in old tank water when doing water changes. Just squeeze them several times to get the gunk out. The ceramic rings, as well.

The gravel vac will depend on how long since your tank has cycled as a lot of the bacteria lives in the gravel. If it hasn't been long since you had a cycle, you could easily do half the gravel this week and half next week or do all of it but "lightly" making sure you aren't removing all the mulm.

If you have a lot of food in your filter, you may be over-feeding. Feed only enough that is eaten immediately, then a bit more. It should not be so much that it is swirling around in the tank and getting sucked up in your filter.

Welcome to AC.

[gerritv]

Hi,

Thanks for the help, i will try this.

Reagrds
Gerrit

[dean30bb]

i agree with hobbs Rinse your sponges out in old tank water when doing water changes,Feed only enough that is eaten immediately, then a bit more:19: :19: