i'm not going to be able to setup my tank for like another month, but i want to be prepared when i finally do. i'm going to be getting a rena XP2 canister and i just want to know how i clean it, and how often? what is normal mantinence for a canister?
I waited seven months before cleaning my AquaOne CF700. It was still working perfectly bar a bit less pressure, but thought about giving it a good clean out.
Took all the foam/sponges out and rinsed in tank water. Got rid of any solid dark waste. Cleaned out all hoses with a home-made tube cleaner. Took about 45 minutes all up.
Rena XP2 is one of two filters on my well stocked 72G. The other is an AquaClear 110. I clean the XP2 once a month. How often you need to clean yours depends on the tank size and stock level.
my friend cleans out his eheim classic canister filter twice a year, or once every 6 months or when flow rate drops. looks a bit difficult though, there are a lot of parts to it.
I have a Rena XP3 and an XP2. These are super easy to clean and maintain. I clean or replace the microfiltration pads once a month.(This is easy as they are right on top.) I also rinse the sponges out once in a while. I don't use the biochem zorb stuff at all. It leaves more room for biological media.
