I'm afraid ....

[James0816]

to open and clean my canister.

It's time for a change and rescaping. Ok...I'll just say it. The jungle has gotten too big that Tarzan and Cheeta wouldn't even be able to move around. I'm surprised the fishies are able to actually.

With this tank being so heavily planted, I never really even thought about doing anything with the canister so just let it do it's own thing. Water is still nice a good.

Soooo...with a major undertaking in the works, I feel now is the perfect time to open this puppy up and clean it out.

Ho Boy! Sad to admit, but I never done this it has been operational. Never! Not Once! I look at it from time to time does that count?

I can only imagine what it is going to look like in there. And BTW...it's been running for (eh hem) over 2 yrs. {ducks for cover}.

 

[crimsonmoon]

be brave. if you're not back posting in 10 minutes, ill call 911

 

[Dieprophezeiung]

2 years!!? I'm scared of mine after 2 months!

 

[Piranha86]

Make sure you take some pictures.

 

[spypet]

actually, you may be surprised to find your canister media clean.
if a tank is heavily planted and hosts a deep active substrate,
that means the canister will have little work to do, so the media
may not have much growing and clogged in it at all, unless the
tank is over populated with animals too

 

[James0816]

The good thing is that there is little in the way of stocking. This tank never materialized the way I wanted it. I was building it for my father before he passed of the cancer. He really enjoyed watching the fish and it gave him peace.

Since his passing, the only thing I did was move plants in there. The flow is still strong like it is new so maybe you're right.

 

[BettaFishMommy]

if the flow is still good i'd say leave it and think about cracking it open in another couple years, lol.

but seriously, if the flow isn't diminished and you don't see any crud building up in the tubing, then it most likely doesn't need cleaned.

 

[jawasnack]

I agree with the Piranha86, take some pictures!! And good luck, I bet it's not to bad

 

[Rbishop]

What kind of canister?

 

[CoryWM]

to open and clean my canister.

It's time for a change and rescaping. Ok...I'll just say it. The jungle has gotten too big that Tarzan and Cheeta wouldn't even be able to move around. I'm surprised the fishies are able to actually.

With this tank being so heavily planted, I never really even thought about doing anything with the canister so just let it do it's own thing. Water is still nice a good.

Soooo...with a major undertaking in the works, I feel now is the perfect time to open this puppy up and clean it out.

Ho Boy! Sad to admit, but I never done this it has been operational. Never! Not Once! I look at it from time to time does that count?

I can only imagine what it is going to look like in there. And BTW...it's been running for (eh hem) over 2 yrs. {ducks for cover}.

I'm surprised no one else has cautioned you. I would no clean your canister filter and rescape your tank in the same day.

You'll be upsetting your bacteria colony in the canister. Also removing plants will remove some of your filtration potential. Not to mention you'll be stirring up extra debris into the water column.

I strongly suggest you do the rescape, and then do the filter a few days later after it has had time to collect all the junk you've stirred up while rescaping.