How often should I change the filter or rinse the filter on my aquaclear mini. It is running in my 10 gallon tank with live plants and 9 fish?
aquaclear mini
- Thread starter muskieswen
- Start date
As often as you think is needed. Some people will say that you have to clean it every week to keep the tank absolutely pristine and others will say over that and not to disturb it. With a ten gallon i would just rinse it out to get any crap out once a week, but i wouldnt change it until a month or more has passed. personally, I've learned that you don't even need carbon, and that just a sponge filter will suffice, since all the carbon does is remove chemicals from the water.
Too much is better than not enough, The cleaner you keep it the better it runs, but if you are having trouble getting any dirt out of it you are probably doing it more than you need. Try once every week for a while and then do once every two weeks a couple of times and see what it does. It really varies greatly depending on Fish load/ feeding habits (yours and theirs)etc.
I usually clean my aquaclear filter pads out every month or so. Thats all I find that they need. They pads are never horribly "dirty", so for me once a week would be overkill. I clean my actual filter out every couple months, or when I'm in the mood to disrupt my tank, unplug my filter, etc. 