Cleaning filter media

CBWMN

AC Members
Oct 11, 2007
443
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El Paso, TX
Good evening

Does anyone clean the filter media and reuse it?
I have a Rena HOB on my 46 Bow & the filter media is really expensive. Is it possible to make your own?

TU
Charles
 
after a while, the carbon reaches its capacity as far as what it can soak up, once this happens, it begins to leach all of those things back into the water.

If you keep your water clean (ie, do changes to keep ammo, nitrite, nitrate down) and do not need to remove meds or other chemicals from the water, then you don't really need carbon. a filter pad is sufficient. you could also try ceramic rings to build your bio filter. that way you can change your filter pad without loosing all your bacteria.
 
use your media (except charcoal as said above) until it is falling apart. Rinse it in tank water when you do a change, not tap water; Chlorine/Chloramine will kill your bacterial colonies. Subject to stocking, about once a month is good. Don't rinse out all your filter media in one go, just to be safe.
 
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