My 304 on my 55 gallon Mbuna tank has been running now for over a year without any drop in flow. Is this a record? Should I break it down and clean the mechanical filtration media anyway?
Fluval 304 continuous running
- Thread starter Faramir
- Start date
Definately clean it out. And start doing it more often too, IMO! Your filter's flow rate dropping is probably the least of your worries. Even with a prefilter on the intake some waste particulates get through. These break down slowly by the bacteria. Even if you clean the intake weekly your canister will eventually turn into a nitrate factory. The bacteria will definately break the stuff down but the end result is nitrate! This too is bad. I don't know your experience with fish, so I'm trying to explain the basics. You should clean the waste off your mech filters about once every 3 to 6 months if you have a prefilter. More often for no prefilters.
I would hate to see the inside of that canister. I clean mine about every 2 weeks. 4 weeks at the most. It is pretty dirty, so I would suggest clean and more often.
most likely you are getting a lot of bypass in the filter. the water is going to flow through the path of least resistance. once your media is clogged the water will just bypass the media showing you not much of a loss in flow. a year or 2 back i bought a used tank from a guy that had the 303 running for a year without cleaning it when i went to look at the tank to buy it the flow out of the filter looked great but when i got it home and took it apart it was the most nasty filter i have ever seen or ever want to see again.
The purpose of most filters are to be nitrate factories. There's nothing wrong with your filter pumping out lots of nitrates. Thats one of the main reasons why we do frequent water changes, to reduce nitrates. If your filters (I'm referring to the conventional ones) aren't producing nitrates, I might be slightly worried. If you have excessive nitrates in your tank, your tank has a problem, not your filters. Either your tank is excessively stocked, or you are overfeeding, or a combination of the two.
That said, I agree... clean out the mechanical portions of your filter often. Add a prefilter to your intake to reduce on the amount of times you need to clean out the insides of your filter.
HTH
-Richer
That said, I agree... clean out the mechanical portions of your filter often. Add a prefilter to your intake to reduce on the amount of times you need to clean out the insides of your filter.
HTH
-Richer
Pretty clean inside when I had a look. The way these 40x series are designed it's pretty hard for water to bypass. In my other tanks (planted) plant fragments do occasionally clog the sponges and the flow is dramatically reduced.
The issue of the particulates trapped in the filter did cross my mind after I'd posted.
But on the other hand, conditions are good, everyone's happy. Must be the water changes.
The issue of the particulates trapped in the filter did cross my mind after I'd posted.
But on the other hand, conditions are good, everyone's happy. Must be the water changes.
Uhmmm. I actually have never disagreed with anything I've read from you before, Richer, but this one I definately disagree with! With all due respect for your experience (which I've seen proven repeatedly), I DO NOT believe that our filters are meant to produce nitrates. What the ARE meant for is to remove particulate matter from the water column BEFORE they fully break down into nitrates. They are meant to separate the gunk from the water, plain and simple. If you didn't care about this stuff breaking down, then there is no reason to have a mechanical filter at all (except for water clarity). Biological filtration can happen without filter media!
I will point out that SOME breakdown of particulate matter will happen within the filter media, but this should be kept to a minimum through good cleaning maintenance. This is less of a problem for you (with planted tanks) since the plants will uptake some, if not all, of the nitrates produced. But in Fish Only tanks, this can be a serious water quality problem. This being said, I do weekly 50% water changes with filter pad rinses (vigorous) on my FO tank, and my nitrates stay between 5ppm to 20ppm (pretty good for large/messy cichlids).
Either way, I don't think it's a good practice to go long periods without regular cleaning of any mechanical equipment (fish or non-fish related), and I'm glad to see you agree with that! Just for the record, I actually believe that's the first time I've disagreed with you
I will point out that SOME breakdown of particulate matter will happen within the filter media, but this should be kept to a minimum through good cleaning maintenance. This is less of a problem for you (with planted tanks) since the plants will uptake some, if not all, of the nitrates produced. But in Fish Only tanks, this can be a serious water quality problem. This being said, I do weekly 50% water changes with filter pad rinses (vigorous) on my FO tank, and my nitrates stay between 5ppm to 20ppm (pretty good for large/messy cichlids).
Either way, I don't think it's a good practice to go long periods without regular cleaning of any mechanical equipment (fish or non-fish related), and I'm glad to see you agree with that! Just for the record, I actually believe that's the first time I've disagreed with you
um... doesnt matter if filters catch it or not. If its in the water column its going to break down one way or another.
Filters just put it in one place so its easier to remove.
There usually isnt much need to do frequent filter maintence, as water changes are cheaper than most filter media we use. Maybe if you were using RO water, or other more expensive or more difficult to obtain water you would need to be more concious of filter maintance.
Filters just put it in one place so its easier to remove.
There usually isnt much need to do frequent filter maintence, as water changes are cheaper than most filter media we use. Maybe if you were using RO water, or other more expensive or more difficult to obtain water you would need to be more concious of filter maintance.