I run a fluval fx 4 and was wondering how often you change the foam filters insert on the rings.
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Filter change?
- Thread starter fish friend
- Start date
A lot of different factors- from how much livestock, how much you feed, size of tank, skimmer, etc. Fluval recommends every 6 months on those. Many people just clean out the filter every couple of months while doing a water change (in the bucket of the tank water that was removed) and reinstall them. I have a 407 on my 55gal freshwater that is borderline overstocked and I have yet to clean it (about 4 months)- water is crystal clear and I'm having 0 issues. Planning on cleaning out the media and changing the carbon in the next couple weeks. Hope this helps!
OP
OP
The tank it 8 months old and saltwater. I have just been rinsing the and putting them back in during water changes. It's a 75 gallon. Mixed reef
May be a good idea to change the filter foam if it's too clogged after rinsing them, and check the other media you use for the same. It wouldn't be a bad idea to change only 1/2 of the foam or media at a time, in order to help retain some of the beneficial bacteria.. even though there will still be beneficial bacteria as part of your biological filter in the tank itself.
As long as nitrates don't keep going up and up I would say rinsing them as you describe should be fine. Might not be a bad idea to replace a portion of them every year or two for peace of mind if you want...
