The aquarium filter is a pump that pumps water through a special material, which retains food residues, waste products of the inhabitants of the aquarium and other pollutants. Periodically, the filter itself must be cleaned of accumulated dirt.
Instructions
Step 1
Unplug the filter and remove it from the aquarium. First rinse it in warm water with a sponge. Disassemble the filter device. Take out the rotor, clean off the mucus and dirt, brush the filter nozzle with a toothbrush.
Step 2
Filters are classified according to the types of filtration: mechanical, chemical or biological. If the filter material is a sponge or synthetic filament and is used to mechanically trap particulate matter, rinse it under warm water at least once a week.
Step 3
Renew chemical filtration materials such as peat or coal regularly. Rinse limestone crushed stone with water to remove accumulated sludge as soon as you notice a slowdown in the flow of water through the filter.
Step 4
Change biological filtration materials as seldom as possible. Change only one third of the filter material during one cleaning in order to preserve the beneficial bacteria as much as possible. Carefully rinse these filters in a bucket of warm aquarium water, as impurities in the tap water will kill all bacteria. And if possible, it is better not to clean the filter layer of the bottom filter at all. If the biological filter becomes clogged too often, remove the particulate matter with an optional mechanical filter in the form of a sponge or silk yarn. In a large aquarium, several biological filters should be installed and washed one at a time.
Step 5
Pay special attention to the multi-section filter, which simultaneously performs biological, mechanical and chemical water purification. For example, a solids-retaining sponge should be rinsed every week. The bag of peat, which oxidizes water, must be changed every 2-3 weeks. And the gravel, which acts as a biological filter, should be washed no more than once every 2 months.
