Tips on cleaning used filter?

by **Shell** Sat Apr 04, 2015 4:17 pm

We have bought a second hand canister filter. It is kind of "yucky" looking, but works well! We have washed with hot water, using a dish scrubber. With a used tank, I generally let it sit in the sun....same thing for a used filter? Although, that pointer may be useless as this would be hard to do here at the moment as we are still enjoying winter!! Should we run it in an empty bin with water for a bit? Any tips on getting this filter in safe, healthy working order?

by Fishypastor Sat Apr 04, 2015 6:45 pm

I've collected lots of used nasty filters over the past year. My protocol for cleaning is:
1) rinse with the hottest water that will come out of my tap
2) run filter in a rubbermaid with water treated with a very high dose (3x the recommended amount) of paraguard overnight.
3) rinse in the morning

So far all my tanks and fish have been healthy post used filter.

by Corvette70 Sun Apr 05, 2015 1:57 pm

I also scrub my filters and collected rocks with brackish water . Salt is us full for alot of aqarium uses, not so much for plants though...

by GaryE Sun Apr 05, 2015 4:42 pm

I've always just run removed the media, rinsed it in hot water on the principle that there is no cycle to worry about, rinsed the inside of the filter and added some living bio media before putting it on a tank. I have never had any problem doing that - no disease transfer or such. I am much more worried about o-rings drying out than any biological hitchhikers.

by Fores41 Mon Apr 06, 2015 9:28 am

I do the same , hot water rinse and use vinegar rinse then rinse in water and if needed add media and go.
Vinegar for calcium removal and disinfectant.

by l_l_l Mon Apr 06, 2015 11:01 am

My girlfriend soaks the filters in a bleach and hot water for a couple of hours, washes it, then rinses it and waits 48 hours until the bleach is all evaporated.

Never got any issues doing this.

by MEH Tue Apr 21, 2015 10:48 am

I use bleach.
When sanitizing my quarantine tank, I throw some bleach into it to clean.
Then fill it up with water and run the filter with the bleach/water solution from the tank.
Then just rinse it all with fresh water and let it dry.
...sometimes, I use white vinegar in a pinch.

by **CAAIndie** Tue Apr 21, 2015 11:22 am

Fores41 wrote:I do the same , hot water rinse and use vinegar rinse then rinse in water and if needed add media and go.
Vinegar for calcium removal and disinfectant.

I'm of the same mind here too. I use vinegar and hot water for anything along these lines.

by **Shell** Thu Apr 23, 2015 8:24 am

Thank you for all of the suggestions - much appreciated! I think we will skip the bleach (makes me nervous Laughing

) and go with hot water and vinegar, followed by tons more hot water!

by **guppyguy** Thu Apr 23, 2015 9:11 am

There are lots if methods that work and are effective. Hot water and a good scrubbing and rinsing has always worked for me. In the end hot water is the universal method. Along with either bleach vinegar etc. Wink

by **Shell** Thu Apr 23, 2015 12:06 pm

guppyguy wrote: There are lots if methods that work and are effective. Hot water and a good scrubbing and rinsing has always worked for me. In the end hot water is the universal method. Along with either bleach vinegar etc.

I am guessing that bleach is safe to use - I am just a tad paranoid...as most know! Razz