How To Maintain Your Filter (and Avoid Catastrophe) | BigAlsPets.com

Thomas, our Aquatics Expert, walks you through maintaining your filter so it will perform better and last longer! If you have any questions, leave the, in the comments below! To pick up some backup filter media or replacement parts, check out these links:
Filter Media:
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Replacement Parts:
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***DISCLAIMER: The purpose and content of this video is to provide general information regarding the animals, the products and their applications as presented in the video. Big Al's Aquarium Services, Big Al's Aquarium Supercentres and its officers, directors, employees and agents disclaim all express or implied warranties, in any way, related to the products and their application as presented in this video, make no representation or warranty regarding the products and the application as presented in this video and shall not be liable for any direct or indirect losses or damages of any type, including but not limited to punitive damages, or from personal injury or death resulting from or in any manner related to the video, and the products in and contents of the video. The viewer expressly agrees that Big Al's Aquarium Services and Big Al's Aquarium Supercentres and its officers, directors, employees and agents shall not be liable for any damages or losses related to the products in and content of the video and hereby agrees to hold the foregoing harmless from any such losses or damages.

[@Heatherryderbeansntatos]

you guys have become my new favorite hobby related channel! always good to get refreshers in fish keeping no longer how long you've been doing it.

[@BigAlsVOD]

Awesome, glad to hear you're liking our vids! Thanks for watching!!!

[@ricardoplata2647]

I just want to thank you! Your videos are filled with good information for beginners like myself!

[@BigAlsVOD]

We're so happy you've found our vids helpful!

[@juneosborne3256]

Only Thomas can take such a dry and boring topic as filter cleaning/maintenance and make it so fun and entertaining! I love this guy! haha

[@UtahsFlyCorner]

Sponges are bio too. Be sure to wash them with tank water. 😁. Best media by far imo.

[@anthonyc19]

I don't think that is important if you aren't relying on your sponge for your bio filter. To me, a sponge is just to physically filter out debris and you'll get them way cleaner with running water than squeezing them in a bucket.

[@voidremoved]

@@anthonyc19 is that true? Because I wash my dishes in a sink full of water and they come out spotless... By your logic, I would get cleaner dishes if I wash them under an open faucet and this is simply not the case. Cleaning sponge in old tank water has worked for me for years with 1 sponge...

[@anthonyc19]

@@voidremoved I see the mistake you are making by equating a running facet to a sink full of water here. A more correct comparison would be to a washing dishes in a river of soapy water where you can submerge the dish in it. That way the only change is the movement of water. Additionally, penetration of the sponge is key here whereas degradation of external buildup is what is more important for doing dishes.

[@mhunt7843]

Once again, Thank you. This is so simple and logical but if nobody explains this to you it could be overlooked or for some it would never cross their mind. Having someone like you coming along, explaining it simply and in your usual fun style helps to build confidence.

[@danielloung6134]

hey Thomas, could you make a video on upgrading to a larger tank? specifically, how you should do it. Thanks :D

[@varanidguy]

I have found that keeping up with weekly water changes eliminates the need for chemical filtration, however when I do use it, I love Purigen because it doesn't absorb and remove trace elements from the water that are good for fish and required for plants.

[@pegsesztak2074]

Hi Thomas! I want to thank you so much for your informative and useful fish videos 🐟. I'm a new proud Betta fish owner aiming to provide my gorgeous Garnet🎏 with a happy and healthy long life that he absolutely deserves 💕 My Betta's home is a Deco O mini 10 litres white aquarium with filter, heater and a combination of live and silk plants. Thanks a lot again! 😊

[@shottafilyfe]

Man. You make the best videos. Thanks alot. I had no knowledge about setting up a tank and your videos helped. Thanks.

[@zachsargent3520]

You are the man. Your videos are very helpful and informative!

[@bobidstein450]

Your videos are extremely informative and yet very easy to watch! Thanks.

[@BigAlsVOD]

Glad to hear you enjoy them-- we do our best to keep our videos fun and informative! Thanks for watching!

[@justinrvarga7236]

Great video Al 👌❤️. Me personally I have an fx6 and ehiem 2217 A’s a general backup in both my monster tanks. I clean them every 4 months and do 4weeks 20% water changes.

[@drugstorefilmisthebest2725]

The day after my filter busts, this video is released. WHY, THOMAS?!?-_-

[@drugstorefilmisthebest2725]

+Thomas B :)

[@drugstorefilmisthebest2725]

+Thomas BTW, any recommendations?

[@drugstorefilmisthebest2725]

+Thomas B 20 gallon betta sorority tank.

[@drugstorefilmisthebest2725]

+Thomas B Oh, Ok, Thank you! I just had the cheap aqueon filter that comes with the tank kit.:)

[@drugstorefilmisthebest2725]

+Thomas B Just ordered it yesterday!

[@almarma]

I would say that also the sponges should be cleaned with aquarium water, not with tap water. The sponges are also colonized by bacteria and tap water can kill it. I only use tap water with the parts of the filter where I don't want bacteria to grow: the pipes, the intake and the impeller. That's it ;)

[@ingridc.615]

Can you guys do a video of internal filters

[@SammyPsk]

awww... few month ago, my shrimp tank filter died, few days later, all of my ultrareds were dead :(... i learne my leson, now i will keep my fishies even better

[@morganclarke7990]

This is so great thank you so much i love fish but am a huge beggine r and ur videos help so much

[@kartiktilhari7054]

super cool explaining​ done....

[@johndaly846]

Get the Eheim pre-filter strainer if you own a canister. I have a batch of baby Bristlenose Plecos growing up strong in a separate tank that hatched in my 60g planted community tank. I would have lost all of them to my filter without that thing.

[@jjaquariums]

Good thing I all ready do all this stuff but this was a good review

[@you-tubejunkie2926]

There are two kinds of aquarium expects on youtube. One that introduces money saving short-cuts for the viewers. The other kind is, (follow the directions). Make sure you buy those cartridges. Buy those cartridges for the rest of your life. Which one are you ?

[@BigAlsVOD]

Hey Phill-- great question! We're not sure we fit into either of those categories, necessarily. We're more the "helping beginners learn the basics and set them up for success while providing expert advice and recommendations to seasoned hobbyists who need a reliable source of information." Sometimes we are able to provide money saving short-cuts (although we don't always like short-cuts, as short-cuts often mean cutting corners, which means not doing things the right way, which can mean sick/dead pets), and other times we provide instructional videos to make things easier for hobbyists (our Eheim 2217 video for example, which has been a smash hit). We're happy to provide our opinions, advice, and recommendations to our viewers, but we encourage everyone to buy and use whatever works for them! All in all, we don't believe we fit into either of the two categories you described, but are blazing a trail of our own!

[@AlexOrtiz-ok9uu]

I like this video it’s really helpful however it needs to be longer imo, I have so many questions like what to do with my fish whenever I clean my filter ? Leave them in the tank or take them out ? And if I’m removing tank water to clean my filter parts could I add more water with the python to the tank? If I add water will I need to add water condition and anti bacterial cleaner?? Another question is when cleaning the top of the tank lid should we just use a paper towel with tap water or a rag, maybe a microfiber towel?? Is it best to clean the tubes with tank water ??

[@emeryz10]

What happens if there is a power outage?

[@guntertv304]

i have 6 replacement filters half of them never used and the other half used in some point. And i have some bakteria in form of liquid and crystals to get all of the benefitial bacteria in 1-2 days

[@georgeratcliff3710]

Thomas I saw in the video that you said to use tank water to clean the parts of the filter but then you used tap water to clean the filter body and tubing. So my question is what parts do you need to use tank water for and what parts can you use tap water for?

[@paulsampugnaro6919]

need o rings and impeller for a sunsun 404-B should be same as the 304-B not sure. . your best Thomas

[@BigAlsVOD]

Since we don't carry SunSun we don't have any information or first-hand knowledge regarding replacement parts. Sorry :(

[@Happygrowercbris420]

Thank you

[@carenhall2066]

Do sponge filters count too? I have 4 tanks, each for one tank's requirements. I have 2 internal filters spare (it's just I keep bettas, so don't want my fish 'flung' down the other end of my 4ft tank, I don't need fish fights, thanks!) heaps of charcoal (activated) loads of spare filter floss and bio balls (4 lots so I have spares for each tank. So much spare fishy stuff, I need more shelves!)

[@derrickboskie4054]

Since sponges have porous surfaces are they good homes for beneficial bacteria?

[@WanderTeba]

is it ok to have a sponge filter in aquarium than other filters?in small tanks,ofcourse.

[@rizvanp.2255]

In my local store, your fish are healthy, some of them are dead but ehh, most of the turtles are sick, a lizard looks sick but everything else is fine. I give my local store a 6/10. Nice video, Thomas!

[@rizvanp.2255]

In my local big als I meant

[@BigAlsVOD]

Let us know which store, and we'll look into it to see if we can bump that up to a 10/10 (maybe even a 12/10, we'll see).

[@rizvanp.2255]

+Big Al's wow, ok! Thanks! My local big al's is in Scarborough ( Ontario )

[@albertosantinopefianco7484]

Thomas or Big als can you please make a video on how to take good care of a polcadotted fresh water stingrays ?

[@BigAlsVOD]

Thanks for the awesome suggestion-- we'll add it to our list of upcoming vids!

[@lindalicata8303]

I have a neon tetra that has white spots on its fins. He seems fine and eats well. Should. I be worried that it might be ick?

[@jasminecastro527]

Do the mechanical and chemical media need to cleaned with tank water or could you clean them with tap water?

[@Thecozycorner996]

I have an Aqueon 20 HOB filter on my tank. I noticed today as I was changing the filter cartridge that the inside of the filter is nasty. All gunked up with I’m assuming poop and other things. Is it okay for me to take it out and rinse it? Or will ruin all the beneficial bacteria? I’ve never had any issues with ammonia or anything like that.

[@klmaracle3062]

We are setting up a 75 g FW tank and have been wondering - can we use just sponge filters in it?

[@BigAlsVOD]

Sponge filters don't really offer a lot of filtration - they are primarily used for bare bottom aquariums that get large water changes frequently (once, or more than once a week) or fry tanks that need low flow filters to prevent the babies from getting hurt. You are best off with a canister filter! They offer a ton of filtration power, circulation, and require maintenance less often meaning you can spend more time enjoying your fish and less time cleaning up!

[@toottootbleetbleet]

Kathy Lynn Maracle they're difficult to clean and just take up room. I agree about the canister filter comment. I personally love fluval aquaclear filters, I run two on my 100 gallon

[@Threedog1963]

I run a hob filter on my 75 gallon cichlid tank. Cost less than $100 and are easy to clean and maintain.

[@HawkEye-cm5wb]

It's like LinusTechTips.....but for fish! :D

[@putrahuzaireilkhan2735]

ur the best big al

[@RukasuUzumaki]

I have a big problem, my tank has this white sprider web like material like all over the gravel in my tank. My fish are not bothered by it, but no matter how many times i clean it, never goes away. Help please.

[@RukasuUzumaki]

+Thomas B sure where would u like me to send the photo?

[@zeroaddedsugar867]

I used to keep my Top filter running 24x7 for my planted tank...is that good or bad?

[@cadenbrown287]

I have a silent stream ten by top fin is it sufficient for 6 small fish in a ten gallon should I upgrade

[@audioanimationjunglenation9350]

I do it nature does, I don’t have any filter all I have is clams for my filter, catfish for left over food or algae or poop, they are eating it even after I feed it, I have 20 fish and no bacteria, the fish have survived. No one has died and their were no plants only clams siphon doing a awesome job, the tank can survive even with no water change, I have about 30 clams in my 50 gallon tank, that’s like 30 little filters that are natural, I do that because that’s how MOTHER NATURE does IT ! Clean and easy and loads of healthy and excited Fish !

[@adamgriffin]

Always have a backup filter

[@ansonclark3588]

what's up with the mega build?

[@khan1dumvip]

I have a powerhead filter with sponge Never had any chemical or biological media. Are they must haves?

[@Lokiiotta]

And it’s happening! *finger guns* haha, I got a good laugh out of that one. While learning that I need to clean my filter more thoroughly and *ahem* not with tap water. My fish thank you, sir.

[@kylestivers4606]

Carbon is completely unnecessary it causes hole in the head disease. You don't need to rinse bio wheels. I just rinse and reuse my filter pads they last forever no need to buy new media. I put silicone grease on my o rings every time I take my canister filter apart. The silicone grease keeps the rubber from getting damaged and it helps seal it.

[@almarma]

Carbon is not completely unnecessary. There're many cases where it is useful: after medication or on places where water contains metals or other stuff that need to be removed.

[@kylestivers4606]

Almarma the only time is when you have to remove medication. I never use carbon and my aquarium is healthy.

[@will16320]

extra carbon if ur in flint

[@kotabear2513]

will16320 lmao

[@OriginalMindTrick]

There is no real evidence that carbon causes hole in the head disease, only vague hearsay. Carbon is great as a water clarifier and for removing odors.

[@glxbt1987]

How often are you scrubbing the filters out? I rinse the filter cartridges in my penguin 350 once a week and then take the filter itself apart once a month.

[@BigAlsVOD]

As often as necessary! For the average aquarist, filter maintenance is monthly. However, depending on the amount of livestock you have, and the size of your aquarium, it may be even more often.

[@lezzlove4841]

These videos are great other fish videos are boring as heck

[@CaptGrimm]

What is the best filter for a 10g betta tank? Great vid as always!

[@Motorstykel]

Captain Kled Gaming I need to know the same thing!

[@DrewV-fe8kf]

I recommend the Quit flow 10 I have it myself and it is great

[@danielgodun1430]

I use the aqua clear 10-30 gallon filter, you can adjust the flow and it has a lot of space for sponges and bio balls.

[@carolinepower4750]

Will you do a video on neon tetras?

[@joshb5719]

Caroline Power 1 buy neon tetras 2 acclimate to established tank 3 feed 4????? 5 profit

[@AlexOrtiz-ok9uu]

So if the instructions say “rinse in tap water” it will be okay ? I have a filter cartridge 😄

[@user-tv2hx2ox2z]

Question: if you don’t use biological media, is beneficial bacteria still present in your tank? If not, does that mean beneficial bacteria isn’t necessary? (Sorry I’m a beginner) :d

[@akirakurusu6422]

What about undergravel filter?

[@fjett33]

What causes my bio wheel in my filter to stop spinning

[@zombierocker11]

Try washing it in tank water

[@archer9604]

What do you do if u lose a fish bc the dang filter sucked my small goldfishes tail in it???

[@timothybrewster1733]

I have a tetra 10 wisper even though it says change the cartridge every month i dont for sake of good bacteria. What would u recommend ale?? Ty love your videos. I also created a small KZbin channel of my aquarium

[@holdingoutforahero5250]

timothy brewster as long as the food bacteria is in the gravel and the water, you can do as the directions say

[@timothybrewster1733]

holdingoutforahero ty so much. Tetra sent me the bio foam that was suppose to be in the kit. Only had disposable cartridge.

[@timothybrewster1733]

Ur awsom man ur vidros are awsom

[@fredrickfernandes7239]

Hi i need a fish tank but the thing is il b out for work for 8hours i hav plans of keeping filter on and air pump at night and dropping some worms in the tank in the morning wil this help

[@crybabyangel1317]

you have to have the filter on all the time, not just at night

[@00Gerny00]

I'm cycling my tank right now (1 week in) and my filter's instructions instruct to replace the filter cartridge (for Aqueon hang on filter) every month or so but won't this remove all that bacteria I've built up? There's also another filter (specialty filter) that I'm supposed to replace. Should I just rinse these in tank water or change them out?

[@voidremoved]

You should only do 1 filter media at a time... I mean, one water change, rinse the sponge but not the other media. next water change, do not clean the sponge but gently rinse the biological media... you should not have to replace anything unless it starts to fall apart. Except if you use something like carbon inserts, those need to be discarded and replaced or they will become "full" and then begin to release toxins in to the water instead of remove... but you don't even need carbon, I only keep it if I have to use medicine, then remove the medicine with the carbon after treatment

[@ethan_5769]

Can you give a date when and if you do make a turtle tank setup?

[@BigAlsVOD]

Hey Ethan! Unfortunately we can't give an exact date-- there's so many videos and factors that go into making them that it's hard to know when, for sure, we'll be able to make it. But it's on our radar, and shouldn't be long :)

[@ethan_5769]

+Big Al's ok thank you for replying. You made my day.

[@christiejames8471]

I have a question. I recently bought 8 zebra danios and 4 of them have died in a week. I have other fish in the tank that are all fine and the filter is working fine so idk what the problem is.

[@95823angel]

if your tank wasn't cycled, your fish probably died from new tank syndrome

[@isaiahgreye1728]

What about heaters? I brought a Aqueon 150w heater for my tank and it works but it turns off and on like if its on a timer or something! Luckily im just starting my tank and i dont have fish but still gotta get a NEW and BETTER heater for my tank! Any suggestions to a better heater or how to deal with the one i have? (Note: Its a 55 gallon tank)

[@isaiahgreye1728]

Okay thanks for the advice (Mine only turns red when its heating and turns off when its not) but i will defiently look into the two heaters you've just mentioned because mine isnt giving out any heat at all. My water is still cold.

[@chubbypekingese]

Im setting up a 75 gallon tank and have heard nightmare stories of how the heater fails in the middle of the night and people wake up to fish that are in shock. Is it recommended to put two smaller heaters (100w) rather than one larger (200w) heater?

[@archer9604]

What store do y’all recommend for buying fish stuff that’s not to over priced? (Idk if Big Al’s would be an option bc idk if there’s one near me)

[@BigAlsVOD]

Where do you live? If you’re in Canada, visit BigAls.ca to see if there’s a Supercentre near you. If there isn’t, you can always order from our online store BigAlsPets.ca. If you’re in the US, you can order from BigAlsPets.com!

[@archer9604]

Big Al's ok I’ll try that 👌

[@catboybubs]

How often should I clean my filter (heavily stocked)

[@frikandelbroodje6793]

Bonnie 1000 Probably once a week

[@jheromerodriguez3219]

What kind of water they use if its not come from the tap water?

[@dylanjohnson3526]

Jherome Rodriguez water from the tank

[@fadhilahnaufal6781]

what do i need to do if suddenly my house electricity is having a black out for hours what should i do for my fish keep getting oxygen?

[@CrazymanTTV]

Fadhilah Naufal hope for the best

[@itschelseywithay]

Try and find a bubbler/air pump that runs on batteries and keep it and the batteries near your tank in case of black outs or other emergencies

[@almarma]

In the worse case scenario, I would just move the water with my hand or a spoon or something. The surface of the water is the one that gets the oxygen, so moving it helps to get oxygen as more water is exposed to the surface. This is an extreme emergency measure I would do. It's better an airpump as it will do the same over a longer period of time.

[@will16320]

Backup generator for house or get yourself a server UPS to cover the gap in power

[@drdoolittlefishhobbyist6055]

I clean all my tubes out by running diluted hydrogen peroxide through them using a power head in a large bucket for a few hours and then do the same with clean water. Always have a spare set of tubes to make this easier.

[@WanderTeba]

i had aquarium of 1.5 feet.can you tell me how many gallons it is?

[@feathery_fish9630]

saimaniteja mahareddy what's the other dimensions? Just multiply the dimensions (in cm) then divide by 1000 to get the volume (in liters)

[@WanderTeba]

kk,thank you for the idea

[@sandymaceachen4682]

I need a small wheel for aquarium. it is maybe one or two inches wide.the water runs thru it. this aquarium is 10 or20 gallons. do you have any?

[@Vleetch1]

Do you ship to Canada?

[@BigAlsVOD]

We have our own Canadian online store-- www.BigAlsPets.ca! For ANY BigAlsPets.com link you see on our KZbin channel, all you have to do is change the ending to .ca, and you'll get the Canadian version :) If you have any other questions, let us know-- and keep on tankin!

[@kurtfield6956]

This is mainly why I recommend customers use an undergravel filter in their aquariums, and just keep a battery powered pump on hand :)

[@BonkersAboutAlice]

You shouldn't use any chlorine based tap water for any biomedia.

[@davidg.3617]

How to maintain a protein skimmer?

[@BigAlsVOD]

Solid suggestion-- added to our to-do list!

[@davidg.3617]

Thanks guys! don't hesitate to give me a little shoutout in that video lol

[@jaylene4314]

I can use tap water on everything except the biological media?

[@bennewton3560]

I swear his beard changes every video

[@williammorris8158]

And he's always got that twat knot on his head!

[@danielgregory5323]

Washing with tap water? Rlly??

[@edenfrawley9247]

My Fish store. Yes a store dedicated to fish is very good. They have a lot of common fish and are very cheap and I only see a dead fish once in a blue moon. They are very good and have over 100 fresh water tanks and over 100 salt water. The shop isn't the cleanest and does need a renovation. This fish store is Aquarium Warehouse.

[@60302310]

do we need to replace biological media after some years if yes what are the signs that should to looked at??????

[@nevets3044]

Made the 1.5 hour drive to our closest big al... they people there are far more interested in there staff conversations than helping customers. 3x in three different attempts, all this information is available online, or google is your friend.. worst staffed fish store in Edmonton. Tried the manager and she was so busy putting out ‘fires ‘ to care. Overpriced, undereducated and don’t want to be bothered.. I will find a different store to restock both my monster tanks. Rather than stand in their store for help and told to google. That can b done at home then buy from anyone. Zero value store

[@BigAlsVOD]

Very sorry to hear of this experience, it’s unacceptable. We will forward your feedback to management at head office and investigate. Apologies, again.

[@ManicMindTrick]

Fail at 1:39. Always use a bad for carbon!

[@natashaford4654]

DO NOT USE FILTER CARTRIDGES.the cartridges need to be remove every month,this means that all the good bacteria you have grow get move and can raise nitrates.plus those things get expensive And carbon can release the contaminates that they catch.so avoid cartridges like aquaeon and just use a sponge.the sponge is great and can stay good for years before having to be cleaned.

[@FlynnsFishForum]

First Comment! Yay! Great video Thomas :) Have a fishy day

[@FlynnsFishForum]

Your Welcome!

[@scottishweinmann6831]

✌✌✌

[@bencoelen8894]

Big Als - Lousy customer service. Don't honour warranties.

[@BigAlsVOD]

Hey Ben, it's Brian here-- the video producer at Big Al's. As the video guy, I don't generally handle customer service or support-- I just make videos, because... well... I'm the video guy-- but I hate to see dissatisfied customers take out their frustrations in the comment section of my videos. I'd love to do whatever I can to help you, and take your concerns to the higher-ups here at Big Al's. Shoot me an email to [e-mail] ASAP!

[@pegsesztak2074]

Hi Thomas! I want to thank you so much for your informative and useful fish videos 🐟. I'm a new proud Betta fish owner aiming to provide my gorgeous Garnet🎏 with a happy and healthy long life that he absolutely deserves 💕 My Betta's home is a Deco O mini 10 litres white aquarium with filter, heater and a combination of live and silk plants. Thanks a lot again! 😊