Sponges in Jebo filter

[alextret]

I have a Jebo canister filter that has a large sponge in the upper chamber.

I have an impression that if I do not clean the filter often enough, it gets clogged, and than the filter more fouls the water than cleans it.

I did not have such a problem with an undergravel filter.

Would it be a good idea to remove all sponges and to replace them with other media?

[HaNs]

What other media has it got? What model and what tank size do you have? Whats in the tank?

How often before it gets clogged?

[Caryl]

My Jebo has thin sponges in each layer with ceramic media on top. I only clean it out once or twice a year. Haven't had a problem with it clogging.

[alextret]

It has a large sponge in the top chamber, then some (very small number of) white round things in the middle chamber, and then some smaller size media (like short sticks) in the bottom chamber.

Also, there is a thin sponge on top of each chamber, including the first one.

I do not measure water chemistry, but I have an impression that if I do not clean the filter often enough (e.g. once in one-two months), fishes become fuzzy, and I even lost a couple. After I wash the sponges in tank water, fishes get to normal again.

[alextret]

It's a 150 liter tank. The model is rated for the tank size (do not remember the exact model).

The tank has 3 neons, 6 rasboras, 3 adult corys, and about 15 small adolescent corys. Also from 0 to 2 small algae eaters (ocyclo...). I had three, but one died, apparently because of the filtration problem. The fate of the other two is unclear - may be dead, may be hiding. And one guppy I really don't want (it escape when I was hunting them down). There are plants, so numbers of small fishes are difficult to confirm.

I'm feeding them mainly whitewarms, which I am growing on spirulina flakes.

[henward]

I hvae a jebo filter - canister

i have 5 trays on it. the order is that the water comes in and filtration starts from the bottom up. so the toptray gets the dirtiest water first.

i put my ceramic noodles and bio media on the first 2, then last three has a sponge on each, wiht bio media also, at the bottom last tray, i put the finest filter wool, only a little bit, you will find that too much isnt neccesary, water crystal clear, water qality fantastic.

as long asyou dont fill every tray with wool/sponge, this should be ok, or your water isnt toooo messy, it should be ok, i litereally clean my canisters every few months!! no exagerating, and i feed my fish alot, but water stays ok, so long reglar water changes are done.

i wouldnt worry about it. besides, dirty filter means its doing its job and has lots of bacteria to process crap

[SpidersWeb]

Also remember the job of your filter isn't actually to 'filter' dirt out of the water, but to biologically filter nasties out of the water, like ammonia and nitrite, clogged or not as long as there is good flow there is no need to clean it. If water flow is reduced too much then just remove the wool, put in some more noodles or something.