HOB Maintenance

Hi guys,

My HOB filter seems to be filter less water than it used to. Do you have to maintain them somehow, besides replacing the inserts, etc.

Also, if i take it out and rinse it how long can the bacteria on the biofilter media survive? (im only washing the container, not the insert.)

 

You might have something stuck in the impeller - what HOB is it?

HOB need a clean flow path all the way from the intake to the final drop back into the tank, the water lift and then flow via the media means that you have not real pressure like you would with a canister or power head, so any obstruction will reduce flow.

As the HOB sits, if you remove the media (inserts ) does the flow level increase to what you expect? If not then have a look in the draw pipe or impeller of something that might be causing the issue.

Rinse the inserts in some tank water and leave it in that while you flush the container if you really need to clean that.

Later Ferdie

 

I have a cascade 100(I think) and I get problems with the intake pipe,then I just reverse the flow with my tap and all the sludge comes out.

 

I tend to clean my HOB once every 6months - not the media but the HOB itself. I take it off, take it apart, clean the pipes, remove the impeller and flush that chamber out as well. I use earbuds to clean the impeller and so forth. I have had to replace the impeller shaft - R20 once so far and I have had the aquaclear for 2 years now. I found if I don't clean the filter properly every 6 months, it tends to rattle and also the flowrate gets influenced.

I also do not believe in replacing the filter media often, I added some matrix in a bag - that gets rinsed in old tank water once every 2 months and I have sponge in there that I rinse out once a month also in old tank water. Since I have been doing this my tank water has been crystal clear and no issues at all with the HOB. Before I was lazy and always had some issues with the HOB

 

Most filters (if not all) use a electric motor,open it up and pull out the propeller (might be a bit hard because it's getting pulled back by a magnet).Clean out the space where the propeller was and clean the propeller.Once done you can pop the prop back in and put on the prop cover (make sure to line it up,there should be a hole in the cover where the middle of the prop can stick into) Edit:Impeller.

Filter material like wool,activated carbon and such can be replaced.To wash the other filter media you simply fill a bucket (that has never had soap) with your tanks water then dip the filter in and out a few times. (never wash with tap water as it kills the bacteria)

Once done you can put everything back together and put the filter back into the tank.