hi need some advice asap

hi i am cleaning my fx5 canister filter right now. i have been having high nitrates. if you arent familiar with fx5 it has 3 media baskets and around the edges it has sponge filter thing that the water that doesnt go through media goes through. the sponge things are really bad do you think i should just ditch them? and i have bio max carbon and prefilter media i am changing the carbon should i rinse the prefilter or will i kill to much beneficial bacteria. ( people say if you change to much media it will cause another cycle because it kills tomany good bacteria)? let me know asap
thanks

 

Rinse the prefilter in water from the tank. Also clean all of your hoses while you are at it. I have filter floss in my fluval 205, none of the prefilter media or foam. I change the floss every two weeks but am thinking of going to weekly.

 

reefaholic

if this was my filter on my tank - this is what I would do

I would use the water from my main tank at water change time
I would rinse very well the sponge in a bucket of this old tank water -
using the old tank water will not kill bacteria ( But dont use RODI or tap to rinse it)

I would then swish/ swirl the media baskets in a second / cleaner bucket of old tank water
I would then check nitrates in 24 hours time

naturaly I would have 5 gallons of salt water made up to replace the water I had used to clean my filter
Steve

 

I agree.I use my used water for cleaning things as well.

 

ok thanks will do asap

 

hey do you think this could cause a small phosphate problem as well?

 

That is probably due to using tap water or overfeeding.

 

i use ro water and i only feed once daily is that to much

 

i also have the FX5 and am only planning on running phosguard and carbon through it maybe a polishing pad