# Using Tap Water To Clean Filters



## marilynmonroe (Jan 8, 2009)

Is it ok to clean your filters with tap water?


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## FEEFA (Nov 19, 2007)

Just dont clean your media with tap water as it will kill the bacteria, but you could clean hoses and sponges with it.


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

****** said:


> Just dont clean your media with tap water as it will kill the bacteria, but you could clean hoses and sponges with it.


Agreed. I use it on housing and mech media as it just has the pressue from the faucet to blast off debris but for bio media rinse it in a bucket of tank water a couple times (rinse, dump and refill rince again... untill the water you are swirling the media in isnt picking up debris from the media).

for hob filters liek emp400 that have no real bio media just dont rinse the bio wheel in tap water


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## the_w8 (Jul 28, 2003)

My bio media i rinse with tank water in a bucket and the rest i do with tap water. I don't really give my filters a heavy cleaning though...I'm a firm believer in getting rid of the large debris and giving the rest a quick rinse...the only thing i really clean well are prolly the sponges...In the past when i was newer to the hobby I went through a couple of recycles due to too thorough of cleanings. Tap water rinsing is definitely a no in my books...Use it for only mech. only like others mentioned.


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## Sanjo Eel (Aug 21, 2008)

BB live in the sponges too, so I always rinse mine in a bucket of tank water.


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## bricklr (Aug 14, 2010)

I always rinse my filters with tap water. Never had a problem. Just don't do all the filters on your tank the same time.


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

Sanjo Eel said:


> BB live in the sponges too, so I always rinse mine in a bucket of tank water.


 Yes but you shouldn't rely on mech media to hold bacteria (as thats what bio media is for) so it doent matter if you kill it. Preferably you will keep it but i find the pressue from the tap can clean it alot better then a bucket of tank water so id rather get the dibris out so its not rotting in the pad then to try to save the bacteria (by using tank water) but miss like 1/4 of the debris trapped in the middle of the pad.


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## pygoman3 (Oct 12, 2010)

the_w8 said:


> My bio media i rinse with tank water in a bucket and the rest i do with tap water. I don't really give my filters a heavy cleaning though...I'm a firm believer in getting rid of the large debris and giving the rest a quick rinse...the only thing i really clean well are prolly the sponges...In the past when i was newer to the hobby I went through a couple of recycles due to too thorough of cleanings. Tap water rinsing is definitely a no in my books...Use it for only mech. only like others mentioned.


thas a good way to burn out da motor in da filter!


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## the_w8 (Jul 28, 2003)

^^^


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## wisco_pygo (Dec 9, 2009)

****** said:


> Just dont clean your media with tap water as it will kill the bacteria, but you could clean hoses and sponges with it.


x2


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## Sanjo Eel (Aug 21, 2008)

CLUSTER ONE said:


> BB live in the sponges too, so I always rinse mine in a bucket of tank water.


 Yes but you shouldn't rely on mech media to hold bacteria (as thats what bio media is for) so it doent matter if you kill it. Preferably you will keep it but i find the pressue from the tap can clean it alot better then a bucket of tank water so id rather get the dibris out so its not rotting in the pad then to try to save the bacteria (by using tank water) but miss like 1/4 of the debris trapped in the middle of the pad.
[/quote]
Good point Cluster.


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## Inflade (Mar 24, 2006)

rinse sponges only, then a few drops of water conditioner in the back of the filter when you fill it with tank water.


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