Help with cleaning saltwater canister to use as freshwater

[aimeekat]

Hi could i get some advice on properly cleaning a used canister filter please. I just bought a used Eheim professional 2 2026. It was used for saltwater and I want to use it for goldfish tank. I plan on cleaning the hoses, canister, baskets ect with bleach and water do you think that is ok? Also is there anyway I can clean the ceramics rings and balls and reuse them or do I need to just toss them? It all just came out of a working thriving tank today so no diseases as far as I know and was told. And if I do have to toss the ceramic stuff does anyone know of a affordable replacement or do I really need them if I have another filter with bio wheels or stars in use? I also got a inline eco aqualizer http://www.ecoaqualizer.com/aquarium_filter/technology.php do you think this can be cleaned with bleach and water and safely reused. Does anyone use one of these? Does it do what it says it does? Thanks for any advice. :youtellme:

[BruceP]

It kinda depends on how much salt/crud is built up on the filter and media. Bleach should take most off of it isnt tooo bad. We use vinager alot to de-lime things so give that a try too.

[aimeekat]

Thanks bruce, i have just finished cleaning the unit with vinegar. do you know if the ceramic bio rings and stuff are safe for me to clean and use? or sould i dump them since was salt they soaked in?

[kendal]

a little salt should have no ill effect on your GF. most of add it to our systems at times. i would just wash it real good to remove scum, crud and bio messes. the salt will dissolve in fresh water quickly—within minutes if not seconds. anything left is lime and any acid will take that right off. vinegar works, but might take some soaking. if it is really bad, you can use muriatic acid (hydrochloric acid) which you can find at Home Depot by the tile and grout or in garden (they keep moving it).

if you pull out the big guns with acid, do it outside, wear rubber gloves and keep it off an metal parts. rinse well after. it is not toxic, but will change pH a little if not rinsed off. it is used as a swimming pool and spas as to adjust the pH (i used it to buffer the lime when my concrete pond was new with no ill effects and fish in the water).

if you use bleach be very sure you get it cleaned of. bleach residue will kill your fish fast, i doubt salt or lime or minor acid/vinegar residue will.

[sanggarra]

I recently bought 2 Eheim 2236 filters and tank used from a brackish water setup with puffer fishes.

I cleaned the cruds and stuff off them good and run them while nuking the used tank with bleach. I read people using 1:10 bleach to water ratio but I used about a gallon bleach to 40 gallons of water. Soaked tank and run cannister filters for 15mins. I also put everything used for the tank in too, such as air stones, hoses, nets etc. No gravel though. Then drain and fill back with water, soak for at least another 30 mins with filter running. Repeat one more time soaking with water. Lastly, fill with water and put in at least double dechlor and run filter. Let sit for at least a day, set it up and put fishes in.

I see no ill effects on the fishes and they are still doing fine. I have also done this with positive result on tanks with HOB filter.

If it were me, I would keep the ceramic rings in there. I am unsure about the balls/substrate. I kept and nuke about 2/3 of mine and add 1/3 new in after nuking. Dunno but fine so far.

I always de-limed buildup with vinegar, covering it with vinegar soaked paper towel for 30 mins or more.

Note that bleach is corrosive and will weaken your silicone, so do not let it sit for too long. Good luck :-P

[Romewhip]

I've switched the same canister back and forth, and replaced all bio balls and sponges each time. Wash out the hoses, scrub connectors, run vinegar and rinse thoroughly, I would think the ceramic media is fine if well rinsed. My formerly salt canister is now running on the goldie tank no problem.