Habitat - Indoor :: How do you clean an Semi Internal Filter?

[jasmiester]

I think the one im using is a Whisper 40i? Not 100% sure but its black, about 5-6 inches tall, 3-4 inches width. Part of the filter is over water, where theres a little thing for water to flow out. There is this foam pad and this other white thingy used to filter the water. How do i clean that out? I see that the foamy black pad is getting dirty but how should i clean it? How do i clean the smaller white pad too? Thanks!

[steve]

You can buy replacement media for it. The black body will probably get slimy over time, you can just rinse and use paper towels to wipe it.

[wezeles]

thats the exact same one i use for one of my fish tanks... does a good job for a smaller filter.... you can go to any store that sells fish supplies and the filter size is "whisper large" alot of times just listed as large... take out the filter and look it over so you have an idea what to get when you buy it.
its more expensive to buy the complete filter. "plastic frame and the media as one" most replacement kits are refils with like 5-10 new bag's and matching amount of little bags of carbon and you just throw out you old and replace it on your plastic frame then fill it with the carbon
only like 8-15 dollars depending on amount... little trick is to also grab another can of carbon, add a little more to the filter than they give you it will help it stay cleaner for longer...

[jasmiester]

Thanks a lot, is the "replacement media" the white sheet?
Thanks!
How long should i use the white sheet for before i replace it?
What about the black foam?

[wezeles]

in the refill kits usually 10 or more i just picked up a 10 pack it was 10 bucks at walmart... it will come with 10 white filter bags,10 packs of carbon "media" and one plastic frame and locking clip... you put the white bag around the plastic frame then fill it with one bag of carbon.. then lock the bag in place... its has a sealing top with plastic clip to hold it all in... very easy

the black foam is mainly for larger debre incase it gets past the filter or as the filter wears out. all you do is take that out and rinse it and put it back in...
ive noticed with the turtles the filter clogs before it really wears out.. i take it out rinse off the gunk and use it a couple more times like that before i replace it completely. you will notice the water spilling out the sides instead of through the filter because its clogged... you could replace it at this point but you will go through them fast if this is the only filter your using...

I use it for water clarity and to keep the surface of the water moving so i dont get that nasty protien film... this filter might do fine with smaller turtles but your going to need something bigger as the turtle grows.

[VelvetAlley]

I had used one of those in conjunction with another in tank filter. The media bags could not be simpler to replace. If you buy them in three packs they come premade. Pull the old one out and after rinsing the new one, slide it on in. For replacing it check the color of the white bag every 2 weeks or so. The one downside is they get dirty pretty quick.

What I did like about this filter was how quiet it was. The water flowing back into the tank barely made a noise. For tetra I really think it's one of their better products.