flooddc January 1, 2013 January 1, 2013 My powerheads are quite dirty (haven touch it for almost 2 years now) and the flows seem to be a bit slower than I remembered. I am curious as to whether you clean your powerheads or you wait until thy clogged up? I suppose it would be more efficient to clean them often. But seem to be a pain to remove them, clean and re-install them back in place (I am just being lazy!) and get JUST A LITTLE BIT OF extra FLOW out of it!!
CaptainRon January 1, 2013 January 1, 2013 You're just being lazy I probably end up cleaning my pumps/powerheads every couple months or so. I've never kept track but I'd guess no more than about 6 months goes between cleanings. It just depends on how much stuff gets on them and how quickly.
flooddc January 1, 2013 Author January 1, 2013 You're just being lazy How true! I just use a toothbrush and clean around the powerheads I notice some dead spot in the tank, soooo I guessed I need to pull them out and give them a good clean sometime soon,
CaptainRon January 1, 2013 January 1, 2013 If they're sloppy enough, I'll give 'em a bath in a vinegar solution too. Just take one pump out at a time and let it soak overnight. Comes out nice and clean that way!
epleeds January 2, 2013 January 2, 2013 I was cleaning my vortech's every 3-4 months. Just switched to tunze's but will probably due the same with them.
flooddc January 2, 2013 Author January 2, 2013 Now I don't feel as guilty! It's suppose to last longer if you keep it clean. Since they all covered with coraline algae, I am afraid they might break if I take them apart to clean them.
treesprite January 2, 2013 January 2, 2013 Some of you people are really lazy! I clean my main flow pump (Gen-X 6000) and my little refugium return about every 6 months. I clean my skimmer pump about every two months. Powerheads, when I used to use them in my main DT, I cleaned every month - they are not connected to plumbing and are small, so I see no reason for laziness about them.
Steve175 January 2, 2013 January 2, 2013 ~ every 6 months, I just plunk mine in vinegar or dilute muritiac overnight (I use a tupperwear bowl near the tank so that I don't have to free up the cord), then the next morning take them apart and rinse the housing and the impellor and then good to go. The acid will dissolve both the corraline and, if an issue, green algae. Very little time or scrubbing involved.
Incredible Corals January 2, 2013 January 2, 2013 I soak mine every 2 months or so. They get pretty bad and push almost no water at that point.
monkiboy January 2, 2013 January 2, 2013 about every four months. i use magi-kleen from hydor. love that stuff. works much better at stripping off deposits, coralline, and whatever else than vinegar or acid baths i've tried. usually just a rinse and it's brand new sometimes a minute with the stiff glock cleaning brush if it was really bad.
paul b January 2, 2013 January 2, 2013 Some of mine have not been touched in 20 years. I never clean them. Some of them have a screen on them and I do have to remove the bristle worms and shrimp shells occasionally
Chad January 2, 2013 January 2, 2013 Mine get cleaned probably every 6-9 months. Out of the tank, ran in warm vinegar water until the coraline turns white and starts flaking, then a quick scrub and back in. 30-60 minutes max.
flooddc January 2, 2013 Author January 2, 2013 Some of mine have not been touched in 20 years. I never clean them. Some of them have a screen on them and I do have to remove the bristle worms and shrimp shells occasionally is that a typo? 20??? I think that a record!
paul b January 3, 2013 January 3, 2013 is that a typo? 20??? I think that a record! No typo. If the thing is running I leave it alone but if I have to remove it for some other reason, then I will take it apart and see what it looks like. The one running my skimmer is under my tank in the back and I don't even remember what it looks like. I think it has been there from the late 80s or 90s. But that is for the skimmer venturi and does not get any light or shells in it. There are some under the rocks in my tank that have been running for at least ten years. The ones that I use just for circulation, I have to clean out the intake screens every few weeks but I don't have to take them apart. I have one new Korilia that is a nightmare and needs too much maintenance as seaweeds, snails, shrimp and everything else gets wrapped in the propeller.
Integral9 January 3, 2013 January 3, 2013 I have to clean out my koralia's about every other month as bubble algae tends to grow inside the pump behind behind the propeller. The pumps in my sump though (skimmer and mag 7), I might clean once a year. W/out any light, the only thing that seems to grow on them is the bacteria. For my return pump, the iwaki, I pull the impeller out about every 6 months to check it. Havn't found anything in it yet. I have noticed a considerable descrease in the algae growth after installing my UV unit. So perhaps I will need to clean less now. :-)
flooddc January 3, 2013 Author January 3, 2013 I have a koralia in my 29G, its appears to attracting more debris than all my other pumps. perhaps of it's design!
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