Help With Neon Tetras Dying Please

[SPACKlick]

You'll get a lot of different responses to how often to clean a cannister filter but the general rule is as rarely as you can get away with. Each time you open it it's a little bit of faff and disturbs your biofilter so the less often you do it the better. I only clean mine (Tetra Ex1200) if I notice a drop in flow or my nitrates start going up faster than usual. Last time that was nearly a full year but I'm lightly stocked and was lightly planted for most of that time and run 2 filters.

It's a bit trial and error and your tank is establishing so it might change over time. Try cleaning it at 6 weeks and see how much debris is in the filter. If it's really heavily clogged try only leaving it 4 weeks next time, if there's just bacterial mulm on the sponges then leave it 8 or 10 weeks to the next time. You'll find a balance for how messy your fish, food and plants are and how well the filter media handles them.

[DrawsWithLight]

You'll get a lot of different responses to how often to clean a cannister filter but the general rule is as rarely as you can get away with. Each time you open it it's a little bit of faff and disturbs your biofilter so the less often you do it the better. I only clean mine (Tetra Ex1200) if I notice a drop in flow or my nitrates start going up faster than usual. Last time that was nearly a full year but I'm lightly stocked and was lightly planted for most of that time and run 2 filters.

It's a bit trial and error and your tank is establishing so it might change over time. Try cleaning it at 6 weeks and see how much debris is in the filter. If it's really heavily clogged try only leaving it 4 weeks next time, if there's just bacterial mulm on the sponges then leave it 8 or 10 weeks to the next time. You'll find a balance for how messy your fish, food and plants are and how well the filter media handles them.

Thank you SPACKlick, I'll give it a couple of weeks then have a look. That would make it 6 weeks after initial stocking. MA did say to clean about twice a year but I'm doubting their advice at the moment!

[SPACKlick]

Twice a year is a perfectly reasonable amount one the tank is stable. I'm honestly surprised to hear a fish shop give advice about leaving it so long. Usually they want you in it every 5 minutes so you buy spare parts.

[DrawsWithLight]

The chap at MA did say to do as little as possible so as not upset anything!