How often do you need to clean the sintered bio-glass filter material for aquarium filters?
The highly porous surface of the sintered bio-glass material in the form of a ring or ball (JBL SintoMec or JBL MicroMec) is not only colonised by beneficial filter bacteria, but also becomes clogged with sludge and other residues over time. This inhibits the work of the bacteria and in the worst case can bring it to a standstill. It is therefore advisable to rinse out the material in a bucket of skimmed aquarium water every 4-8 weeks, depending on the degree of contamination. In this way, the filter bacteria are not too badly damaged and the worst of the dirt sticking to the filter material is removed. If possible, please do not clean the entire filter at once, only clean it in sections.