I have a 60-liter aquarium with an internal filter and I'm wondering how often I should clean it. Right now I do it once a month, but I hear different opinions. Does it depend on the type of fish I keep or how much food I give them?
The right frequency depends more on your water conditions than on a fixed rule, so once a month is a good starting point but maybe not for everyone. What really matters is how dirty the filter gets: if you see the water flowing less well or you notice food residue floating around, then it's time to clean it, regardless of how many days have passed. Yeah, the type of fish and especially how much they eat make a difference - a tank with fish that produce a lot of waste will need more frequent cleanings than one with tidier species.
The practical tip is to check the filter every 2 - 3 weeks without necessarily cleaning it each time, so you get a feel for your tank's rhythm. A lot of people make the mistake of cleaning too often: the filter thrives on good bacteria that break down waste, and if you give it a thorough wash every week you kill them off. Better to do a light rinse in tank water (not tap water, which kills the bacteria) rather than a full cleaning.
For a 60-liter tank like yours, I'd say go like this: visually check every 3 weeks, do a light rinse if needed, and a more thorough cleaning maybe every 4 - 6 weeks if things are going well. If you notice your parameters going haywire or the water smells off, bump up the frequency. Every tank is different, so listen to yours instead of fixating on dates.
It's not really a matter of a fixed rule when it comes to the filter. Once a month is fine as a baseline, but the real indicator is to check visually how it looks: if you see the black or brown foam is thick and compacted, then it needs cleaning. If it still seems in good condition, wait another week or two. It really depends on how many fish you have, how much food you give them (because more food = more waste) and whether the tank is heavily stocked or not.
What a lot of people don't know is that for internal filters there's no universal "right interval." In a well-maintained 60-liter tank with few fish maybe it's fine every 4-5 weeks, in another one with lots of fish it might need it every two weeks. The important thing is not to wait until the filter gets completely clogged because then the water flow drops drastically and oxygen decreases. If you use RO water or do regular water changes, the filter accumulates waste more slowly.
A practical tip: when you clean it, always do it with water taken from the tank itself, not from the tap. That way you don't kill off the good bacteria that are growing on it. And don't scrub too hard, just rinse it gently.
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