I'd like to know how most people clean these things.

Everytime I clean mine, I end up spilling loads of gunk into the tank. I then spend ages siphoning up all the nasty stuff.

Slugger

I just un-suction mine from the wall, and lift it up while its stillrunning, put a lil cup under it while its still in the tank water, then unplug it, so all the goo falls out into the cup and i can lift it all out at once

is yours a sponge type one? mine is and i need to thorouly clean the sponge out say once a month otherwise it slows down... i take the sponge and clean it in tank water i took out with the water changes, i need to do this process like 4 times to get the gunk out, but save the bio bugs.

Thanks for all the replies.

svendenhowser, my power filter has two sponges and small compartments for bio-rings and carbon. I do the same as you, but I'm sure I killed all the bio-bugs.

Plus when I take out the whole filter, lots of gunk runs into the tank....

Slugger

Mine is a sponge one...Fluval 1, actually I love that lil bugger!