sponge filters

[bettasandbeads]

I have been wandering how often do you rinse your sponge filter.
I know you have to be careful not to remove all the good bacteria but do you not have to rinse the filter once and a will to remove some of the crude that builds up in it.
So how often do you rinse it?  Once a month, or just when it starts looking crudy?
Catherine  

[zenafish]

At each water change of amount large enough that I have a bucket of old tank water...that's about once a month...

You rinse the sponge filter using the old tank water. That would preserve the bacteria.

[Ian Turkstra]

That's what I was going to say too.  Basically when you have a bucket of water you can squeeze and swirl the filter into the bucket.  That's good enough to get the crud out of the filter.  And since it's the same water and same temperature you don't have to worry about the bacteria dying.