As stated I clean the carbon filter as needed, usually every 3-5 days. The only indicator I have that the filter is getting dirty, is that the water will flow over the back panel into all of the chambers. This is caused by the filter not allowing enough flow through chamber 1 into chamber 2. As long as the filter is working properly no water will flow over the back panel. I replace the carbon filter every 2 weeks. This is probably not able to s, but the tank is doing good, so I keep the same routine. How much water are you maintaining in chamber 3? I keep mine just above the full mark and experience very little evaporation. Perform a 10% water change every 7 days and thats it. Total time for maintenance is about 10 minutes. I have read that some people cut the plastic divider between chamber 1 & 2 to allow more unrestricted flow, but I did not. I wanted to see if there was a problem before I began modifying, and voiding my warranty. This may be an option for you, but I would try only as a last resort. Will post some pics later. Hope this helps, let me know.
