[TLM4x4]

Hi there Barrett...first...goldfish are considered cold water fish and should not be kept with other tropical fish as they need colder temps and are very very messy fish hence Im sure is why your cannister floss was so smelly and dirty. When you take your cannister apart you should NOT clean out the bio-media as you are washing away good bacteria you need in your tank for proper water quality and balance for your fish. Most people dont run carbon and is used mostly to clear the tank of meds if used or other impurities at first. I am an old school fishkeeper tho and wont run my tanks without it. Just wash out your other filter pads in the canister, replace carbon if you are going to use it and call it good. I have two filter systems on all of my tanks...canister and hang on the back filters and alternate cleaning them and too, if for some reason one quits your tank will still be stable if you dont notice it right away. When you unhooked your canister and cleaned it then primed it getting it going I find it will stir up whatever is left in the canister and shoot it out the out take hose with lots of airbubbles as well, not to worry. But I would advise you to get a "HOB" filter for back up. How often you clean them depends on what kind of fish, how many fish, what the bio-load is on the tank-how much you feed your fish. I usually check mine every couple of weeks just to see if they need it. Good luck and Happy Fishkeeping!