How can I become a dirt biker/motocross?

How to clean filter without scattering the dirt back out and into the tank?

• I have both internal(long vertical one) and sponge filters they're both very good at cleaning out the tank but when tank cleaning time came, they become a pain! I start out by siphoning the dirt from the tank and taking out 30-50% of the tank water, then I would take out the filters to squeeze out the dirt but whenever I begin to move/lift the filters all the dirt comes out!! everything they've sucked up from the past week just suddenly pours out again! and I HATE IT! I tried using plastics in lifting the filters but it was a failure.. so how do you guys/aquarists clean your filters? especially the ones who use the same type of filters as I do.. please help? or are hang - on type filters better? this is for 2 5gallon betta tanks btw

• Answer:

  what i do for my 30 gallon tank is i turn off the filter system "of course" and remove the whole system out of the tank and i put some of the fish water into a bucket and come tap water inside the same bucket and then elbow grease