Kashim

I got my 55 gallon Aqua-Tech tank last August and so far it's been great. It uses the Aqua-Tech 30/60 filters (2 of them) and the package says to change them every 2-4 weeks. I used to change them every 3 weeks and it was fine, but lately they're getting clogged faster and faster. Now after only 1 week they're almost completely clogged and I have to change them. Is this normal? I don't really want to start spending 3 times more on these filters, so I'm wondering what I can do about it.

All my water parameters are normal. 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 0-20 nitrate, pH is 7.8-8.0, water temp is 78-80F. My lights are set for 10 hours and I do get some brown algae growing and a bit of green, but nothing too terrible. In the tank I have 6 neon tetras, 5 cherry barbs, 6 cories, 6 guppies, 3 otos and 2 rubber mouth plecos.

0morrokh

Do you know what's clogging them? Snails, algae, stirred up sand.....? Anyway, there's no reason you should have to completely replace your filter media so often, regardless of what the package says. When you do a water change, just swish the media in the removed water to clean it (remember not to rinse it in the tap cause it'll kill the bacteria). The same media should easily last you months or years...

CWO4GUNNER

Hi. I have a 40-60 AquaTech and firstly you don't need to keep buying filters just rise out the old ones in a bucket your old aquarium water whenever you do a water chnages, never ever use tap water to squeeze and rinse those blue filters. You should be able to use a set over and over about 10 times or more especially the bio sponges forever.
They do clog easy but not that easy if your not over feeding your fish giving them just a couple mouth fulls a day per fish and there should be no left overs on the bottom. An Algae bloom could also be clogging the filters, microscopic floating organisms from too much sun light or lighting and or extra food. anyway I don't use the new blue filter cartridges anymore, I just wrap the old plastic inserts in cheap generic filter media blanket, about $3 for 12x48" last a long long time.

Dozey

You may also consider shutting down the filter during feedings. You may feel that you are feeding under the suggested 1 to 2 minute rule before all food has been consumed but the majority of food could very well be consumed by the filter and not your fish.

Kashim

I don't know what's clogging the filters, but the stuff looks like brown mud. I guess it could be the brown algae I keep getting on my substrate. My water is very clear, so I don't think it's an algae bloom. There's no sand or snails in my tank, only the fish I listed in my original post. My substrate is gravel.

Is it really OK to just rinse out the replaceable filter? The blue sponge part of it looks almost like it's muddy. Then there's activated charcoal inside the filter. Isn't it bad to have that in my tank way past its "life cycle" or whatever?

I don't think I'm over feeding, but you never know. I always feed my fish at the opposite end from the filter. I don't put food on the surface of the water. I always stick my hand in the water to feed and watch my fish eat it. Anything that reaches the bottom is cleaned up by my cories. Also, no direct sunlight ever hits the tank.

Thanks for all the replies. I think it's probably the brown algae that's clogging my filter. I'll probably increase the light cycle from 10 hours to 12 hours, but I doubt it'll make much difference.

SWilkins

I cut out the blue with the carbon after it is really worn out and use the plastic frame wrapped it in filter media. Works great and it is cheap. Just rinse in used tank water and reuse.

kimb

Just wondering what is this filter media blanket and where do I get some? Could this be used to help seed a new tank? Could you use a piece without frame, then wrap on frame after a couple of weeks? My filter has very little room to shove an extra cartridge...(if this makes sense) sounds like a good alternative

soldieroffortune1974

Changing Filter <<<<<<< see this link,it will help with many filter/media quaestions

kimb

SOF, thank you so much for the link. The scrubbers etc. make so much sense. I am brand new to this so please excuse the question..when you do have to use carbons for meds etc.. how do you do add it?

coffeebean

i sliced open the bottom of my blue aquatech filter cartridge and removed the carbon so i can wash and reuse.
maybe you should lower the light time to decrease the algae?

soldieroffortune1974

There's a few different ways to do it,the easiest and effective is take 2 pieces of scrubber pad and lace it like sewing a seam on 3 sides with fishing line to make a pocket,pour in the carbon and lace up the top. There's your carbon cartridge.After you're done with the carbon,cut the seam off 1 end to dump it out,and place the rest back in the filter,ready for next time,maintains the bacteria without re-seeding.

Another way is use a cloth of some sort,or a sock, (panty hose is popular with Dozey) put the sock in the filter.Easy and effective.

or place it in a small plastic strainer and suspend it in the water flow. There's really endless ways to do it.

prairielilly

What I do with my AquaTech 5-15 is use some little cloth bags I bought at the LFS. I believe they were made for Fluval filters? they're about 2" x 6" white netting with a drawstring at the top. I bought some loose carbon pretty cheap and when I want carbon in the tank I put a tsp or so in one of these bags, tie it up tight and stuff it behind the cartridge (which in my case is an old plastic insert wrapped in cheap generic media like other members listed here. I cut the dirty part of the blue cartridge off, laid that against a bare plastic frame and wrapped it up. No lost cycle!)

0morrokh

Lots of good advice about the filter media already but to answer this specifically.... Yes it's really ok to just rinse it out, I have a filter bag in one HOB that I've had for several years (I removed the carbon from it originally)... It's normal for it to get 'muddy' looking, that's because gunk gets caught in it and bacteria grows on it to break down the gunk. The discoloration is normal/good, as long as water flows thru it it's fine. When water stops flowing just swish it in old water to get the large particles out of it.
And yes it's bad to have carbon in too long, it will start leaching the stuff it adsorbed back into the water. I'd personally just not use it but if you want to you'll have to replace it every month or whatever the interval is....you can buy carbon in bulk containers so you don't have to replace the cartridge when you need new carbon, if you really want to use it....