Cleaning A Fish Tank Filter?
I have a small rectangle fish tank and it keeps getting absolutely filthy with thick green slime.
I’ve tried using chemical treatment from the aquarium shop that gets rid of the slime, but it didn’t go completely and its come back worse.
I also want to ask how to clean my filter. its fully enclosed so i can’t open it to clean parts. Can anyone suggest something i can flush it through with to clean it properly? It would be much appreciated!
Many Thanks!
Sorry, im not being vey descriptive here..
the filter starts with a block that goes into the tank water. It has small openings that the water can go in. It is then pumped out the top and onto a coarse spongey thing. the water flows throught that and then goes through a thin, fine sponge. It then falls back into the tank water.
There is a cog-like wheel, like at a mill by the river but because the water flow is soo poor through the filter it doesn’t turn the wheel.
The block that goes into the water is attached to the lid of the tank and the ‘spout’ piece that directs the flow of the pumped up water is the only bit that can come out.
Hope that gives you a better idea of what the filter looks like.
Other articles you might like;
- Is These Pellets Healthy + More Qs-?
- Would This Hurt The Guppy Fry?
- 90g Reef Aquarium Setup Day 5
- Ideas On Fish For Freshwater Community Aquarium?
- Work Experience Melbourne 2011?
No filters are fully enclosed ,you can open them to renew the filter materials,you just have found out how to do it.You can reduce the green algae by keeping the tank out of direct light in the room,and having an algae eating bottom fish,such as a loach or catfish.Regular water changes are needed as well as aeriation,have you got an airstone?or does your filter pump in over the top of the water level at least.You can add a level of charcoal /carbon to the filter for crystal clear water.
Hi
two things cause green algae. Light and food.
If you reduce the light the tank receives and lower the nitrates in the water via water changes (feed less too), the algae will go away.
DO NOT USE algae killers – they might kill the algae but they kill bacteria fish plants too and leave you with a tank of dead rotting algae that provides a food source for a new algae bloom
I can’t think of a filter I have ever seen in 20 years where you don’t have access to the media. What make/ model is it?
Hi. Firstly, I agree with the two answers above. I have never heard of a filter you cannot get into. You are not mixing this up with the air pump, are you ? Some filters are built into the hood of the tank or are a sponge with an air pump line running to it. The water gets pulled through the sponge which acts as the filter.
In any event, the green stuff in your tank is not as a result of a dirty filter. It is algae – a plant. Try an algae munching snail to help keep things a bit cleaner, feed a bit less and keep the light down. If you leave the light on overnight you might like to stop doing this.
Be a bit careful cleaning the filter once you work out how to get into it. Filters mainly work by being homes for positive bacteria, and cleaning them too thoroughly can lead to illness in your tank. Replace the carbon every six weeks or so and gently wash any bio balls, noodles or other filter media in a bit of tank water. (not tap water which has chlorine in it). The idea is to just get rid of mud and sludge and leave the biofilms on the surface as intact as possible.
Good luck.