Filter issues- water quality need help.

[jasno999]

Ok well I am not sure if it is the worms or other food or somehting totally not related but I have clouding problems.

My 29 gallon tank is startign to get all these particles floatign around in it. It almost looks like tiny air bubbles but it is liek a particle storm or somehitng. IT is worse at the top of the tank and is makign it cloudy.

This happened before so I decided to get a Elmh Ecco canister filter for the tank. I did and I put the course, fine and carbon filters in the filter and it took the cloudiness away in a day or two.

I have had the filter runnig ever since. It got a little crapped up so I took it apart and cleaned it and put in a new fine, course and carbon filter. However the cloudiness did not go away. So I decided to put in those filter ball type media. I added that to the filter as well but no change.

I am not sure if I have the filter media in the correct order in the canister. I think it is supposed to be course at the bottom, ball media and then fine filter in the middle and the carbon filter last. Tell me if I am wrong.

What I have noticed is that the filter does not seem to be pumping as much water. The pressure at the output does not seem to be as high as it onece was. What could it be? Maybe it is the fact that the lines are gettign alge build up but what can I do for that? I also noticed that there is sme air trapped in the top of the filter. Nto sure if that is normal or not. It sometimes makes crazy noises and spits out air bubbles but I primed it liek I was supposed to. Jsut don't knwo what is wrong.

Should I change my media to different locations? Shoudl I jsut put in the fine and course filters to see if that does anything? Do I clean the lines and how do I do that? Any ideas would help.

 

[TankGirl]

The order sounds correct but the air is not supposed to be in there. Something is not fitting together quite right. You might possibly have the media packed in too tightly, or the seal is not completely tight, or something.

I have had this problem and it is hard to determine where the air leak is coming from, since, logically, you would think that if there was air getting in the whole thing would leak when the filter was off, but it does not necessarily do that. Is there any kind of bubble wand or something getting bubbles up into the intake?

Be sure all of the fittings for the hoses are extremely tight, and it might be a good idea to get some silicone grease to use around the O-ring for the lid. Hopefully someone else has some more ideas for you.

 

[BrianNY]

My gut reaction is to say something is clogging the filter. Usually when the outflow is reduced that's the reason.

You can lesson the problem of bulky matter being drawn into and trapped in the cannister with the addition of a prefilter. Make sure all the hosing, and the impeller are free clean.

HTH

 

[jasno999]

Well I cleaned the filter and motor last tiem I had it apart so that is clean. Maybe I need to make sure the media is fully soaked and no air is left in it. But at the very top of the canister there is a area where there is air. It is jsut always there and I am not sure if it is suppossed to be or not. I don't think there is a leak but I have no idea whay after it spits air out the gap does not lessen.

I might have too much media in there. The balls and the carbon filter with the course and fine filters. I am thinkign about removign some.

What I noticed was that the carbon filter is sized to fit the bottom area of the media holder. That would mean the order would be course filter, then carbon and then fine. But the diagrams show the carbon filter as the last thing at the top of the filter. I jsut do nto know what is right and what is wrong. Seems like the carbon filter is to big for the top section.

 

[TankGirl]

Carbon should be the last thing before the water re-enters the filter, you are right. It clogs easily and therefore does not do its job well if it is acting as a mechanical filter. That being said, it is not useful after about a week of being in the filter, and so I use it only to remove meds or tannins from driftwood, or something like that. It is a short-term therapy and not a long-term component of the filter. If you want to remove that completely it is safe to do so.

Another thing I recommend is to call Eheim. When I got my first Eheim I had trouble with this very same issue, and I got someone on the phone and they sortof walked me through how it should be set up, asked me what the filter was doing, and helped me identify the problem. I don't remember what it was, unfortunately, but they are very helpful. These are not cheap filters so go ahead and take advantage of their customer service.

If you do so and they help you, post back so we know what they tell you.

 

[jasno999]

I do nto have an american custome service number for Ehlm. Do you?


Yeah I need to break it all down again and start over and see what I can do. I am tryign a water treament tablet rigth now and then I will do a vacume and water change. After that I will break the filter down if the water remains the same. All I know is that the tubes are gettign alge growth in them and I do nto knwo how to clean that and my water flow is less than it used to be on the filter.

 

[TankGirl]

Your hoses will have a brown algae-like growth in them, and there is no real way to prevent this. In a new filter this growth is not going to seriously impede the flow of the water, but ought to be brushed out periodically, I do mine about twice a year.

What water treatment tablets are you using?

I can't find my paperwork for my Eheim, but there should be a number listed on yours, if you have it handy. They have a website also, Eheim.com.

 

[jasno999]

Ok I did some water testing last night.

Ammonia Level=0
Nitirte Level=0
PH = 7.8
KH Hardness 50-100 ppm
GH Hardness 150-200ppm

I have no harmful leveles of Ammonia or Nitirte but my water is very hard from the readings that I get. I have no idea how or if this has any effect on the clouding. But I have some strange clouding. It is not horriable or really bad. But I can tell that the water is just not clear. When you get close it really almost looks liek small, and I mean sma, particulates or air bubbles that are floating around in the water. The top of the tank seems worse than the bottom of the tank.

I just can not figure it out. I know I still need to do a water change and vacume the gravel but my levels are all good so what the heck is going on???

Any ideas or suggestions? I was thinking abotu a Diatom Filter. But they are expensive and if I can avoind buying one I woudl liek to. Remember I have at Penguine 125 filter with Bio-wheel and I have a Elhim Ecco filter on this tank already.

 

[BrianNY]

I'm using Eheims and Fluvals now and don't have this problem. When a cannister filter is working properly, it does a very good job at keeping the water clear. So something is amiss with your Eheim. Especially if the flow rate has decreased.

These are just thoughts and suggestions for you.

1. The sponges in these filters don't last forever. It could be they are breaking down and what you're seeing is sponge particles being put back in the water.

2. Solid debris has been built up in either your cannister or tubing causing it to be inneffective. Add a prefilter to keep this from collecting in your filter.

3. If you feed alot of live worms and some die and decay in the substrate, or die and decay in the filter, it could be causing the problems.

Don't give up, you'll have a clear tank again

 

[TankGirl]

I will only add that it is almost definitely not your tap water causing this. I have very similar water to yours and do not have cloudy tanks. This is assuming that what comes out of your tap is clear, of course.

 

[jasno999]

Ok tonight I am goign to do a 50% water change and gravel vac of as much of the tank as possiable. Goign to get in there and stir it up. Then I am goign to take my canister filter and look at the media in it. See if it is all in place. I might add a carbon filter to it.

I am goign to then put the fitler in place and drain the supply hose of all water. I am goign to open the supply side with the hose not connected and then open the return hose into the canister. This will hopefully creater a syphon and water will start to drain into the canister. When it gets to the top or starts coming out the intake I am goign to put the line back on the supply and give her a start. I hope thsi works.

 

[TankGirl]

Me too, let us know-