If filter is not performing properly

[shynepo3]

My betta seems to have fin ron, and there is a ton of debris whenever i disturb the tank to do pwcs; much more than before. Even hours afterwards, i can still see some flying around, when before there would be nothing.

I do have an almond leave in there, but still a bit worried that my filter may not be performing right, which may cause the extra debris, as well as the betta's fin rot.

If something was wrong with the filter (even though it is running), would i be able to tell, other than the extra debris? Would the water parameters change, such as ammonia, nitrites, etc? My ammonia and nitrites are still at 0...

And if it is broken, i guess i'd have to get a new one and re-cycle?

 

[librarygirl]

Do you have gravel in the tank? Are you vacuuming it on a regular basis? If not that could be partly your issue and perhaps you are over-feeding. How long has the tank/filter been running? I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will help answer this. But if you do have to get a new filter I would run it on the tank with the old one that way you won't have to recycle (which would be very hard on the already sick betta). And I'd start vacuuming the substrate regularly if you are't already.

 

[alLexX]

how big is your tank? what test kit are you using? is it strips or liquid? how old is the tank?

 

[shynepo3]

the tank is about 3-4 months old..i do vaccum the gravel every week when i do a 50% water change. one day, i disturbed the filter, since the the part that adjusts the flow control got loose...i had to "bang" it in, which caused a ton of debris to go flying..it's an s10 marina sponge filter.

since then, a lot of debris has been flying every where...i don't know if the filter isn't getting everything...or if the past 2 months of using almond leaves is now causing it to show...

my betta has fin rot, but i dont know if it was caused by this new silk plant i put in (which had a few spikey plastic parts)..this was at the same time of the "bang" incident..so i dont know..

i use api liquid test kit..

 

[shynepo3]

oh, its a 5 gallon

 

[alLexX]

well... id say its new filter time.

 

[mfdrookie516]

I'd say you're overfeeding if it's that bad. There shouldn't be that much waste from a single betta IMO

 

[shynepo3]

A new filter after 4mths?

I don't think I'm overfeeding. His schedule is:

Sun - fast day
Mon- 1/8 of pea
Tues - 2 pellets and frozen bloodworms at nite
Wed - 3 pellets
Thur - 2 pellets and frozen brineshr
Fri - 3 pellets
Sat - 2 pellets and frozen bworms or shrimp

 

[shynepo3]

shoot..i couldn't take it anymore, and i wanted to change the gravel anyways...so i took the filter, and hob, kept in tank water..emptied and rinsed whole tank, put in new gravel and prime treated water, and put back hob and filter in.

it'll still keep cycled right?

 

[dollabill420]

Mite go to a mini cycle where new gravel, just slack back on the food, what kind of pellets are they?