Trouble with my filter maybe??

[Clifford_69]

I've had my 125L tank up and running for about a month and a half and after adding a bristlenose plec, an angel fish and 3 clown loaches the water was crystal clear, but now the really small was bits of waste don't ever seem to clear.

I have an external filter which I done a full clean on including all tubes.
The filter is a auquamanta efx 200.

Also I don't seem to feel much pull on the inlet, it does pull but not what I would expect.

You can see all the little bits in the pic attached.

 

[Clifford_69]

Any help is appreciated

 

[Caliban07]

It's probably because of the bristle nose plec. They poop ALOT. There's nothing wrong with the filter. They remove suspended solids. Solids the are suspended in the water column. The poop just naturally sits at the bottom. Unless you stir it up or have a power head to stir it up the filter won't remove it.

Most people on here will tell you that your tank is not big enough for 1 clown loach. Let alone 3 and they may become aggressive towards each other the bigger they get.

I would take the loaches and the BN plec back and get some community schooling fish and build around the angel which will bee your centrepiece.

 

[Clifford_69]

I hose all the crap off the bottom twice a week, the small waste doesn't seem to settle.

 

[Caliban07]

I hose all the crap off the bottom twice a week, the small waste doesn't seem to settle.

Ahh right I see what you mean now. What model filter is it?

 

[Caliban07]

Ahh right I see what you mean now. What model filter is it?

Have a look on the recommended filter pads for that model and the order in which they go in.

You could try filter floss.

 

[Clifford_69]

Yeah I have renewed some of them. They are all in the right order.

I'm wondering if it's the current picking up sand. I'll tinker with it tomorrow.

Thanks for the advice

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Does the return break the surface of the water? Looks like surface film? Maybe the light.

Post a picture of the pipe work.
No tight bends. No kinks.

The strainer may be blocked, there may be a little white ball inside (there is on some of my filters) this can get muck stuck around it.

There should be no loops in the pipe work, this can slow flow.

(Clown loach rock)

Hello caliban.

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Does the return break the surface of the water? Looks like surface film? Maybe the light.

Post a picture of the pipe work.
No tight bends. No kinks.

The strainer may be blocked, there may be a little white ball inside (there is on some of my filters) this can get muck stuck around it.

There should be no loops in the pipe work, this can slow flow.

(Clown loach rock)

Hello caliban. Sound advice so far.