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kaoshavoc

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Dec 4, 2007
Messages
14
Location
Springfield Mo.
Lately it seems that my filters have been clogging up real fast, like two weeks and they are clogged. The worse part is I had to change both filters a week or so ago and I know that hit the biofilter hard. It is a fully cycled 29g and I hope the gravel will hold enough bio to fend off a major recycle. I was just wonding why this may be. My feeding has not changed recently, a bit in the morning and a bit in the evening. I have 3 golds and a pleco. more than the tank needs but there are plans for a bigger tank in the future and the pleco is still quite small. Any advice would be awesome, I would like to see my filters last at least 3 weeks so I can change just one at a time and help preserve the bacteria.
 
What kind of filters are they? Maybe cut back to one feeding a day. How did you clean them? Did you replace all pads and clean out the tubes?
 
They are whisper size large filters, it is for up to a 60g tank and it is a 29g. I changed the filters, sometimes I try to just clean the stuff off the outside if but they get clogged fast again. I will try once a day, they do poop a lot. I have not cleaned out the tubes for about 2 months. They don't get real dirty.
 
You could try a prefilter on the intakes. They are much easier to rinse off and the filter will stay cleaner. Just get some AC replacement sponges cut a slit in them and slide them on your intake tubes.
 
Agreed a pre-filter will help -- but just on a hunch - the black sponge behind the filter pad - is it too full with biologics? It has been my experience with Whispers that when the black sponge becomes too clogged with biologics this restricts water flow and causes the filter to become dirty fast. The easiest way to tell is to briefly remove the black sponge and hold it up to the light to see if any light comes through. If it appears blocked squeeze the sponge a couple of times in a container of aquarium water. Only do 1 filter at a time with a month between doing each one - keep us posted
 
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