Cycling Tank/Plugged Filter

[Saltair]

My tank has been running for 18 Days. It is cycling with fish and plants. I made an error in plant selection buying swords without enough light. I have been trying to nurse them along while I try to solve the light issue, but suffice to say there has been plant matter in the water being captured by the filter. My Nitrites are out of sight and ammonia is 0. I have been doing daily PWC's for four days. Tonight I noticed the water in the filter, Aqueon, was nearly going out the overflow. I pulled the filter cartridge and it is nasty greenish brown. I dunked it in the bucket of siphoned off water dislodging some bigger chuncks, and now the water is just below the overflow. Is this screwing up my cycle and the reason I cannot drop nitrites? How vigorously can you clean the filter cartridge without dislodging the bacteria I am trying to grow?

 

[Mark Hewitt]

Perhaps you can just remove the plants for now? (Replace with plastic) Go back to them once your cycle and lighting is sorted?

 

[Saltair]

If it is messing up the tank cycle I will, but it will hurt to take all that $$ out of the tank. If the tank will still cycle even if I rinse the filter in the bucket I would rather leave them be.

 

[Vircomore]

Sadly, I've had experience with Aqueon filters, and they have a very low tolerance for filtering physical gunk out of your tank. Their filter cartridges are made of tightly woven fibers, and as soon as they get a little bit clogged, they get completely clogged - and they're nearly impossible to unclog with rinsing because those fibers hold onto the gunk like a magnet.

 

[BillD]

You can be quite vigorous with the cleaning without dislodging the bacteria. The bacteria basically glues itself to the substrate material and is not easily dislodged.

 

[maxst2]

Get a pre filter sponge for your intake... They are AWESOME.

 

[reefdiver]

put a piece of stocking on the suction tube.

 

[jsoong]

If the plants are dying, they will rot & add to the ammonia & nitrite load. It will be easier for you to remove the plants till the tank is cycled.

You don't have to throw out the plants. Put them in a bucket/tub of (treated) water. Put some substrates in if you have any, or just let them float. Put under a bright window in warm place, and they will prob survive. If you have a bright window (like a skylight), the plants might just grow better with the better light.

And putting some mesh/stocking/netting/sponge over your intake tube to catch the debris before it gets to your filter is a great idea. It is much easier to clean out than the filter pad.