Extremely clean filters?

[Anna94]

I’ve had my AquaClear filter for 2 months and the tank has been established for 4 years. I’ve had a sponge filter for 2 years and it still looks brand new and I squeezed it out a few months ago and the water didn’t turn brown or black. Same with the AquaClear; the sponge and filter floss don’t even look dirty. I tested my water and the ammonia and nitrites are 0 and nitrates are 20. Shouldn’t my filter media look disgusting, especially my sponge filter since I’ve had it for 2 years? Right now I have 5 cardinal tetras, 5 lemon tetras, and 1 rasbora.

 

[All_fish]

Lol mine gets gnarly but I have a much heavier bioload. Yours is fairly light but I would think it would be somewhat dirty. Do you clean the sand during water changes? Maybe the flow in the tank isn’t enough for it all to get sweeped up into the filter.

 

[Anna94]

Lol mine gets gnarly but I have a much heavier bioload. Yours is fairly light but I would think it would be somewhat dirty. Do you clean the sand during water changes? Maybe the flow in the tank isn’t enough for it all to get sweeped up into the filter.

I have gravel but I gravel vac during every water change and I water change every week or every other week.

 

[All_fish]

My guess is that the flow isn’t high enough for the filter to pick it all up and you don’t have a heavy bioload to start with so it just settling on the gravel but since you’re consistent with water changes and parameters are pretty good I think you should be fine. I’d keep testing for a little bit longer to make sure if you’re still worried.

 

[King Fisher]

You'll save a lot of money on filters

 

[All_fish]

You'll save a lot of money on filters

Definitely a great problem to have lol

 

[goatnad]

My sponge filters usually put off a light tan color when rinsing them. Looking at them in the tank they don't look dirty at all. Now for hobs, any I have ever used get super dirty and the water looks like chocolate milk when rinsing. I am slowly moving away from hobs to canisters and sponge filters.

My guess for yours is you are gravel vaccing most of what would get caught in these out and your current isn't pushing the waste around. The waste is mostly settling in the gravel.