have some questions about my aquarium

[baljnm]

Hello everyone, i am new to this board, but not to my aquarium. I have had my 55 gal set up for over a year now. I have 2 Tetra 30-60 power filters (2 filter cartridges each), live plants, a pair of CO2 diffuser systems, a small air pump for aeration. In the tank live 4 (rather large now, they are a year old) barbs, an algae eater (HUGE, about 8 inches long), a dwarf gourami, a red tailed black shark (about 4 inches long), a male and female swordtail, 2 black tetras, a ghost tetra, 10 neon tetras and a leopard danio.

My problem is kind of two fold. First, one of my barbs, a blue-green barb, has popeye, and has had this infection for about a month now. I have all of the fish on anti-biotic fish food, i use melafix and pimafix (3 and 1 tablespoons a day), and change about 6 gallons of water each week. While this is the only fish that is sick at all, he doesn't seem to be getting any better. I even tried some Maracyn tablets, but they cost way too much and dont last very long at all. Any suggestions?

Second, the time between changing the filter cartridges has become increasingly short. It used to be 3 or 4 weeks between changing the cartridges, now its more like 3 or 4 days. How come these cartridges are getting full so quickly? Is there a better way to filter the water than these hang on the back filters?

 

[Cafe Jeff]

That seems bizarre that you now have to replace your cartridges so quickly. I am not familiar with the filters you mention, but why do you think you have to change them so frequently now? Jeff

 

[BrianNY]

Hi and welcome to AA . IMO you'd be alot better off with a cannister filter. Something like a Fluval 304. They require less fuss than the HOBs and do a better job.

You also might want to isolate and treat the barb with popeye in hospital or QT tank. This way you'll be medicating less volume of water.

 

[Menagerie]

[center:41bb4b83e2] Welcome to AA, baljnm!! [/center:41bb4b83e2]
I agree about the canister filters being better for your tank, but for right now let's talk about those cartridges. What exacty are they getting full of? I had an Aqua Clear that was so slow, it hardly rippled the water's surface. I pulled the sponges out (in your's, it would be the cartridge) and rinsed in used tank water and then put them back in the filter. Next, I added a small AC filter sponge with an X cut into it on the filter intake tube. Now, when the sponge on the intake tube gets gross, I rinse it in tap water. Instead of repacing the cartridges, which is costly, try rinsing them.
What are your water parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and temp)? With the meds you are using and the changing of the cartridges, there is probably no beneficial bacteria taking care of the ammonia produced by the fish. This way also be the reason the barb is not getting better. Aside from that, isolate the barb in a QT tank. There is a nice article on QT tanks in the Articles section.
Changing only 6 gallons of water is too little. 25% PWC is a good amount each week. Especially when treating ill fish.

 

[baljnm]

Thank you for the quick replies.

The filter cartridges consist of a mesh webbing that contains the carbon. Whisper calls the cartridges Bio-Bags. There is a sponge that contains the beneficial bacteria that sits behind the cartridge (in the waterflow) and that is fine. They seem to be just getting full (fish waste, small plant particles, ect) and need to be replaced way more often than at first. They are a little green when they come out, and i do have some green algae growth on some of the plants. Nitrate is between 0 and 5 ppm, Ammonia is between 0 and .25 ppm. My pH here is a little high (its in the water here) at 7.8, but the fish have never seemed to mind this.

As far as canister filters go, all i have nearby is a WalMart and a PetSmart, and i havent seen any canister filters there. I was thinking about an undergravel filter, but i see that most people here dont like them. I just need something that does a better job filtering the water. I have seen something called a Protien Skimmer online and dont really know what it does. I really appreciate the advice. Keep it coming!

 

[grimlock3000]

You can order canister filters online for super cheap compared to retail stores. What is your budget?

Do not get an undergravel filter. If your cartidges are clogging up in a few days, a UGF would be a nightmare. Protein skimmers are for marine tanks, so do not worry about those.

 

[baljnm]

Budget? I am spending $26 for 12 cartridges. Four cartridges (2 cartridges per filter, 2 filters) every 3 or 4 days means i am spending $26 every week and a half. I am looking to get something way more effective and efficient. I guess budget isnt a concearn. What is best? Where do i find it? How does it work? I have only ever used the hang on back cartridge style filters, so i dont know what else there is, how well they work, what they cost, how often they need to be serviced, ect.

 

[Menagerie]

Once you set up a canister filter, the only servicing is cleaning the media when the flow is reduced (once every couple of months). The start up cost can be shocking for some. I bought a ViaAqua on eBay and with shipping it was under $100. It has worked like a charm on our 80 gallon tank. It has large baskets for media and all I use are the ceramic rings, which I was able to buy in bulk at a LFS. You can find them for a decent price on eBay also. I do not use carbon. There is a large sponge that sits on top of the baskets and they filter out large items. I also use Fluval filters and they basically work the same way. I attached a pic of my canister filter with the top off and I'm looking down on it (I don't know why I have this pic, but it's on my computer!). You can see the ceramic media--it's clean, because I just rinsed it off.
If you are not ready to jump into a canister filter, follow my suggestions as listed above. Using a sponge as a prefilter works great and rinsing out the filter cartridges does wonders for their life span. I have not replaced a single cartridge in the 2 filters that take cartridges since I bought them (one was a year ago and the other is even older). I rinse and reuse.

 

[madasafish]

Also, it's important that you know that anti-bacterial food is only recommended for a week or two at a time. It tends to lose its effectiveness after a few weeks because the bacteria tend to become resilient to medication. For this reason, bacterial infections in fish are some of the hardest maladies to treat effectively. Grr...