Tank cleaning help.

[triggerfishfan]

So I've pretty much cracked the water change regime. Once a week I do a 25% change taking out my fluval basket and plant and cleaning them. On both occasions I have done this, all the cr@p in the gravel then comes out making the water cloudy. I wouldn't say its ever been 100% crystal clear since I've done this.

I bought a gravel siphon a few days ago which should arrive soon. What am I doing thats making my tank like this? I have a 19L fluval chi which has been running for 3 weeks now. I changed the filter pad for the first time tonight and previously would rinse to remive the waste on the surface. New filter pad was on for 30 mins, I checked it and lots of surface waste already.

My 4 critters (2 mollies, a sucking loach and an angel fish) all seem happy and healthy.

 

[mistersprinkles]

So I've pretty much cracked the water change regime. Once a week I do a 25% change taking out my fluval basket and plant and cleaning them. On both occasions I have done this, all the cr@p in the gravel then comes out making the water cloudy. I wouldn't say its ever been 100% crystal clear since I've done this.

I bought a gravel siphon a few days ago which should arrive soon. What am I doing thats making my tank like this? I have a 19L fluval chi which has been running for 3 weeks now. I changed the filter pad for the first time tonight and previously would rinse to remive the waste on the surface. New filter pad was on for 30 mins, I checked it and lots of surface waste already.

My 4 critters (2 mollies, a sucking loach and an angel fish) all seem happy and healthy.

There's no such thing as a sucking loach. What fish are you talking about?

Don't clean the biological media in your filter too often. Filter pads that are just for mechanical cleaning can be rinsed (in tank water) more often.

You definitely want a gravel syphon.

 

[triggerfishfan]

A chinese algae eater - aka sucking loach in the UK.

I hope it settles once I have my siphon. How often would you clean the gravel?

 

[mistersprinkles]

A chinese algae eater - aka sucking loach in the UK.

I hope it settles once I have my siphon. How often would you clean the gravel?

I would recommend cleaning the gravel once a week when you do your water change.

They call a CAE a sucking loach in the UK? That's a very inaccurate name is it is not a loach at all...

 

[NadiaG]

Agreed, you def need gravel vacuum! It sucks up fish waste and uneaten food if any, without disturbing biological filter. By frequently changing the filter you kill all the beneficial bacteria in a tank

 

[triggerfishfan]

In the time ive had the tank, I've only rinsed the filter pad twice in tank water because it was obvious the flow had diminished - the fountain was half the height.

Hurry up siphon! I assume I still do the same 25% change oncd weekly when ive received the siphon?

 

[mistersprinkles]

In the time ive had the tank, I've only rinsed the filter pad twice in tank water because it was obvious the flow had diminished - the fountain was half the height.

Hurry up siphon! I assume I still do the same 25% change oncd weekly when ive received the siphon?

Ok you rinsed the pad but not the biomedia right? YOu DO have biomedia in there, right?

 

[triggerfishfan]

I dont know what you mean. I have a filter pad which looks wooly and a foam type pad. I only submerhed the wooly one in tank water and cleaned the surface dirt off.

 

[mistersprinkles]

I dont know what you mean. I have a filter pad which looks wooly and a foam type pad. I only submerhed the wooly one in tank water and cleaned the surface dirt off.

Sounds like the foam pad is your biomedia and the wooly one is your mechanical media. Can you provide a photo?

 

[triggerfishfan]

FLUVAL CHI FISH TANK REPLACEMENT FILTER FOAM PAD 2PK | eBay one is the foamy one and this onehttp://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HAGEN-FLUVAL-CHI-FISH-TANK-REPLACEMENT-FILTER-PAD-3PK-/200543849053?_trksid=p2054897.l4276 is the wooly one.

 

[mistersprinkles]

The foam is your biomedia.

 

[Rivercats]

You problem is that tank shouldn't be housing any of those fish. Everyone of those fish individually are too large for a 5 gallon tank. They may be very small now but molly's can get up to 5 inches, A CAE what your calling a sucking loach grows up to 12 inches, and angelfish can grow huge, as big as a man's hand. The ammonia they are producing is too much for that tank and filter. What is your ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph readings?

I have 2- 6g Fluval Edge tanks and they have very small filters. You don't ever want to rinse/clean your bio-media in the filter. In fact in these small tanks the best thing you can do is add a sponge over the filter intake. I also have mine planted and never use a gravel vac to clean the substrate. Mine have 1 Betta each. A proper small bio-load for such a small tank with such a small filter.

You seriously need to get your water readings and take those fish back and get something suitably sized for that size tank.

 

[Thumper828]

You problem is that tank shouldn't be housing any of those fish. Everyone of those fish individually are too large for a 5 gallon tank. They may be very small now but molly's can get up to 5 inches, A CAE what your calling a sucking loach grows up to 12 inches, and angelfish can grow huge, as big as a man's hand. The ammonia they are producing is too much for that tank and filter. What is your ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph readings?

I have 2- 6g Fluval Edge tanks and they have very small filters. You don't ever want to rinse/clean your bio-media in the filter. In fact in these small tanks the best thing you can do is add a sponge over the filter intake. I also have mine planted and never use a gravel vac to clean the substrate. Mine have 1 Betta each. A proper small bio-load for such a small tank with such a small filter.

You seriously need to get your water readings and take those fish back and get something suitably sized for that size tank.

Listen to this Lady!! If she told me to stick my finger up my nose and then stick it my tank...I would...no questions asked!!!

 

[Rivercats]

Listen to this Lady!! If she told me to stick my finger up my nose and then stick it my tank...I would...no questions asked!!!

Only if you didn't have a cold...LOL!