Filter Clogging.

[XhaLe]

I am using a wet/dry trickle filter in my 80L tank. I have noticed more and more recently that between water changes the water level lowers and the water backs up in the filter because the filter media is dirty...when i do my water change (25% every 2 weeks) i rinse out the filter media in the old water. The problem just seems to be getting worse and worse. I have tried changing half of my filter media every second week, but by the time the next water change comes around its also jst as clogged as the other old media. I know that you will say my tank is probably dirty hence the clogging, but there are no visible dirt particles floating around in the tank and when i change the water i try as hard as i can to clean all the gravel of sediment as i can before my buckets are full...

any ideas? perhaps i need a different filter media?

Regards
Tom

[joz]

Sounds unusual,but what media are you using that keeps getting clogged up?

[wombat1100]

Could the tank be over stocked?How many fish do you have in it?

Dazz

[mac_man_luke]

too much food?

[PeteFromTassie]

WHat type of media are you using? I find that filter wool always looks really clogged, but it is still quite effective in a filter for some time! ;-)

Tell us a bit more and we might be able to help a bit!

Cheers,
Pete.

[XhaLe]

i am using filter wool and i have 17 fish. 2 cardinal tetra, 3 neon tetra, 3 glass cat, 2 clown loach, 3 male fancy guppy, 2 albino corys, 2 bristlenose cat. i feed them twice a day (once in morning once in evening) i feed them a pinch of flake food, every 2nd or 3rd night 2 algae wafers and weekly some brine shrimp. i did a water change on the tank yesterday and cleaned all the filter piping (as it had a lot of algae and crap in it) i also cleaned the powerhead and the filter media. everything is running fine at the moment but im afraid it will happen again :unsure:
Cheers
Tom

[wombat1100]

does the water smell??

[XhaLe]

no, cant say it does...if anything smells like normal tank water...

[joz]

I am using a wet/dry trickle filter in my 80L tank. I have noticed more and more recently that between water changes the water level lowers and the water backs up in the filter because the filter media is dirty...when i do my water change (25% every 2 weeks) i rinse out the filter media in the old water. The problem just seems to be getting worse and worse. I have tried changing half of my filter media every second week, but by the time the next water change comes around its also jst as clogged as the other old media. I know that you will say my tank is probably dirty hence the clogging, but there are no visible dirt particles floating around in the tank and when i change the water i try as hard as i can to clean all the gravel of sediment as i can before my buckets are full...

any ideas? perhaps i need a different filter media?

Regards
Tom[/b]


Hi Tom I have just re-read your question here.
Just wanting to get things straight
I am assumming that it is in the sump where there is a divider type thing.in this divider you have the filter media here is that right??
Or is it actually at the top of the tower where you that you are getting some back up?

If its in the divided section in your sump I wouldn't fuss to much because at worst it will only backup till it can overflow into the pump section of the sump.Am I correct so far?
If the problem is here you may want to try a courser type of dacron sheet as this will only trap larger particles and keep the water flow continuing.Also have you a filter on your sump pump?
If so that'll take care of the finer stuff.
IMO no need to worry about uneven levels in the sump,as long as your pump doesn't run dry its flowing fine.But what you will notice is that any evaporation is only noticeable in the sump because the tank always remains topped up.Also if you notice it out of balance again try topping up the sump and see if it re-equalizes the levels.

Now if your filter is backing up on top of your media tower,does your spreader plate have an overflow tube riser incase the holes in the plate get blocked?it should.

[XhaLe]

hey joz,
yes ur right, i have a sump where the filter media sits and the power head trickles the water onto the filter media and then back into the tank. i understand this isnt a major problem, but i dont really want it to get to the point where it will overflow back into the tank, that would defeat the purpose of the filter. a coarser type of filter media makes sense. there is no filter on my sump pump. all it is a tube up to my power head up to a t intersection in the tube which divides off to my 2 sumps with filter media into which it trickles out holes...

im scared that if when the sumps are backing up and the water level in the tank dips, that if i add more water and then come to cleaning time i turn my filter off the water will overflow the tank...

thanks for you help
tom

[joz]

Pics would help here,I'm just gettng a bit confused.

Btw the trickle is or isn't under the tank?

[XhaLe]

[attachment=2275:powerhead.jpg][attachment=2276:filter.jpg]

Joz,

here are some photos. The first is of the powerhead and it also shows the water level in the tank caused by the clogging, the second is of the t-junction and piping with holes trickling onto the filter media.

Let me know wat you think.
Tom