Brown-Green Sludge In Tank And Filter

[Ghost9001]

So I did a routine 30% water change on my 10 gallon planted tank today. I clean in about 2x a week on average, and I clean out the filter media about once a month. So I went to clean it today and it was clogged with brown-green sludge. I figure its either algae, since that tank did have an algae problem a few weeks ago; or its just fish waste. Could it be plant waste? This is my first planted tank and I only set it up 4-5 months ago so I don't really know what to expect. Should I just clean my filter out more? Any input is appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[erk628]

So I did a routine 30% water change on my 10 gallon planted tank today. I clean in about 2x a week on average, and I clean out the filter media about once a month. So I went to clean it today and it was clogged with brown-green sludge. I figure its either algae, since that tank did have an algae problem a few weeks ago; or its just fish waste. Could it be plant waste? This is my first planted tank and I only set it up 4-5 months ago so I don't really know what to expect. Should I just clean my filter out more? Any input is appreciated.

Thanks.

Has the water flow coming from the filter decreased at all?

 

[Ghost9001]

Yes it has, but its back to the normal flow rate after I cleaned out the filter.