Cleaning Filter During Cycling

[r.d.bid]

My filter is still in the cycling phase but it has become pretty dirty. There is reduced flow and it sounds as if the pump is working harder to move water.
There is also water now flowing around the filter media as I've highlighted in the attached pic.

Should I attempt to clean off the filter using some old tank water or should I just let it be until the cycle is complete?

 

[thereverendturtle]

Yeah, just clean it in a bucket of aquarium water. If its still clogged, replace it. The bacteria colonies you are growing are on the blue plastic bits, that's how the filter was designed. Others will disagree with me, but I've been changing cartridges for 25+ years, and never had a problem.

 

[r.d.bid]

Yeah I suppose that would go against all I have learned here, but, the filter manual does state that the bacteria will colonize the blue parts.
I'm just aprehensive about it because I seem to be having some issues getting a cycle to start. My other tank has the exact same kind of filter and it hasn't even begun to cycle after 43 days.

You've used this type of filter before? It's the Aqueon Quiet Flow.

 

[thereverendturtle]

Yeah, I have one on a twenty gallon with tetras and cories. How are you proceeding with your cycle?

 

[snazy]

Nope, you should not touch your filter sponges during cycling. Of course they get dirty. This is the bacteria growing. I wouldn't recommend washing the filter sponges about two months after adding fish. If the filter is good enough for the stock that shouldn't be a problem anyways. Since you don't even have fish in this tank, then you have a problem with the filter if it has no flow and I would either see if it can be permanently fixed or replace the filter altogether.

For an unestablished filter, less than 4-6 months old tank washing the filter sponges(in tank water of course) can wash off enough good bacteria to cause ammonia/nitrite spikes and also slow down the fishless cycle in your case. I don't recommend washing the sponges at least two months after the tank has cycled and the fish are in. A filter rated for your bioload and tank would have no problems with that.

 

[r.d.bid]

Yeah, I have one on a twenty gallon with tetras and cories. How are you proceeding with your cycle?

Im 19 days into the fishless cycle and on day 16 I finally got some nitrite readings and ammonia levels are dropping. I even have some nitrate readings now too. The other tank, well, it's been 43 days in a fish-in cycle and nothing has happened. Same exact kind of filter and the tank is literally feet away from the one that's starting to cycle.

I'm thinking about breaking that filter down and cleaning it completely and starting over. There is stuff growing on the blue parts and on some of the black area where the water comes out. Evidentally it's not the stuff that I need growing there. 43 days just seems WAY too long to get a cycle going. Especially when the other tank, mere feet away, is already starting to cycle in 16 days.

Nope, you should not touch your filter sponges during cycling. Of course they get dirty. This is the bacteria growing. I wouldn't recommend washing the filter sponges about two months after adding fish. If the filter is good enough for the stock that shouldn't be a problem anyways. Since you don't even have fish in this tank, then you have a problem with the filter if it has no flow and I would either see if it can be permanently fixed or replace the filter altogether.

For an unestablished filter, less than 4-6 months old tank washing the filter sponges(in tank water of course) can wash off enough good bacteria to cause ammonia/nitrite spikes and also slow down the fishless cycle in your case. I don't recommend washing the sponges at least two months after the tank has cycled and the fish are in. A filter rated for your bioload and tank would have no problems with that.

Well, I figured this too. But you're right, since there are not any fish in the tank I may just go ahead and replace the filter cartridge. If it slows down the cycle then so be it, but I guess now it can be an experiment to see if the bacteria in my tank are growing on the blue parts of the filter like they're supposed to or if they are living in the filter cartridge.

 

[thereverendturtle]

Before disposing of the filter pad, ring it out in the other tank or even just set it in the tank. There are bacteria on it, so maybe it will help kick start the cycle. I just know that filters are designed to have things replaced, carbon, pads, whatever. As long as they have some kind of bio-matrix for the bacteria, replacing those will do no harm. Eventually everything in the tank will be covered in bacteria.