Cleaning problems...?

[spookykid927]

It seems that my fish (two young female mollies in 10 gallon tank) poop a lot. I'm not sure what the problem is but it seems that the water is very dirty very often. I've noticed this and whenever I go to clean the water, I move the gravel around, and so much dirt comes out. I have recently cut back on how much I am feeding them so as not to overfeed and pollute the tank. I always have the filter running but it seems the tank can never be (mostly) clean. I have been forced to clean the water every other day now. Any suggestions as to why this is happening?

AND, I'd also like to know how you clean your tank water...? I can only stir the gravel around and then I remove the dirty water by scooping it up in a cup, and after removing a few gallons of water, replace the water with new water using a pitcher. Is this sufficient or will I have to buy some fancy equipment? What kind of equipment is used to clean tanks? (I do not have one of those filters that sit under the gravel, I have one that hangs off the side of the tank).

A quick response is most preferred. Thank you.

 

[BobK]

Welcome to the forum.

What model filter do you have? You can purchase an inexpensive siphon/gravel vacuum for probably $3-5 (not sure of your location). You start a syihon and suck up the gravel with the large end of the hose while emptying the water into a bucket or container using the small end. You gradually move the large end of the hose throughout the tank bottom. With a ten gallon tank you should probably stop after 20% or 2 gallons are siphoned out. The large end of the hose only sucks the gravel in a little bit and it shouldn't pass through the hose. This allows the dirt and dirty water to be sucked out of the tank w/o removing any gravel. This should generally be done about once a week. You never want to take out more than 25% of the water unless it is under extreme circumstances. Always replace with dechlorinated water that is close to the same temperature.

I don't know how much you know about fishkeeping nor how long your tank has been running and if it has been cycled. Please read the pinned threads at the top of this forum and provide us with as much information as possible.

 

[spookykid927]

Yes, I am new. Thanks for the welcome.

I am relatively new with fish keeping but have been doing research.

My filter is a Whisper Power Filter for 5-15 gallon aquariums 115 volts 60 Hz. Is it enough?

Ok, the gravel vacuum. The end of the hose, is it just one big gapping hole or is it covered with some netting or something? How can I prevent sucking up my fish on accident, or will that not happen? Are those vacuums really effective in cleaning the water? Are there any other alternatives (methods and/or equipment)?

I'll have to try it out. Thanks for you help.

 

[BobK]

The method is very effective and using one will make it much easier to keep the water clean and the fish healthy. If you're worried about sucking up a fish just keep your hand around the end of the hose. Most fish are going to move away from you anyway. Your filter should be fine for a 10 gallon. I actually used one of those for years on a 5 gallon. Now it's my spare. When you do your partial water changes remove the filter (bio bag) from the filter and rinse it in your bucket (or container) of old aquarium water to remove debris. Never rinse it in tap water as the chlorine will kill the beneficial bacteria in your filter and you will start the cycle over. Contrary to what the manufacturers say, you hardly ever have to change the filter. Just keep rinsing it weekly when you do water changes. After about 3 weeks the carbon inside your biobag will be worthless and should be discarded. You usually don't need carbon though so this is fine. Just place the empty biobag (with the frame of course) back into the filter and it's good to go. Other people will tell you Whisper filters aren't so great but there aren't many filters that have been around that long and it is definitely one of the cheapest to operate. You can always go out and buy something better but for two mollies it just isn't necessary in my opinion.

Others will be along soon (I'm sure) to give their opinions as well so I suggest you see what they have to say, do a little research of your own, and then make your own decisions. Good luck and happy fishkeeping

 

[Tempestuousfury]

to the forum. Introduce yourself in the newbie section.

JtHM.

The only fish you need to worry about sucking up with a small siphon (that would be the best for a small tank) is fry.

As for how to use it:
Pump it up and down a few times in the water with the head in the tank and the tail in a bucket lower than tank level. Move the siphon up and down in the gravel, not side to side, because this will stir up the mulm and make the tank look dirty.

 

[spookykid927]

Wow, people sure are helpful here, thanks for all the help.

If the vacuum is very effective then I suppose I should go out and buy one. It should make things easier and keep my water cleaner. Thanks for all the information. AND thank you for the extra info on the filter cartridge, I have never heard of rinsing it out every time I change the water, but it sure is a useful tip in order to increase its total usage lifetime. Nice to hear from someone who has been using the same filter and has good experience with it.

Thanks for the info on exactly how to use the vac, Tempestuousfury.

All your help is very much appreciated, thanks guys.

 

[spookykid927]

I bought a gravel vacuum and used it yesterday and it works lovely I currently have a very thin layer of gravel in the bottom of my tank, not even the entire floor is covered in gravel, because I was scared that the gravel would trap too much dirt that the filter would not be able to clean up creating bad water quality. But now that I have the gravel vac I can add more gravel, right? To help raise more beneficial bacteria?

 

[sylvia]

Go ahead and add the gravel It won't realy increase the bacteria by much but it might look better and you can put plants in it in future.