I just did something very, very silly

[KeddyPie]

Well, I noticed my filter wasn't working QUITE as well as it was previously, so I decided it was time for a heavy duty cleaning. I had a bucket of water on my floor from my tank change yesterday, so I took out the filter media and put it in the bucket, scrubbed it with my hands... Then I took out the peice at the end that helps spread out the water flow and helps lower the surface disturbance... I was not thinking when I did this. As SOON as I took this peice off, ALL the gunk sitting at the bottom of my filter POURED into my 20 gallon, completly polluting and clouding the water... it was DISGUSTING! I immediently did a rather large water change, probably about 35% of the water, because I was worried that the sheer amount of gunk in the water would have a very negative effect on my fish...

I guess things like that heppen when you're doing something for the first time I'll remove the ENTIRE filter from the water before I try to clean it again! The good news is, it's working MUCH better now, and doing a good job of cleaning up it's own leftover gunk

 

[xxSarahxx]

We ALL do things that we go "Stupid, stupid me" and yell at oursleves for but we all learn from them and using this forum can help others and stop them from making our mistakes!!
We all start somewhere!!
At least the filter is workig better now!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for posting Keddy, good to know that we all do stupid things at times!!!! hehe!!

 

[rdd1952]

You need to keep a very close eye on your ammonia and nitrite levels as cleaning a filter like that (especially the media) probably destroyed a very large part of your bacteria colony. In cleaning filters, it is best to just rinse them by swishing them around in the old tank water.

 

[xxSarahxx]

I think I worked it out that Keddy had used old tank water.....?? But yes....rdd has a good point, keep a good eye on the water params as the cleaning may have effected the bacteria levels.

 

[Discus man]

if there is gunk from your filter there is no need to do a water change. the filter will suck it back up and then clean the filter again, its as simple as that.

 

[bunjiweb]

similar thing has happened to me when trying to clean fluval internal filters (urghh). Water goes cloudy for about an hour, but never seen it have any detremental affects on the fish..

Remember, in the wild, the water is clean (chemically), but may have alot of particles in it!..

Ben

 

[puffermama]

Don't feel bad about that, it was an honest mistake and probably not too harmful to your aquarium. When I was in high school, I made the worst mistake of all. This mistake pre-dates the internet era, so I did not have very easy access to information the way we all do now. OK, so don't eveyone hate me, but I am going to confess that I used soap to clean out my very first fish tank.....When I put my little fishies back in their home they all died within an hour. I was so heartbroken that I didn't get another aquarium for 10 years! So you see, it could be a lot worse....

p.s. I haven't killed another fish since.....

 

[xxSarahxx]

puffer that's cute!!! Bless you! As I said we all learn from our mistakes!
Puffer - welcome to the forum by the way!!

 

[KeddyPie]

I did use old tank water to clean the filter, I've learned that much at least There was a LOT of gunk in the water... I mean, probably a half of a cup or gross yellow/brown goo! I know the filter would of gotten it, but a water change seemed a quicker, easier solution Tank looks 100% clean again this morning, besides a tiny blue/green algae outbreak that I'll take care of once I get out of bed. ^^

Also, I've got 2 other quick random stupids for you. For one, I managed to drop a large amount of thawed blood worm goo onto my computer surge protector (I know, I'm good at this!)

And a long time ago, when I was a wee girl of 9 or 10 and my mom have a 29 gallon fish tank, which had been established about 2 years with blue danios, and a wide assortment of other fish (one of which was mine that I had caught, yes I now know that should not have been in the tropical tank, but I assured you it was actually doin' pretty good)

One day, my father (he is a VERY smart man, when it comes to pointless trivia and computers... but some thigns he needs to learn!) decided there was too much algea in the tank... And the silly man, without thinking, decided to go get some CHLORINE TABS from our pool to help get rid of the algae! Amazingly, one of the fish lived... Just one, my little minnow. I let him back go after that and we haven't had a fish tank again until I started to get in the hobby a few months ago And we no longer have a pool, by the way.