Is My Filter Too Small?

[coyemuse]

Hey I just wondered, I have a 30g tank. the filter on it was intended for my 40g tank before it leaked. If been running it now for a few months, but Im having to change out the filter pad every week because the water starts bypassing the filter. I do water changes every week. Why does the filter get gunked up so fast?

 

[coyemuse]

Anyone?

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Hard to say without knowing more details about the filter model, but if these pads you are swapping out weekly are the only/main filter media for essential bacteria, you could be sending your tank into weekly mini cycles. Have you tried just gently rinsing the pad each week in some removed tap water, only replacing it as and when it literally falls apart?

 

[coyemuse]

I could try, but the pads are dark brown every time i check them to remove them

 

[PJPJ]

We need much more information to be able to help. Filter type and model, tank size and some idea of stocking to start with.

If you are only talking about the filter wool on a trickle or HOB filter, can you remove or significantly reduce the amount?

 

[coyemuse]

I have an Aqueon QuietFlow 30 which says its designed for a tank between 30 and 45 gallons.
I have sand substrate and some live plants.

Stocking wise, I have 5 swordtails, 6 platys, 5 corys, and a common syno.

 

[OldMan47]

That filter is just fine for your tank. What do you have for a substrate? If it is too fine, you may be stirring it up with the high return flow and thus getting a coating on your pad. As already stated, just rinse the old pad in removed tank water and return it. I have that basic filter and have -been using the same pad for over 6 months now. It is your primary biological filter so it is best to not change it all the time.
This is a tank with too much filter flow. You can even see the sand dunes starting to form in that picture.

This is the same tank the next day after I swapped filters. The smaller filter was no longer stirring things up as much. It still needed to cycle but the clarity difference is obvious.

I have given an extreme example but you can readily see that there can well be too much flow and it does lift tiny particles into the water column.

 

[coyemuse]

the flow of the filter doeant even move the plants, and those are right in front of the returning water...