Eeeeewwww... Gross, Filter Muck

[shelaghfishface]

i had to shut my filter off today to change the filter wool (tetratec ex1200), ok so all that was done, and then i opened the taps agin and pumped to get the air out, when the air was expelled, what looked like a mass of feathers came through the outlet pipe, i was so annoyed as the water was already crystal clear before i changed the wool,so im guessing this was a huge bung up of bits of prawn (oscar tank) or the algae off the pipes?? took a while to clear up but its all gone now, but could it have been that the filter was blocked( no flow rate diffrence etc) and any tips on avaoiding this in the future, as i was not very impressed

shelagh xxx

 

[fergalthefish]

i have an internal filter so dont know if its the same but after water changes and cleaning i put my net in front of the outlet to catch any stray crap that has accumulated in the outlet, then when i turn back on it goes into the net instead of my nice clean water!

 

[shelaghfishface]

hmmm.... good thinking, wont fit the net, but ill think of something ,cheers

 

[fergalthefish]

hmmmm....a pair of bridget jones knickers?? just an idea!!

 

[aaronnorth]

I always give my pipes a clean every 3month so the debris doesnt build up to much.

 

[shelaghfishface]

the leg of a pair of tights?? yeah that should do it

aron how do you do it, i tried and failed, got really fed up,

 

[fergalthefish]

I always give my pipes a clean every 3month so the debris doesnt build up to much.

oh yes, nothing better than giving the old pipes a clean every now and then lol

 

[alysonpeaches]

i have an internal filter so dont know if its the same but after water changes and cleaning i put my net in front of the outlet to catch any stray crap that has accumulated in the outlet, then when i turn back on it goes into the net instead of my nice clean water!

Excellent idea. I had a second hand filter and despite taking it apart and rinsing all the parts, when I turned it on it shot out loads of bits that looked like tea leaves! I just threw away the old media, someone had told me not to, but I did. Replaced the sponges turned it on and heigh ho,no more tea leaves! However I havent any fish yet .....

 

[SuperColey1]

Gunk coming out the filter is norma. Similar to turning a tap on that hasn't been used for a while. Gunk collects and then the force of the water restarting clears some crap out.

I have EX700 and I only clean the internals of the filter once a month and the pipes at the same time. Mainly because they are clear and show up all the scum but also because my inlet/outlet are glass and show up every bit of dirt.

To clean the pipes get a long bendy brush. Mine is about 2 ft long and like a mini chimney sweep but with a coiled wire bendy stem.

I also cut all my pipes into 2ft sections and then join them with hozelock connectors. This means that my brush can reach a lot easier into each section.

I also got rid of the floss section after 2 months because it got too clogged up and reduced the flow. There was no visible difference in clarity after removing it. If you really want to continue using floss then you can buy a box of SupWool from Wilkos for 69p which has enough for 3 changes in your size filter.


Andy

 

[aaronnorth]

i have short filter pipes because mine go through the glass underneath the tank, so i put one end on the tap and turn it p high so it blasts it all out.

 

[adamgreen240]

yep itsw just algae from the pipes. buy a pipe cleaner and just run it through every 3 months.

 

[vinylman]

If you want a better brush than the rather scrawny ones you buy from pet shops, have a look on eBay for a 'trumpet brush'. These are fabulous; bendy all the way through, but with better, stiffer brushes on either end. I've just bought a new spare for £3.

 

[shelaghfishface]

thanks everyone ,some great advice here, ill look for a trumpet brush, and i dont leave my filter wool in for longer than a week as it get really minging, and i get it cheap from my local genral pet shop, im not sure im brave enough to cut the pipes and connect to hosepipe connectors tho,so ill try the brush method first

cheers
shelagh xxx