Filter Help Please.

[PlecMama]

Well, it doesn't seem to be sucking up the junk but it is blowing out a whole load of water - I am perplexed, how can it be sucking the water through but not filtering it? It's clean, too clean in fact, I washed it yesterday, did a gravel vac, a partial change but the water is a bit cloudy and doesn't seem to be clearing, however, when I checked it tonight, there doesn't seem to be any dirt in the filter pads at all.

Now, we were under the impression that this Fluval 4 was a bit of a holy grail of filters, that it could suck the socks off the postman at 20 paces. It's a new filter and I am wondering if the filter medium is to course to catch the particles? I am no filter expert so I don't know what all the component parts are called, but should I go for a finer medium than the one supplied with the Fluval?

 

[WILDER]

Right need abit more info on how long the tank has been set up, how many fish and which type, how many gallons is the tank, you say you cleaned the filter can you say what you did, and did you touch the sponges inside, and if so, how did you clean them.

 

[PlecMama]

Right need abit more info on how long the tank has been set up, how many fish and which type, how many gallons is the tank, you say you cleaned the filter can you say what you did, and did you touch the sponges inside, and if so, how did you clean them.

We've had this tank for 4 months, it's got the plecs in it, (4 ), we washed the sponges in tank water, they were new and completely clean when we started - they are still completely clean, that's why I am worried that it isn't cleaning the water right. Usually, you get a bunch of fish poo and slime in the filter, but this was clean enough to suck (if you really wanted to).

This is the 120L tank.

 

[PlecMama]

...Uh oh, did I make some great fish faux par so that no one wants to talk to me now?

 

[fishing4exotics]

Hi SuzieQPlecMama, can you describe the color of your water. If it is green that is free floating algae that is suspended in your tank water. If it is a whitish cloud it is free floating bacteria (bacteria bloom).

The Fluval 4 has a course sponge and it will not filter out either the algae nor the bacteria. Please test your water for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates. And post the results.

 

[PlecMama]

I made it cycle by changing the water, the filter and putting in the last dose of medicine didn't I.

 

[WILDER]

I will take a while for the sponges to get mucky, plus plecs are big waste producers, but mainly in the gravel, the sponges will get mucky soon enough, i wouldnt worry about it.

 

[wdrury]

Hi,
The fluval 4 plus filters are excellent and i have owned a few differant filters.As wilder says dont worry about it..i own a fluval 4 plus and i only have to clean it every 3 months ,sometimes less often.Mine also looks like its not sucking too but when it does come time to clean it,it is filthy...just keep an eye on the cloging indicator and only clean when it get half way.

 

[jungle king]

since we are on the fluval 4 plus the flow control doesn't seem to have that much of a differance sept the lowest setting makes the clogging thing move up and down