filter problems

[stivhixon]

hi, i was wondering if anyone could help me with this problem Ive been having with filters. I have a 30 US gallon tank with a Whisper 40 hang on the back filter. This problem has happened twice the first time I panicked and bought a new filter, Im trying to save myself that expense again if anyone has any ideas. The current that the filter produces is going way down, before the fish couldnt even swim straight through the current but now they just sit in front of the filter, also the reservoir where the intake tube is, is overflowing water back into the aquarium, it was not like this before. It almost seems as if something is clogged but i took the filter out cleaned the bio bag cartridge (white thing), I dont know if this needs to be replaced already, its been running with the old one for 2 months but I thought these biobags are supposed to hold beneficial bacteria so I dont want to replace it unless I have too, any ideas??

 

[JDS]

Generally the media in a filter will need cleaning every now and again, I try and clean mine every 2-4 weeks, depends on your own situation.
To clean them, you shouldnt use tap water, but rather use old tank water, drawn off during a water change, to try and get rid of the "worst" of the gunk without losing the beneficial bacteria.

 

[SkiFletch]

Yeah, sounds like your filter needs a cleaning in tank water. try and set it up to pour tank water backwards through the filter and brush the underside with your fingers lightly while pouring through the media. If that doesnt fix the problem and the waterflow is still low, put the old media cartrige in your tank and insert a new one into the filter. That way you dont loose all your bacteria...