Help! Filter clogged during cycle!

[TankRank]

I am currently 1 and a half weeks into a fish-in cycle for my 5 gal betta tank and my filter has clogged. I know when using TSS+ you aren't supposed to change the water or clean the filter for 2 weeks. But there is no water flowing for surface agitation.
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrites: 0.5 ppm
Nitrates: 10 ppm

 

[Tacocat]

I am currently 1 and a half weeks into a fish-in cycle for my 5 gal betta tank and my filter has clogged. I know when using TSS+ you aren't supposed to change the water or clean the filter for 2 weeks. But there is no water flowing for surface agitation.
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrites: 0.5 ppm
Nitrates: 10 ppm

What kind of tank do you have? Is it one of those with a built in filter compartment where the filters come with the tank or is it a hob filter? Whaat you can try is seeing how to unclog it without redoing the filter. However, even if you cannot unclog it, You could just buy the pump without a filter, so you don't have to restart the cycle. If worst comes to worst you can't unclog it or something, there will still be BB in your substrate and decorations and plants, and the cycle won't take long to restart.

 

[Sunnyspots]

It sounds like you have no choice but to rinse the sponge gently in some tank water, just to unclog it, and replace that water with dechlorinated tap water. It'll slow the cycle but not as much as leaving it.

 

[TankRank]

What kind of tank do you have? Is it one of those with a built in filter compartment where the filters come with the tank or is it a hob filter? Whaat you can try is seeing how to unclog it without redoing the filter. However, even if you cannot unclog it, You could just buy the pump without a filter, so you don't have to restart the cycle. If worst comes to worst you can't unclog it or something, there will still be BB in your substrate and decorations and plants, and the cycle won't take long to restart.

It is a internal filter with a sponge. Like this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KCMGMY7/?tag=ff0d01-20

 

[PheonixKingZ]

As long as you swish the sponge out in dechlorinated water, you should be perfectly fine. It shouldn’t affect your cycle at all.

 

[Rocky998]

As long as you swish the sponge out in dechlorinated water, you should be perfectly fine. It shouldn’t affect your cycle at all.

Well... To be safe I think you should swish it out in the tank water that is cycling... Maybe in a small bucket. I know it said not to do water changes or ect for 2 weeks but maybe if you took just enough out to clean the sponge you could.

 

[Essjay]

With a fish-in cycle, water changes are needed every time ammonia or nitrite read above zero. This could mean water changes every day. Nitrite at 0.5 as reported in the first post does need a water change.

I would very carefully squeeze the sponge in some old tank water. Any bacteria you have grown so far will not yet be firmly attached to the sponge so you need to be very gentle. We don't usually recommend cleaning a sponge this early, but if the water flow is badly restricted, you don't have much choice.
Then look at why the flow is being restricted. Are you feeding too much so there's uneaten food being pulled in there? With 1 betta there shouldn't be so much fish poop that it clogs the filter. Are there any live plants in the tank? Bits of plant will clog a filter.

 

[TankRank]

With a fish-in cycle, water changes are needed every time ammonia or nitrite read above zero. This could mean water changes every day. Nitrite at 0.5 as reported in the first post does need a water change.

I would very carefully squeeze the sponge in some old tank water. Any bacteria you have grown so far will not yet be firmly attached to the sponge so you need to be very gentle. We don't usually recommend cleaning a sponge this early, but if the water flow is badly restricted, you don't have much choice.
Then look at why the flow is being restricted. Are you feeding too much so there's uneaten food being pulled in there? With 1 betta there shouldn't be so much fish poop that it clogs the filter. Are there any live plants in the tank? Bits of plant will clog a filter.

I swished it around in some tank water and it was fine for a few hours but now it's clogged up again. The filter actually smells bad so I don't know if something is wrong. There seems to be slime in the filter that is just free floating.

 

[Sunnyspots]

I swished it around in some tank water and it was fine for a few hours but now it's clogged up again. The filter actually smells bad so I don't know if something is wrong. There seems to be slime in the filter that is just free floating.

Do you have wood in your tank? If so, it might be the source of the slime. I had a similar slime problem when cycling and had to wash the wood again and wipe up any slime on the filter arm blocking the outflow. It's self limiting and won't return once it has all come out of the wood.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

What is clogging it up? Debris? Algae?

 

[TankRank]

Do you have wood in your tank? If so, it might be the source of the slime. I had a similar slime problem when cycling and had to wash the wood again and wipe up any slime on the filter arm blocking the outflow. It's self limiting and won't return once it has all come out of the wood.

No wood

What is clogging it up? Debris? Algae?

There are some yellowish particles in the water that I cleaned the filter in. Also, there is whiteish slime/debris one the filter. There is also a Odor that is concentrated near the filter. The sponge overall looks is bad shape… There is no Algae yet.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Any pictures of the stuff clogging the filter?

 

[TankRank]

here are a couple of pics: I will show you the actual sponge if needed. (Cuz I don’t want to mess with it anymore than I need to.)

here is the water the filter was cleaned in. You can see the yellowish debris in the water. (There is also slime in there)

@Essjay yup, I know I said I couldn’t buy decorations, but I convinced my parents to buy a silk plant from petco cuz they were on sale. Anyways, here is a shot of the filter.

 

[Essjay]

I know I said I couldn’t buy decorations, but I convinced my parents to buy a silk plant from petco cuz they were on sale.

That's good to hear

 

[TankRank]

Should I just keep rinsing the filter?