Help Please - Advice For A Fluval 2plus Filter

[Mr Bee]

OK, this is gonna be a long post, but please please stick with it, as I really could use some advice here pretty sharpish.

I've been meaning to post on here for a week or so about the amount of algae I've been getting, which seems to have coincided with adding my glowlight tetras. Had 6 neons at first, then added 6 glowlights, tank is 50L, with well cycled (for years) filter, and all levels are good.

Anyway, I've been noticing the tank getting dirty quite quickly after cleaning, but surely 12 tetras aren't too much bioload, the filter used to run with a huge goldfish in it (who produced huuuuge trails of poo!) and it never got mucky like this - I assume its just algae?

This is a few days after cleaning, and I scrubbed the rock and plants clean!

Is this just algae? What can I do to get rid of it or keep it down?
Also, in picture 4, you can see how the stuff on the rock changed a week after cleaning, and went really black - whats this all about??


OK, that aside, the main reason for this post is some advice on a new filter. I was doing my weekly water change & clean, and whilst vacuuming gravel, I thought it had gone a bit quiet - then I noticed the filter wasn't running (it was fine when I started vacuuming). Tried changing fuse, different plug sockets, cleaning pump.... allsorts, its somehow completely dead.

The filter is one that came with my Tetra AquaArt tank (a Tetratec I think the filter is called), and uses a fixed media for bio colonies, and a cartridge for particle filtration with carbon in it, changed every month. Sits in tank like this

This is the bio-media bit, for the good bacteria to colonise

Physical filter & carbon cartridge and heater fit in like this

So, a trip to the LFS later, and I now have a nice new Fluval 2plus internal filter ready to go.

The cartridge from the fluval comes apart like this, to put extra media in:

Am I right in thinking that these foam pads here are for the bio colony to populate??
It came with a polyester pad for fine particle filtration, and a carbon pad, which the instructions say can be put in the middle section. But it says only use one at a time, not both together, so what should I use, or should I alternate a week with each??

Also, as I'm now gonna have to put naked filter media in, I'm basically putting an un-cycled filter in, so shall I take the bio media from the old filter and put that in the middle of the fluval? - if so, should I also put either the extra fine poly foam pad, or the carbon put in too??


Please help, my aquarium is now running unflitered, and I'm concerned about leaving it like this too long, and really want to get the new Fluval set up as soon as possible.

Thanks in advance

 

[Bastables]

Yes pop the old media in the new filter. after two or three weeks bacteria will have set up shop in the new fluval foam and you can remove the old media and pop in some sinctred glass balls for additional bio filtration.

Most people have no need to run carbon unless you're removing med's, tannins, or smells from the tank.

 

[RedeyesUK]

If I were you, I'd run the new filter with some of the old media in the middle for the next couple of weeks, just to colonise the coarse foam. Then swap the old media out with the poly pad supplied, just to polish up the water.

The fluval is a good little filter, I've had mine for years now with no problems at all (except recently, where I have to flick the impeller to get it going after I switch it on after cleaning), and I've found the gap in the middle to be pretty versatile for all sorts of media as and when required.

As for the algae, what sort of quality is your water? How often do you do water changes? And how long do you leave the aquarium lights on?