Poop poop everywhere!

[ScuabaDuba]

So I just changed my 10g tropical community from gravel to black sand.

Everything water wise is fine- ph and the such. However, my biowheel filter has been stopping every half hour or so. I jiggle it a bit and then..... whallah! it's alive! but then it eventually stalls again. does sand do this or is my filter broken?

also, i've noticed a lot of poop....everywhere. im sure it was there in the gravel as well, and is jut more noticeable now. but its disgusting. what should i do? my cleaning thing just sucks up the sand with the debris. will the poop eventually disintigrate or will it continue to pile up?

are there any fish or snails that eat poop? seriously!

im going back to college in 2 days so this is quite the emergency lol.

please please help!

whoever helps gets a lap dance...err...a betta?

 

[wuvmybetta]

Well, you may have some sand stuck in the propeller chamber of your filter. Bio-wheels are notorious for easily getting blocked so I would disassemble it and investigate. Sometimes floss or something can get twisted up and jam the propeller. You might even need a new one. How old is the filter?

As for your poo situation,yeah It's just gonna sit on the sand. But IMO that shows that your filtration isn't sufficient and you may want to invest in a larger filter,especially since you're going away.Your tank will be able to go longer without water changes with excellent filtration.

For a temporary fix you can just syphon the poo out with a syphon,putting a net or a sock on one end and syphoning the water and allowing it to drain through the net/sock back into the tank.Don't stick it down in the sand,just lightly skim the surface. Or you can pick up one of those battery operated syphons.

 

[Wisperian]

WOuld waste control help

 

[ScuabaDuba]

thanks guys, really appreciate the help

waste control, as in feeding less? lol. i may invest in a larger filter....going to the pet store one last time tomorrow.

any other suggestions? any fish or snail that eats the poo?

 

[Cat]

Never heard of anything scuba I'd have a few otherwise.

If a fish gotta poop it gotta poop

Hi scuba

 

[ScuabaDuba]

lol, thanks anyway Cat.

Hi i go back to DC in 2 days!

 

[AmberC]

ghost shrimp eat the yuckies. When you use your gravel vac on the sand... hold it up above the sand, dont stick it into the sand... probably a good inch inch and a half above the sand and shake it a little to stir up what on the surface of the sand and you'll get it up.

I'd also say the sand is blocking your filter. Good luck! Sand takes getting used to, but its much better IMO

 

[Jess]

I cant really help other than say get a better filter! And do NOT get a snail!!! They make even more mess... Maybe some corys or something? I dunno..

Can i have the betta though? I want a new one!! lol

Jess

 

[Opcn]

I'm sorrry to disagree with Wuv but I think any flter large enought to pull poop from all corners of the tank would be pulling in sand aswell. the longest a poop ever takes to land in my aquarium is 30 seconds that would mean I would need a turn over rate higher than 120 times per minute ... I dont even think a filter that big would fit on my tank. with Sand I hear you hold the siphon above the sand and the poo is lighter so it will rise first. also as algea develops on the sand the poo will be les visible.

 

[ScuabaDuba]

only problem is i wont be around to siphon... stupid college dorm rules about no pets i'll be home about once i month and i'll siphon then. i'll have to bribe my little bro to do it in the meantime

so dont get a bigger filter opcn? im using the standard biowheel for a 10g tank. i think there's a 15-20g one.

 

[Chasing Puck]

If you can add some additional water movement to keep the waste in the water column a little longer, this will help it become trapped in the filter easier. I have sand in most of my tanks, and with adequate water flow, there is very little waste that settles on the substrate. Adding a small powerhead might help more than swapping filters. Once in the filter, it still needs to be removed or it will break down and contribute to ammonia and nitrate issues.

For cleaning, I use a tube, no siphon section. This increases the suction, so you can just wave it over the sand and all the wastes will be sucked up. Works very well, and still allows me to remove water for changes.

Ghost shrimp don't eat the waste--they pick through it for undigested foods. This will break it down some, but ultimately, solid wastes need to be removed manually.

 

[wuvmybetta]

I'm sorrry to disagree with Wuv but I think any flter large enought to pull poop from all corners of the tank would be pulling in sand aswell. the longest a poop ever takes to land in my aquarium is 30 seconds that would mean I would need a turn over rate higher than 120 times per minute ... I dont even think a filter that big would fit on my tank. with Sand I hear you hold the siphon above the sand and the poo is lighter so it will rise first. also as algea develops on the sand the poo will be les visible.

Well,I won't beat a dead horse. But I have a tank with sand and the filtration is soo heavy it will literally blow the rings off your fingers when you stick your hand in the tank. Shown here...

And it doesn't blow the sand at all. IMHO a marineland biowheel for a 10 is the very least filtration you could possibly ever have,next to a sponge filter. I would get the next size up,personally.

My assumption is the sand in your current filter is from running it after the change. That won't happen all the time because eventually the sand will settle.

Filtration,filtration,filtration I love it.

 

[ScuabaDuba]

Chasing-

what do u mean, a tube?

Wuv-

Good ideas....what is the thing that's blowing air horiztonally and up across your tanks?

 

[wuvmybetta]

That's an internal filter with air tubing connected. I keep cats in that tank and they like heavy filtration/aeration I hook the powerheads up also,it was just hard to get a pic like that so I'd disconnected them

Now that I think about it.I had a poop on the sand problem until I hooked up the fourth filter. Now it's always spotless.

 

[Chasing Puck]

I use 6 feet of 1/2 outside diameter tubing--basically a gravel vacuum without the hard plastic piece that is used to clean gravel.