Should I Clean Out My Filter???

[poindexter]

unfortunately i wasnt very informed when i bought my 20gal tank and a few of my fish have gone missing in action, so i'm assuming they died and got sucked up the filter. Should i take apart the filter and get them outta there? I looked inside the top and didnt see them. Its an Aqua Clear filter and i'm not too sure how to go about getting it apart to get them out. thanks for your help! this forum is the best!
~sar

 

[Lithril]

Not too sure about your particular filter but are the holes big enough in the intake to suck in a fish? Have you got any other fish in there that may have eaten them, some of the plecos will rapidly eat any fish that may have died.

If you do have dead fish in filter I would personally get them as they'll start breaking down and may pollute the tank.

 

[smb]

If you think they might be in there, then I would definately look and see. Decomposing fish in your tank would might kill the rest.

As far as taking it apart, I would take the top off and set the filter media aside in a safe place and then lift the filter up and out. Take the intake tube out, empty the water and look around in the discarded water, tubes and pump. If you still can't find them I would rinse the filter out as good as you can. Make sure you don't do anything to your filter media tho. You want to keep that bacteria alive.

 

[canis_lupus]

um ya!!!!!! all i run r aquaclears and what i do is with every water change i take out the basket that holds the sponge, carbon etc and just swish the sponge and carbon(i now use filter floss) around in the tank water that came out from the w/c
. make sure u shut it off and don't run it dry. u can also take out the impeller and clean in there.......um this might not make much sense. sorry....i just figure out i had to clean the impeller because my filter wouldn't start up cuz it was seriously gummed up in there ) wash anything with tap water except the filter media (that would kill all the bacteria) if in doubt check the instructions

 

[lizard]

If you think they might be in there, then I would definately look and see. Decomposing fish in your tank would might kill the rest.

And they'll smell bad! When a few of my dead fish went missing, I checked the filter and found 'em in there. How they got in there, I don't know.

If you still can't find them I would rinse the filter out as good as you can. Make sure you don't do anything to your filter media tho. You want to keep that bacteria alive.

Don't use tap water to rinse the filter out though! Use some old tank water (stuff that's no longer in the tank though!). Using tap water to rinse the filter will kill all the good bacteria that keep your tank and water happy You don't want that

Good luck finding your missing fish!

Pamela
aka Lizard

 

[Lithril]

lol I'll just do the edit that I know canis will do:

Edit: DONT wash anything with tap water except the filter media (that would kill all the bacteria) if in doubt check the instructions.

there ya go.

 

[poindexter]

Wow thank you so much for ur fast replies!
What exactly is a pleco? I do have one of those little sucker fish that sticks on the side of the tank (and anywhere else), would he eat dead bodies??(ew sick!)
And thanks for the info on the aqua clear, i will take it apart as soon as i get home.

As for the rest of my fish, i'm not sure what to do with them....i feel really guilty for putting them in a not very well cycled tank, i think that is why they are dying, is there any way i can save them? ~sar

 

[Lithril]

Yup plecs are a type of "sucker fish".

Ok if you're not sure if the tank is cycled first thing to do is a water change of about 20-25%.

Then start checking the water parameters - Ammonia and Nitrites, if these are present in too high a quantities your fish will definately suffer. If these are high then do another water change.

 

[smb]

lol I'll just do the edit that I know canis will do:

Edit: DONT wash anything with tap water except the filter media (that would kill all the bacteria) if in doubt check the instructions.

there ya go.

No, she said it correctly, imo. You don't want to wash your filter media in tap water. You have it as you do.


I wash my filter out with tapwater every month or two. As long as you have the filter media established you can use tapwater on the casing of the filter. There is enough bacteria in the gravel and media that this would be fine, imo.

 

[Lithril]

Ah okies, actually I did read the quote wrong (sorry canis - will you ever forgive me - mind you it is nearly 2am in the morning). I must admit I still use the water from the tank though

 

[canis_lupus]

ya i think that was what i was trying to say.......keep the media away from tap water!

edit: lol Lithril......

 

[poindexter]

Ok if you're not sure if the tank is cycled first thing to do is a water change of about 20-25%.

Then start checking the water parameters - Ammonia and Nitrites, if these are present in too high a quantities your fish will definately suffer. If these are high then do another water change.

ok so i did about 15% water change this aft cuz i wanted to make the water less polluted, cuz i figured ammonia was getting high, since I didnt know you had to test for that sort of thing. But tomorrow I am getting a test kit, so I can try to make things better for the remaining fish.

also while i'm at it i might as well ask, can i put plants in a hardly cycled tank?
I want to pick up some live ones tomorrow. Thanks!! ~sar

 

[Lithril]

Yup I put plants in right from the start and they seem to be fairing fine.

 

[aquamanis]

Hi poindexter, plants will help to get rid of the ammonia and nitrates so yes putting plants in now will help. Take some tank water along with you and get it checked at the same time. If you find you have high ammonia you might want to get some amquel or ammolock. This will make the ammonia non toxic to the fish but still available to the bacteria for cycling. Nobodys mentioned it yet so I will, don,t forget to condition the water with a chlorine/ chloramine remover.