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Thread: Question on cleaning the filter.

  1. #1
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    Question on cleaning the filter.

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    Hey Guys,

    I've got a problem which i hope you can help with. I have a 2ft tank, with a overhead filter (stocked with a filter floss and recently, some ceramic rings). My goldfish had been dying off one by one, and based on the symptoms, it's due to nitrate poisoning. This happens when I change the dirty filter floss. Recently I checked the nitrate level and it's at 40ppm (mg/L).

    1) How often do you guys change your filter medium and how do you do it? I change mine when it looks dirty and dark green. I have tried rinsing the floss in old tank water but it disintegrates, so I have to change the whole floss.

    2) How often and how do you clean your filter?

    Thanks!

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    Re: Question on cleaning the filter.

    I have cardinal tetras alive and well at 80 ppm nitrates for months. I never realised it until I got a test kit and did a test. Guess it was from some mistake in my EI dosing. Now its a more comfortable 20 to 40ppm. Thus I don't think 40ppm is enough to kill goldfish (They are actually very hardy). My guess is the change in PUB's water chemistry that killed your goldies. I once had a tank full of healthy goldies for months. Then they started dying 1 by 1. Thing is I never changed the routine of tank maintenance for them. Even repeated water changes could not save them.

    1) I never changed my ceramic rings. Instead I rinse them in a pail of tank water. I only replace the filter sponges.

    2) Once a year. Usually before the lunar new year as part of the "spring cleaning" tradition.

    Hope thats of some help.

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    Re: Question on cleaning the filter.

    Yeah it helps! Thanks! It just seems coincidental that they die when I change the floss..the last one left and she is showing the symptoms again.

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    Re: Question on cleaning the filter.

    Goldfishes in a 2 ft tank? How many goldfishes do you have in there? The goldfishes eats alot and shit alot, and give out lots of ammonia and nitrate. Cannot house too many of them in a 2 ft tank. If you do, you probably have to do a lot of water change, and very very regularly!
    For overhead filter, it is not easy to change the filter media without dirtying the water.
    I usually line my overhead filter with 3 different layer of media, and only the top layer white sponge media is changed, and the rest which comprises hard resin blocks unchanged. The white sponge should be quite dirty due to the heavy mechanical filtering. I just throw it away and replace.
    But whenever I need to do that, I take out all my goldfishes into a pail of de-chlorinated water beforehand. I will then fill up the tank with 1/3 water and anti-chlorine, and let the filter run for 20 mins. As the filter is disturbed, some dirt will start getting into the tank again. I then remove this 1/3 filled water, and finally fill up the tank and place the goldfish back. 100% water change. However, I only change my filter media every 3 months. Other than that, I do 90% water change every week. I keep 4 goldfishes in a 3ft tank. Never experience death due to water change or media change.
    My fish friends --------------------------------
    1 goldfish tank
    1 discus tank

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    Re: Question on cleaning the filter.

    Actually GF are hardy fishes and i had a similar experience someway back when i did water and filter wool change. Till now still dont know what was the actual cause. But basing on my present experience have to rule out the filter wool. Because now i am replacing them every week together with a partial water change and did not encounter any negative effect so far. And one more thing i wish to add i have 15 GF(4 mths old) in my 2 ft tank and there is no symptom of any ill effect. I dont know maybe if you keep them from young they would have better acclimatised to the environment and develop better immunity. This GF were given to me by one nice bro (gf and koi) when they were about 1 mth old. Sorry can just share my experience but have no answer to your problem.


    I've got a problem which i hope you can help with. I have a 2ft tank, with a overhead filter (stocked with a filter floss and recently, some ceramic rings). My goldfish had been dying off one by one, and based on the symptoms, it's due to nitrate poisoning. This happens when I change the dirty filter floss. Recently I checked the nitrate level and it's at 40ppm (mg/L).

    1) How often do you guys change your filter medium and how do you do it? I change mine when it looks dirty and dark green. I have tried rinsing the floss in old tank water but it disintegrates, so I have to change the whole floss.

    2) How often and how do you clean your filter?

    Thanks![/QUOTE]

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    Re: Question on cleaning the filter.

    Actually, when goldfishes are overstocked, they tend to stunt, and don't seem to grow to their maximum size. They are hardy though. However, high nitrate level in goldfish tank is known to cause swim bladder problem.
    My fish friends --------------------------------
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    Re: Question on cleaning the filter.

    Quote Originally Posted by KeIgO86 View Post
    My guess is the change in PUB's water chemistry that killed your goldies.
    Sorry. PUB changed the water chemistry? When did that happen?

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    Re: Question on cleaning the filter.

    i think you better check your Ammonia rather then Nitrate, Nitrate is not so toxic as compared to Ammonia

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    Re: Question on cleaning the filter.

    Quote Originally Posted by sthh View Post
    Goldfishes in a 2 ft tank? How many goldfishes do you have in there? The goldfishes eats alot and shit alot, and give out lots of ammonia and nitrate. Cannot house too many of them in a 2 ft tank. If you do, you probably have to do a lot of water change, and very very regularly!
    For overhead filter, it is not easy to change the filter media without dirtying the water.
    I usually line my overhead filter with 3 different layer of media, and only the top layer white sponge media is changed, and the rest which comprises hard resin blocks unchanged. The white sponge should be quite dirty due to the heavy mechanical filtering. I just throw it away and replace.
    But whenever I need to do that, I take out all my goldfishes into a pail of de-chlorinated water beforehand. I will then fill up the tank with 1/3 water and anti-chlorine, and let the filter run for 20 mins. As the filter is disturbed, some dirt will start getting into the tank again. I then remove this 1/3 filled water, and finally fill up the tank and place the goldfish back. 100% water change. However, I only change my filter media every 3 months. Other than that, I do 90% water change every week. I keep 4 goldfishes in a 3ft tank. Never experience death due to water change or media change.

    I used to have 3, now only one is still alive.If you do a 90% water every week, do you remove your goldfish out? and thanks for the method!

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    Re: Question on cleaning the filter.

    Quote Originally Posted by sthh View Post
    Actually, when goldfishes are overstocked, they tend to stunt, and don't seem to grow to their maximum size. They are hardy though. However, high nitrate level in goldfish tank is known to cause swim bladder problem.
    They did seem to display swim bladder disorders, but when I checked it up, they seemed to have had nitrate poisoning..This last one is starting to have black tail fins and sometimes clamps its fins, but swims just fine.

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    Re: Question on cleaning the filter.

    Quote Originally Posted by newtank View Post
    i think you better check your Ammonia rather then Nitrate, Nitrate is not so toxic as compared to Ammonia
    Will Do.Thanks

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    Re: Question on cleaning the filter.

    Quote Originally Posted by v_nod View Post
    Will Do.Thanks
    but sometimes its as simple as Chlorine poisoning, so aged water might be the solution

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    Re: Question on cleaning the filter.

    Assuming you use a water conditioner to remove chlorine when you change water. I think using the old floss together with a new one will help, maybe cut it up and use a part of it?

    using a new floss will break the cycle.

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    Re: Question on cleaning the filter.

    that time when you change your filter floss, you change everything ( all your filter floss to new one )? how much ceramic rings you have in the overhead filter box?

    my guess is that you changed the whole piece of filter floss, causing not enough BB to biologically filter your water.

    try this, put as much ceramic rings in your overhead filter box, then a layer of filter floss over the ceramic rings. Change the filter floss when its dirty but do not change the ceramic rings.
    Last edited by eviltrain; 3rd Aug 2010 at 09:46.
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    Re: Question on cleaning the filter.

    Quote Originally Posted by gene View Post
    Assuming you use a water conditioner to remove chlorine when you change water. I think using the old floss together with a new one will help, maybe cut it up and use a part of it?

    using a new floss will break the cycle.
    If you add anti-chlorine to the water, do you have to age it? I do both but it seems like double work, since the purpose is to remove chlorine..I'll try to cut it up but I have a feeling it will just disintegrate into a lump.

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    Re: Question on cleaning the filter.

    Quote Originally Posted by eviltrain View Post
    that time when you change your filter floss, you change everything ( all your filter floss to new one )? how much ceramic rings you have in the overhead filter box?

    my guess is that you changed the whole piece of filter floss, causing not enough BB to biologically filter your water.

    try this, put as much ceramic rings in your overhead filter box, then a layer of filter floss over the ceramic rings. Change the filter floss when its dirty but do not change the ceramic rings.
    Yeah I change the whole filter floss, as it all turns green..I've only put in about 15 pieces of ceramic rings inside, will put more.. So I should place the rings under the floss? I'm currently placing them over..

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    Re: Question on cleaning the filter.

    When I do 90% water change, there is barely enough water for the goldfish to swim. But I do not remove them to a pail. Too much effort, and it stresses the fish even more. Goldfish are some of the hardiest fish. Can take even chlorinated water, unlike fishes like tetras, but of course that kills your bacteria. You don't have to age your water when you add anti-chlorine. If there are signs of stress, check if there are any red blood lines in the goldfish fins. Those are usually indicators of stress of any kind. I wonder how come your filter floss turns green. My white sponge media simply turns brownish when it traps all the dirt. Are you having green water?
    My fish friends --------------------------------
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    1 discus tank

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    Re: Question on cleaning the filter.

    Btw, when any part of the goldfish turns black, it means the fish is recovering from ammonia burn. Your filtration is not enough. Alternatively, feed less, and do more water change.
    My fish friends --------------------------------
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    1 discus tank

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    Re: Question on cleaning the filter.

    15 pieces of ceramic ring??? for me i got like 5-6 kg of it in my 2 canister for my shrimp rack. i guess every time you change the floss, the tank will go through another cycle and your gold fish got poison by the nitrate. what you do is only get rid of the mechanical filtration. the biological filtration (BB) is thrown away by you.

    solution :
    layout a layer of CR ( as much as you can ) for biological filtration into your overhead filter.
    place a sheet of filter floss over the CR ( one or two layer according to your preference )
    everytime when filter floss is dirty, just change the floss to a new piece ( DO NOT WASH your CR unless it gets very dirty, wash with tank or aged water )
    CRS - CRazy about Shrimps
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    Re: Question on cleaning the filter.

    Quote Originally Posted by sthh View Post
    When I do 90% water change, there is barely enough water for the goldfish to swim. But I do not remove them to a pail. Too much effort, and it stresses the fish even more. Goldfish are some of the hardiest fish. Can take even chlorinated water, unlike fishes like tetras, but of course that kills your bacteria. You don't have to age your water when you add anti-chlorine. If there are signs of stress, check if there are any red blood lines in the goldfish fins. Those are usually indicators of stress of any kind. I wonder how come your filter floss turns green. My white sponge media simply turns brownish when it traps all the dirt. Are you having green water?
    Yeah, It has shown red blood lines in its tailfins. So it could be ammonia burn, due to the accidental removal of the bacteria, and stress caused by that?

    Oh, your filter medium turns brown? I thought green was a norm..the filter medium is usually a dirty green. There is brown diatom algae in the tank, but the water is generally clear. However, when i clean the filter tubes at times, there is a slimy green substance which probably turns the medium green. Any idea what that is?

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