Eclipse filters clogging up very rapidly...

[Pete Stephenson]

I have a Eclipse 25-gallon tank with two blackfin tetras, about six or
seven danios, and an 8" pleco. No plants other than plastic ones, and a
big piece of driftwood. I had previous algae problems a few months ago,
but they haven't recurred.

Still, the Eclipse filter cartridges clog up *very* rapidly, on the
order of a week or two until the water's going over the spillway to the
bio-wheel rather than through the filter. They clog up with a green,
sludge-like mass.

Almost no food flakes are reaching the inlet, as the fish gobble them up
rapidly. Occasional strings of pleco-poop are floating around, but
settle down to the rocks within a few hours. Presumably they get run
through the filter, but I never see them (maybe chopped up by the
impeller?), nor do they appear when I do water changes.

The water is crystal clear, with no floating algae, debris, or other
issues. Chemistry is well within normal limits.

Yet these filters clog up within a week or two, when I've been told
they're rated for about a month. Certainly not a mere week.

I don't really mind changing them that much, as they're not that
expensive, but this has been going on for at least two months, and I
figured that there might be something amiss.

Any ideas?

--
Pete Stephenson
HeyPete.com

[Steve]

Pete Stephenson wrote:
> I have a Eclipse 25-gallon tank with two blackfin tetras, about six or
> seven danios, and an 8" pleco. No plants other than plastic ones, and a
> big piece of driftwood. I had previous algae problems a few months ago,
> but they haven't recurred.
>
> Still, the Eclipse filter cartridges clog up *very* rapidly, on the
> order of a week or two until the water's going over the spillway to the
> bio-wheel rather than through the filter. They clog up with a green,
> sludge-like mass.
>
> Almost no food flakes are reaching the inlet, as the fish gobble them up
> rapidly. Occasional strings of pleco-poop are floating around, but
> settle down to the rocks within a few hours. Presumably they get run
> through the filter, but I never see them (maybe chopped up by the
> impeller?), nor do they appear when I do water changes.
>
> The water is crystal clear, with no floating algae, debris, or other
> issues. Chemistry is well within normal limits.
>
> Yet these filters clog up within a week or two, when I've been told
> they're rated for about a month. Certainly not a mere week.
>
> I don't really mind changing them that much, as they're not that
> expensive, but this has been going on for at least two months, and I
> figured that there might be something amiss.
>
> Any ideas?
>

I had the same problem with an Eclipse on a 15 gal tank containing 2
goldfish. The filter element can be washed, and I did that. After about
a month of weekly element cleaning, I replaced the stock filter element
with some foam from an Aquaclear (R) filter. The foam is squeezed out in
water weekly, and I've also placed foam over the filter intake.

Those replaceable filter elements are way expensive, and discarding them
means discarding helpful bacteria.
Steve

[spiral_72]

I'll agree. The filters are washable. I've been washing mine after
buying the third Econo-box of em'. Just run water over the filter while
brushing the media with you hand. I can get 3-4 runs out of the same
media if I am gentle.

You will probably find the green slime is Cyanobacteria aka Blue-Green
Algae. The stuff grows fast to consume extra nutrients. BGA carries out
photosynthesis (which explains their green color). If you eliminate
light entering the filter, You eliminate the BGA (or most of it)......
Oh, I don't think the stuff is necessarily bad for the tank. It doesn't
foul the water so far as I know. It just looks bad and clogs filters :)

My Aquaria info & pics at:
http://www.geocities.com/spiral_72/Spirals_page.html