Filter help?

Question

I have a 44 gal fish tank with some fish a heater and a aqua clear 70 filter I use a vacume for my water changes and get some of the crap out from in between the gravel.it seems like there is an unlimited amount how do i make it so there is less crap in the gravel

In gravel not just on top

IS THERE A FILTER THAT WILL SUCK IT OUT I KNOW NOT TO OVER FEED AND TO DO WATER CHANGES I WANT TO NO IF THERE IS A WAY TO GET LESS CRAP IN THE ROCKS IF YOU DON'T KNOW DONT LEAVE AN ANSWER. and no i am not over stocked i am under stocked

Answer 1

You cant, the heavier rubbish automatically goes to the bottom. I have several tanks, the largest is 5ft, it has 2 hefty external filters on it plus 2 internal and it still get rubbish at the bottom. just keep working at it every week.

Answer 2

Well i will tell you have to set up a tank with very low up keep. first upgrade to a bigger filter that is a standalone unit. like a drysump. an ehiem is a great filtering system. they produce an undergravel filtering system that you can buy at most local pet stores. if your gravel isn't too big then this unit will sit underneath the gravel and will suck the ''crap'' from the bottom. this is an excellent setup but not too good if ur gravel is too small and if u are running a sand setup. just pipe the inlet of the pump to the gravel filter and that should help it out a whole lot. this will not complete suck out all of the "crap" but it will help it out. and depending on the fish u have, some fishes can't overcome most strong pumps. so be very carefull when selecting the the size of the filtration. this is a pretty basic setup most will think it is an overkill but i too am kinda lazy to clean out the tank and water so i just opted out for a really good filtration system and make my work a little less. i hope this helps..

haitech

Answer 3

I'm assuming that you have a AquaClear 70 power filter - the kind that hangs on the tank, not the powerhead (The manufacturer also manes powerheads with a "70" model, so this isn't clear). This is an appropriate sized filter for your tank size.

You don't mention what kind of fish you have, but this will also make a difference. I'm going to guess that you have something fairly large and what most fishkeepers consider "dirty" (goldfish, plecos, large cichlids, or large catfish). These have larger "strings" of feces that sink and show up very clearly on the gravel. Their weight keeps them from being sucked up by your filter.

This is one of the situations where I recommend an undergravel filter with a small powerhead. The powerhead provides a stronger current than the airstones traditionally used with undergravel filter. The "pull" from the powerhead will pull the feces down into the gravel where it is less noticeable. This doesn't keep you from having to clean the tank as often, though - it just puts the offending matter a little more "out of sight" until you vaccuum it out.

Another thing to consider (and depending on the type of fish you have) would to be to alter the food you are feeding. Pelleted food makes the most visible, solid feces; live/frozen the least.

Answer 4

Read up on the cycle process of a fish tank. The stuff in the bottom of the tank is beneficial for the health of the tank. You do need to clean the gravel about once every 2 weeks along with a 25-30% water change. Get a gravel vac and when you are siphoning the water vac the gravel. If you don't get it all done, just start where you left off the next time. I usually clean about half of the gravel for each water change.

Make sure you are not overfeeding your fish. You should feed them no more than they will eat in less than a minute.

I really would recommend you get a book on beginniner fish keeping or do some internet research.

Answer 5

Ah, this is a power filter, and power filters are not well equipped to handle larger tanks alone. Their filter is too small. Power filters are very good at mechanical and chemical filtration, but are notoriously bad at bacterial filtration. My suggestions would be this. Get an undergravel filter with two output tubes. Then get two appropriately sized powerhead filters, one for each tube. The benefits of this would be that first, you have a type of filter that is superior for bacterial filtration in an undergravel. Second, powerheads have a reverse flow option that forces the air backward, up through the gravel and blows all the gunk from underneath to the top. Between these two filters, you have a great system. The other option would be to go with a Marineland Magnum 350 Pro canister filter. It is a combination of the canister, a bio-wheel and a wet/dry filter. You may wish to try a more compact substrate that does not allow as much gunk to fall through underneath as well. Also remember, the deeper the substrate, the less chance gunk will fall through.

Answer 6

Get a good canister filter. I often pick the filter that is one step above the one designed for the tank size. If the tank is a 55 gal. I'll get a filter that says it will do a 75 gal.

Secondly, feed once a day and feed sparingly. Fish normally are searching for food in the wild. Let them search in your tank too.

If you clean with a siphon cleaner, clean several times within a few days, leaving some of the "gunk" in the tank in order to keep your bacteria established.

Kev

Answer 7

You can't really, the gravel vac always leaves a little behind and the fish always make more. As long as you are getting as much as possible each water change you're doing fine.

Answer 8

Are you overstocked that the poop is building up too much? Most people do weekly gravel vacs, there's no way to stop a fish from pooping, and it gets in the gravel. If you don't like the look, get rid of the gravel and go with a barebottom tank.

Answer 9

try an under gravel bio filter, this will increase beneficial bateria that can help decompose waste, making it into ammonia to nitrite and then to safe nitrate. you can also look for Pro-V decorative wast adsorbing crystals or white diamond ammonia neutralizing crystals, rinse throughly and mix or leave on top of gravel. this works well in my aquarium, bad thing about these crystals is that you have to change them every 30 days. but with the bio filter, its good for your fish and its waste. just be sure to get stress zymes live bacteria, they actually help the bio filter work better and faster. good luck hope I helped.