Black build up on filter

[sanosfish]

So i've finally been able to give my betta what it deserves and have moved up to a 1.5 gal filtered tank along with several soft pseudo plants. (I know it could be a larger tank but space constrains would only allow a 1.5gal). It has been less than two weeks and I've already done a 25% water change using a tank pump when i started to notice strange black solids forming on the 'clean' side of the filter.



Does anyone have any idea what it is or what it is caused by?

I use a whisper filter.

Also does anyone have tips on cleaning the film that starts to develop on the top of the water after awhile (since the tank pump only cleans substrate and water below the surface), or do we not even need to clean the surface?

[darkangel216]

I'm not 100% sure, but I think that's just some of the stuff from inside the filter cartridge. The pieces inside seem to find a way out of them, and they're usually small and black like in your picture. At least I hope that's what it is. o.O

[sanosfish]

haha, thank you i hope so. they seem a bit big to be able to make it out of the filter but i've cleaned it off - hopefully it won't come back.

[vaygirl]

That's what it is, just carbon that got pushed through the filter. I don't know about the stuff on top of the tank. I had that same cube and didn't get stuff like that. Make sure the lip of the filter is just UNDER the water surface in order for the filter to work properly. I can't tell from the picture if it is or not but it might help with surface gunk.

[sanosfish]

Awesome, thank you for verifying that! Yea I was wondering about the level of the water - the instructions said for it to be level with the water but then the film appeared. So now i'm trying about half an inch below the lip - has submerging the lip helped a lot for you?

[prettyfishy312]

I had the same fish tank (and still do for hospital purposes) and that "buildup" is just some of the carbon inside the filter coming out. Make sure that filter has no rips in it and if it does get a new one. And for the surface buildup, do like vaygirl said... and I have used a toothbrush to get rid of it and it has worked very well for me... good luck! Just put that toothbrush somewhere where it won't get confused, trust me!