Filter Issues

What size tank do you have? What is your water change schedule, how much water? Do you do a good vacuum? When you say dirty, is it just brown or is it gunked up with no water flow going through. I typically rinse my cartridge in the used tank water when I do a water change.

Yep, we need more info (tank size, WC schedule, etc)

If the filter foam just looks dirty, that's fine.. the beneficial bacteria colonies you need in your tank are brown, so a "dirty" looking filter is not a sign of a problem. If the filter itself is getting clogged with dead plant matter (or other gunk), that's another issue.

Its a 3 gallon tank, i do water changes 50% three weeks a month and 100% on the forth week. If it looks like its getting worse then i do them more often maybe twice a week.

I vacuum on each water change... much to my distaste as i have to start the suction and usually get the bad taste after. I dislike my vacuum though it clogs easily and doesnt seem to do much on its own.

Filter cartridge gets gunky easily and slows the water flow significantly.... i do rinse it in the old tank water to be on the safe side with each change but it builds up again fast.

Would a different filter be better maybe an internal one???

In my personal opinion your 3g is overstocked & is causing your filter to gunk ups so quickly. Otos should be in a minimu of a 20g from what I understand. When purchasing fish it's important to think of them as adults not the juveniles we typically purchase. Unless you are willing to rehome some fish or get a bigger tank you will continue to have water/filter issues.

Yep, you are absolutely overstocked... just the CRS would be pushing it in a 3g, nevermind adding the betta and the 3 oto's.

Oto's should be kept in groups of 6+ and they do need a minimum of a 20g tank. Just because people do keep them in smaller tanks and in smaller numbers doesn't make it right.

I was planning to move up to a 20 gallon tank but am stuck to find one that i like and that is of a resonable price for me.

Do you have any recommendation for this i've been struggling to find one.

Petco has their $1 per gallon sale going on, in store only though. So a 20 gallon would be $20. Can't really beat that.

Im in the UK so i cant take advantage of that...... does sound like a blinding deal though for a decent sized tank :/

You should NEVER EVER replace your catridges unless they are falling apart, but then you have to stuff the old media into the nw media to keep your cycle. If you throw it out every month, it will just destroy your cycle.

LizzyP said:

Petco has their $1 per gallon sale going on, in store only though. So a 20 gallon would be $20. Can't really beat that.

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Is this at every Petco??? :shock: aaaah, maybe I can get my 50 gallon now! I was gonna wait until I moved into my new house in a few weeks, but if I can get a 50 gallon tank at about half the price I've seen other places then I'm going to go for it!

MyRainbowBettaFish said:

You should NEVER EVER replace your cartridges unless they are falling apart, but then you have to stuff the old media into the new media to keep your cycle. If you throw it out every month, it will just destroy your cycle.

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I had to replace my cartridge after about 8 weeks because it was so gunky water was flowing over it and out of the overflow spout thing, then agitating the water too much and Fishie started biting his tail. :|
Someone on another forum advised me to stack it on top of a new one in the filter for a few weeks, then remove the old one and stack the newer one on top of another new cartridge so that next time that happens I'll only be removing half of the BB when I have to replace the cartridge. Luckily, it can juuuust fit the two of them on top of each other in the filter under the spout thing. It also helps baffle it for when I put Fishie back in. I also am still letting the old cartridge float in my tank for a little while longer to make sure the new cartridges get established.

right i may have just managed to get a second hand 13 gallon tank for cheap thats in good nick. Im going to cycle it and plant it heavily so its perfect for the fish.

Is that big enough for what i have currently in my tank and what biomass do people think it could take for future expansions and fish stock?