filters cartridges not lasting!

[WOGGIES]

hello! My filter cartridges have been getting clogged up very fast. My last filter i put in thursday and today its already clogged up and the water is overflowing from the filter (back into the tank). What can i do to prevent this? I have a Emporer 280 filter with the emporer cartridges. I have a 40gallon tall tank. Do i need a better filter?

[A340]

I've never used Emperor filters myself, but I believe the 280 is only rated for a 50g tank, so I wouldn't use it for a tank larger then a 30g. If I were you, I'd get a second filter running as well.

Also, what kind of fish and how many fish you have in the tank could also increase the workload for the filter.

Even with those two tips, I still can't imagine the filter being clogged within a week unless it's not set up properly and there is something blocking the waterflow.

[Chrona]

Also, how much are you feeding?

[hungryhound]

Also how close the the gravel is the intake. it should be about 4 inches from the bottom of the gravel

[WOGGIES]

Also how close the the gravel is the intake. it should be about 4 inches from the bottom of the gravel

It's no where near 4 inches from the gravel. It's about half way down the tank. Is there a way to extend the intake?


Also, I overfeed my fish a little. I have 3 syno cats and they don't eat until night, so I would assume they would eat much of the food leftover. Right now i have 7 neon tetra, 2 red wagtail, 3 ballon mollies, 1 dward guaorarmi (sp), 1 rainbow hsark, and a bristlenose pleco. I know its probalby a little over stocked, but they are all babies still.
But ive had this tank for 4 months and the filter cartridges lasted me 3-4 weeks before.
Also, if i get another filter, what are your recommendations? If i run 2 filters won't i need a new cover thing? All my water parameters are good, so I don't think it's not getting filtered correctly. Or maybe this doesn't matter at all.

[cocoa_pleco]

some companies make tube extensions.


What i did for my tall 30g hex was i bought a canister filter rated for 200g and i stuck the intake 3" from the bottom, that way its easy.

A fluval 205 with your current filter would work well

[A340]

Sounds to me like there is something clogging it. Have you tried taking it apart, inspecting and giving it a cleaning?

[kimmers318]

Have you ever replaced the filter media? Cleaning can only do so much and it may need replaced.

[WOGGIES]

Sounds to me like there is something clogging it. Have you tried taking it apart, inspecting and giving it a cleaning?


nothing is clogging it. Its just the filter cartridge has so much stuff stuck to it that the water can't go through it as fast as its pumping it into the filter.

[WOGGIES]

Have you ever replaced the filter media? Cleaning can only do so much and it may need replaced.


yea, you mean the cannister thing right? not the replacement filters? I've replaced both. Maybe i should take the cannister media thing out and see if it helps

[WOGGIES]

some companies make tube extensions.


What i did for my tall 30g hex was i bought a canister filter rated for 200g and i stuck the intake 3" from the bottom, that way its easy.

A fluval 205 with your current filter would work well


thanks for the advice. But wouldn't extending the tube even make this problem worse? or how would it help?

[A340]

nothing is clogging it. Its just the filter cartridge has so much stuff stuck to it that the water can't go through it as fast as its pumping it into the filter.
What kind of stuff is sticking to the media? And if your filter is pulling that much stuff out of your tank, sounds like there's something seriously wrong.

[Lady Hobbs]

Just my 2 cents here.

Unless you want a canister, I would get an Emperor 400 or a Penquin 350 for additional filtering. I would like to add that the Emperor is a tight fit in the hood cut-outs, tho. I ended up getting a glass top to accomodate mine. It does fit in the hood cut-out but is such a tight fit that even an airline hose can't fit alongside it if you wanted one and this tight fit doesn't allow the cover on the filter to fit as it should. I would go with the Penquin 350. To me, they work the same but it's just a wee bit smaller but gives a better fit.

I don't know if your hood has two cut-outs for filters. If so, you could use both filters. If your hood does not accomodate two, you can get a glass hood cover and cut-out the size openings you need. If you go with one of those, you could easily have the Emperor if that was your choice.

By the time you buy a glass top and another Emperor, you have spent what it would cost you almost for a canister but if over-feeding is a problem, you will still have the same problem with the canister but a harder time changing the filter media.

Only feed a pinch of food, wait for it to disappear then feed a pinch more. If food is sinking you are feeding too much. Twice a day to feed is plenty.

Also, feed on the opposite side of where the filter is where the water is the most calm.

PS.....The uplift tubes on the Emperor 400 are l-o-n-g. I cut 6 inches off mine to have it 3 inches from the bottom of the tank. I also cut 3 inches off the Penquin 350. (I have a sand bottom so needed to raise them up from the bottom some.)

[tropfish]

Just an idea but sometimes if you jam the cartirge in to hard the water starts over flowing. it sounds weird but it happened to me. just pull the cartridge up maybe half an inch and see if it helps.