Habitat - Indoor :: FILTER HELP (FLUVAL 4) - REALLY BAD_NEED HELP!!!

[ladybug02124]

Hi everyone,

any help is great!!!!! I have my turtles Ike and Tina in a 15 gallon tank. previously had an ok filter, but only for up to 20-30 gallons.


so................... i bought a fluval 4 plus filter ,which should handle about 50 gallons, looked like it was working for lots of people.


the day i put it in the tank the clog indicator popped up,1st bad sign, 2nd was that it was gradually getting more disgusting, today it looks merky and pond like. rinsed media, DISGUSTING, bout it from
thatpetplace.com no answer with cust service line just rings constantly, came with 2 year warrenty from company but no # to call. what can I do????????????

[SpotsMama]

Your tank probably has a case of "new tank syndrome" or, in your case, "new filter syndrome". It's a normal stage that a tank goes through when the water gets cloudy (sometimes VERY cloudy) for as much as six weeks while the bacteria in a new bio filter are getting established. It's important that you let these bacteria grow until they are numerous enough to keep the water clean.

Here's a good thread with some links to good info on this process.

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewt ... udy+filter

If this doesn't sound like what you are experiencing, let us know.

[marisa]

You have a Fluval 4+ filter in a 15-gallon tank? How much space is it taking up, and what kind of current is it producing? While it's good to have a filter that's rated for about 3X the size of the tank, I'm having a hard time imagining this filter in a 15-gallon tank.

How big are your turtles (shell lengths with the curves). If the tank is too small for them (a 15-gallon tank would be OK for one turtle that's about an inch long). If they're bigger than an inch each, the tank is too small for them...

I've used this filter, and while it works, there are other filters that would be better. At least one other member has experienced the clog indicator popping up for no discernable reason. By merky and pond-like, do you mean cloudy or is the water actually looking dirty?

The Fluval 4+ doesn't have the capacity to hold biomedia to enable the cycling process to really occur.

[Muirner]

i'd recommend at least partial water changes daily until it clears up... if not you may look into a bigger filter.

[industrial_girl_2000]

Hi everyone,

any help is great!!!!! I have my turtles Ike and Tina in a 15 gallon tank. previously had an ok filter, but only for up to 20-30 gallons.


so................... i bought a fluval 4 plus filter ,which should handle about 50 gallons, looked like it was working for lots of people.


the day i put it in the tank the clog indicator popped up,1st bad sign, 2nd was that it was gradually getting more disgusting, today it looks merky and pond like. rinsed media, DISGUSTING, bout it from
thatpetplace.com no answer with cust service line just rings constantly, came with 2 year warrenty from company but no # to call. what can I do????????????

That filter is WAYYYY too big for a 15 gal tank....! You don't need it for a tank that small. A fluval 2 would the biggest you would need. And the clog indicater on a fluval is SUPPOSED to be all the way up initially. The yellow indicator starts to DROP as the filter starts to get clogged.

Did you rinse the charcoal before you put it in the media holder? If not, some of the charcoal dust can make the water a bit cloudy. What kind of media do you have in there? Are you only using the white sponges or do you have something else in there too (like charcoal)? I use the charcoal ammonia eater mix & it works great for me. Also, when do you do water changes? An extra large filter is not a subsitute for regular water changes.

Again, your tank is way too small for that filter. I use a fluval 4 for my 90-gallon tank (has 60 gallons of water in the tank) for my adult RES who makes a ton of waste & muck & it helps keep her clean, but again, I have a huge setup.

[marisa]

I never had the clog indicator go down when the filter got dirty/filled up (I never had it actually clog to the point of not working). When the filter is "clean", the button moves easily in or out. As the filter gets dirtier, the button is pushed outward in response to whatever (crap) is pressing on it. The further out it is, the dirtier the filter is.

I'm betting the clog filter popping out is a result of the pressure that's being caused by a filter that size being in a small tank. I used my Fluval 4+ in a 40-gallon stock tank.

[Muirner]

But why would this cause the problems because it's to big? Someone on here has a XP3 on a 29gal. That's turning the tank over 12 times per hr. and 290 (rounded) times per day. this is close to 9000times a month. That's a lot of turn over. Remeber the XP3 can handle 350 US GPH, not saying it isnt regulated down, but still you see my point.

[industrial_girl_2000]

Hey Marisa, that's strange about the clog indicator. Mine has always been fully out, even if there is no media in the filter. When I first got it, I freaked out initially too thinking that my water was completely clogging the filter right from the get-go (water was crystal clear before I put the filter in but clog indicator was completely out). Then as time went on, the clog indicator seemed to drop a bit as the sponges filled up with debris.

My fluval 4 is filtering about 60 gallons of water in the 90-gal tank. I change the media (charcoal) and rinse the sponges weekly & so far the filter is doing fine. I ignore the clog indicator & just go based on my experience & the water is very clean, no problems.

Muirner, regarding having a fluval 4 in a 15 gallon tank, I don't see how it would be possible for the turts to have any room. The fluval 4 is a pretty big submersible filter (about 10-11 inches in height & about 3x3 wide/long). AND the original poster has 2 baby turts in that tiny 15 gallon tank. Once you add that large filter in the water which takes up all that space, it would be like the babies are living in a closet...! Not sure why the water is cloudy, but it sounds like more frequent water changes are needed.

On the other hand, upgrading to a larger set up would definitely make the water clear up. I couldn't believe the difference a larger ("more appropriate size") tank made in water clarity for Sheba. The water stays crystal clean and it is almost effortless to care for her now. In her too-tiny set up, the water was very difficult to keep clean, no matter what the size of the filter was. Just my previous experience.

[Muirner]

That i can see, i can see the size being an issue, but not the filter size you know? But other then that i understand everyones point, and i think the thread op, should check out craigslist.com or freecycle.org

[marisa]

My initial point, about how much room the filter was taking up was because it is a bulky internal filter (I don't care much for it, but it worked when I needed it to). Physically big, as in taking up a lot of space in relation to the 15-gallon tank is different from big as in being powerful. The XP3 is more powerful, but doesn't take up any room in the tank because it's outside it. The Fluval 4+ is in the tank, and even though it's no way near as powerful as the XP3, it's physically too big for that tank.

All I can say is, when my filter filled up with debris, as the space in the filter lessened, the clog indicator was pushed out (and didn't want to be pushed back in). When the filter was clean, and there was more space inside, the button would come out when it was held upside down and could easily be pushed back into the filter. Resistance occurred when the filter became dirty.

[g29w]

industrial_girl_2000,

how does the charcoal work? Do i just buy the charcoal pads and change them with foam pads that it comes with? Or?

[industrial_girl_2000]

industrial_girl_2000,

how does the charcoal work? Do i just buy the charcoal pads and change them with foam pads that it comes with? Or?

You can do one of two things:
1.) Buy a big plastic container of the "fluval" brand charcoal which comes with a small re-usable nylon bag for your charcoal (more messy, way less expensive since you can buy charcoal in bulk).

2.) Buy the fluval-brand charcoal "pads" that fit inbetween the sponge pads (less messy, more expensive).

I chose option #1 for my fluval filters (I have two fluvals: the fluval 4 & 2) because it is cheaper to just buy a gigantic tub of charcoal rather than buying the little charcoal pads. So I use the 2 white sponge pads & a small bag of charcoal inside the filter. The good news about the charcoal is that you don't need much.....I use maybe 5 teaspoons of charcoal inside the bag, roll it up (no need to tie it), and place it between the sponge pads when you put the filter back together. I replace the charcoal every week since it absorbs nasty chemical stuff from the water (chlorine, turtle waste, etc.) & helps the water stay fresh/clear. Don't re-use the charcoal. The white sponge pads ARE re-usable....just rinse them out in the sink weekly since they grab onto large stuff like when your turtle sheds skin.

The charcoal I use has some ammonia-eater stuff in it (charcoal + ammonia eater mix). You can tell it has the stuff to absorb ammonia because it has white particles mixed in with the black charcoal. Ammonia comes from when your turtle pees. So if you can get the charcoal + ammonia stuff, it's better for the water quality. AND it isn't much more expensive.

[Turtlegrandma]

wow, thanks guys, I was just going to post a question about the yellow button on my Fluval always being OUT, but here it is! I have the Fluval 4+ in myh 55 gal long tank and from the day I put it in there in the new set up the water has been crystal clear. I have rinsed the sponges out twice since the start (just after Christmas) and replaced the charcoal sponge once. It is working great. I can push the button in and out easily, but it sits out, just before the "end" of the black part. I wondered if it would go further than that if it was actually clogged. Who knows, the tank is reasonably clean so I am happy.

[Sparkydoodle]

Hear is a sigestion, http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/p ... pcatid=1... look for 318 Turtle Filter