# Help! Filter spits back sludge at water changes



## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

Hi,

I'm having an issue with my Fluval Edge (12 gal, filter is the one that came with the tank).
Every time I do a water change and the water goes below the level of the filter, when I fill it back up, the filter spits out a ton of brown sludge back into the tank. Normally it's only slightly bothersome (and gets cleared up by the filter again within a half hour or so), but today I changed the carbon packet in the filter, and so the manipulation of the filter plus the water change led to a total disaster:









Now I have a pleco that digs through my ADA a fair amount (will solve this problem on Thursday), so is this just ADA dust that accumulates into the filter over time?

Whatever the cause, after each water change everything in my tank is coated in a thin layer of what I think is ADA dust (moss balls, plants, etc). It's a huge pain.

Is this normal? What can I do to avoid this problem?
Any insights appreciated.
Thanks for reading!


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## kim86 (Sep 5, 2012)

Maybe take the filter out and squeeze everything out in old tank water and rinse the filter housing so nothing will blow out?


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## Tazzy_toon (Jul 25, 2011)

how often do you rinse your filter media?


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## C-kidder (Aug 2, 2014)

I have the same tank and I don't run any carbon to keep it clear so its likely your filtration not the substrate that is the issue, unless you never get a gravel cleaner in there that could probably cause a issue when re-adding more water. I found removing the carbon and just using extra filter floss or bio foam to be more useful for the way I run my tanks. I like to do a 10-15% water change every couple days and when refilling because the way the tops are shaped try using something to displace the water so it does't smash against the substrate. Also like stated above take some of your media and squish it slosh it around in a bucket and clean all of that nasty stuff off of it.


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## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

kim86, Tazzy_toon and C-kidder, thanks for your comments.
Sounds like I need to rinse my filter/filter media more often? The way the tank is organized there is one section where water pools that I can't access so that will remain a problem but I guess I can avoid big disasters by being more diligent about rinsing the sludge out before a water change.

C-kidder, do you have ADA in there as well? 
I'm careful to pour water onto my rock when I refill so nothing smashes against my substrate (though as mentioned previously my pleco is definitely disturbing it constantly, which is probably at least in part while I'm having this trouble).

Thanks for all the advice!


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## greenfin (Nov 4, 2013)

I have a tank that after a w/c the ada "dust" (I like that) blows all over. It's a 10gallon and I know it's not the filter discharging particles. I rinse the filter media most often weekly and it starts up clean. The water going in, I'm not so careful with. Fairly strong current off the hose. And I point it in a corner area with a bare-ish bottom. The ada is in mesh pots and not in the bottom of the tank like most set-ups. But dust billows out of the holes in the pots. Thankfully I haven't had the cloud effect like you got. There's a pleco in there but he doesn't trample much because the ada is in the pots and somewhat out of his reach. He would if he could. That's why he's no longer welcome in my main tank.

I can't seem to siphon off the dust nor swish it off with my fingers. Perhaps it's clinging to the teeny wee coating of algae on the leaves?

Sounds like you need a way to clear all the residual water out of the filter compartment when doing maintenance so when you fire it up, it blows clean water? I'm not familiar with Edge filter set ups. Maybe fill it up with water just to drain it again? Repeat? That might reduce the detritus in there.


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## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

Greenfin, thank you for sharing your experience - I'm relieved to read that I'm not the only one who experiences "ADA dust".
I will definitely take a closer look at my filter before the next water change and rinse everything best I can. I'll keep you posted.
Thanks again!


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## Steve (Mar 27, 2013)

Just remember when cleaning your filter to clean it inside a bucket of tank water so that you don't kill off any bacteria!


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

Yup give your filter a good clean. This is common when adding new ADA.


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## greenfin (Nov 4, 2013)

Maybe my problem is I keep taking the pots in and out for "gardening" and they are always being disturbed. Thanks for your comment, Reckon, on the ADA. Yes, underseagal, it feels better knowing I'm not the only one!


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## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

Thanks for the tips, Steve and Reckon.
I will clean off my filter carefully tomorrow and then regularly and hopefully the issue won't come up again.


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## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

Update: I cleaned the filter and filter media as per your suggestions and at the last water change it didn't spit back a ton of sludge.
Problem solved. Thanks!


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## Tazzy_toon (Jul 25, 2011)

That's great! Glad you got it all figured out!


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