Hey everyone noticed some odd growths on my xP3 in let tub and was wondering if it was dangerous to the filter...i attached a picture taken on my phone sorry dont have a real camera lol
Thanks for the helps
Thanks for the helps
Algae growing in canister tubes?
- Thread starter Gobrian44
- Start date
we ll it goes all the way down into the filter so i was worried but who knows maybe it helps out a little lol thanks
Gobrian44;3760300; said:
It won't harm your filter. Don't use chems on your tanks unless you are forced to for treating sick fish.
You really shouldn't be worried about it; a pipe cleaner (like a bottlebrush) will help take care of it for a few days, but it will eventually return if Phosphates in your tank are above 5 ppm, and/or if Nitrates or any other nitrogenous compound is above 5 ppm in the tank water. This stuff usually builds up to a certain point that doesn't seem to block the filter's flow that much, then it can go through periods of disappearing and reappearing. These patterns are usually in tune with days or weeks preceeding and following water changes. To nip it in the bud, (not that it's an actual problem...) you can use a reliable test kit (not test strips!) to check your nutrient levels. 10-20% weekly water changes with partial gravel vaccuumings are in good order to help lower nutrient loads. Also reducing fish feeding size and frequency (when appropriate; please don't starve your fish!) will greatly help stop nutrient and subsequent algae buildup. Like everyone has said before me, pretty much nothing to worry about. It happens to the best of us. 
thing i hate is when i clean my tank and i have to shut off my filter or clean the canister. then restart it again. a lot of algae from the tubes come off and get the water all dirty again. but i just let the filter suck it back up again. just something i hate after cleaning the tank. not a big deal though
I'd bet that most of us that owner canister filters have that in our tubes. I think it is why many companies have used darker colored translucent tubes or opaque ones so you don't notice it as much. Not a worry.