Canister filter issue... Help

[Tom the bomb]

So, every time I turn on my filter again after I do maintenance on it (once a month), it spews out a stream of dirty water and clouds the entire tank that was very clear before... It takes around 2 days to become clear again... When I turn it off it doesn't happen tho only when I turn it back on... I make sure to get rid of all the dirty water in the filter and on the baskets and on the filter bin and no sign of anything dirty, except on the bio-media which I don't touch...
The impeller and everything I clean and remove anything on the walls. The pipes, I figured out that if you open the valve without the filter, water still comes out like a siphon so for easier water changes I place my bucket under the filter pipes, it also helps to get rid of the detritus in the pipes (around 20 gallons removed though the pipes until clean water comes out instead of dirty water). I thought that this would help lean the filter but once I finish everything and plug it back in, it starts spewing detritus that weirdly looks like brine shrimp and my fish attempt to eat it... :/
INFO: 80 gallons
parameters: ammo: 0, Nitrite: 0.2, Nitrate: 10.
Filtration: fluval 407 canister, topfin 40, 24W UV sterilizer
Stocking: cichlids + a shark (heavily stocked but not overstocked)

Why does this keep happening though? only the canister

 

[deeda]

Clean the piping and tubing also if you want to eliminate the gunk that gets flushed out of the filter after maintenance. Some people opt instead to use a net filled with filter floss or similar to catch the gunk.

 

[esoxlucius]

The problem you describe is common and easy to remedy. See D deeda post above.

There may be another more pressing issue you need to look at though. You say your tank is a heavily stocked 80g, but you only do maintainance once per month. This could well explain your positive nitrite reading. Nitrite should be sky blue and a big fat 0ppm, always.

Something for you to think about.

 

[duanes]

You also say you do not touch the biomedia. It may be so clogged with gunk, that the beneficial bacteria are being smothered (they are aerobic) .
Swishing the biomedia around in some tank water to loosen and get rid of excess gunk might help.

 

[Tom the bomb]

You also say you do not touch the biomedia. It may be so clogged with gunk, that the beneficial bacteria are being smothered (they are aerobic) .
Swishing the biomedia around in some tank water to loosen and get rid of excess gunk might help.

'hmmm, ok but the biomedia isn't that clogged I checked, it's mostly white... thats why i dont swish it around ...

Clean the piping and tubing also if you want to eliminate the gunk that gets flushed out of the filter after maintenance. Some people opt instead to use a net filled with filter floss or similar to catch the gunk.

Ok.. but the tubing is soooo long
oh do u mean after i turn it on, i use a net with floss at the outlet okie ill try that next time

 

[deeda]

Tom the bomb , there are a couple methods to clean the tubing. A long enough tube brush that can reach at least 1/2 the distance of the hose or tubing, or a piece of wire or string with a chunk of cloth or brush firmly attached at one end that you can draw through the tubing, maybe even using a small weight to get the wire or string to thread through the tubing.

Use the net with floss and hold it at the output end BEFORE you turn the filter on to catch the gunk.

 

[Tom the bomb]

do u do this yourself?

Tom the bomb , there are a couple methods to clean the tubing. A long enough tube brush that can reach at least 1/2 the distance of the hose or tubing, or a piece of wire or string with a chunk of cloth or brush firmly attached at one end that you can draw through the tubing, maybe even using a small weight to get the wire or string to thread through the tubing.

Use the net with floss and hold it at the output end BEFORE you turn the filter on to catch the gunk.

The problem you describe is common and easy to remedy. See D deeda post above.

There may be another more pressing issue you need to look at though. You say your tank is a heavily stocked 80g, but you only do maintainance once per month. This could well explain your positive nitrite reading. Nitrite should be sky blue and a big fat 0ppm, always.

Something for you to think about.

Oh surry i confused u I said i do FILTER maintenance once a month but i still do WEEKLY water changes (12% a week) and (25% month when cleaning filter)
nitrites have gone to 0 now after i did another wc and its not rising, i added more bacteria

 

[deeda]

Yes, I have a nylon bristle bottle brush with a 3 foot long handle that I can use to clean the hoses on my canister filters when I service them. I swiped it from work when they were eliminating their use. ?