Filter Floss - turning brown every 2 days...normal?

[RaymondL]

Tank is 5 months old, and in the diatom phase - I had the lights turned on just in the last 2 months. Weekly, I"ve been noticing that I've had to change my filter floss every couple of days because it would go brown. I wonder if maybe these are diatoms being swept up into the filter chamber or something else? The skimmer is also pulling out a lot of brown gunk. I am not overfeeding - as a matter of fact, probably underfeeding.

I wonder if this is the norm, or something I need to do?

 

[bushdoc]

It's normal, I think. I change my filter socks every 3 days and skimmer is also pulling out stuff from water. How are your Nitrates and phosphates?

 

[RaymondL]

It's normal, I think. I change my filter socks every 3 days and skimmer is also pulling out stuff from water. How are your Nitrates and phosphates?

Thanks - Nitrates 4.9 and Phosphates are 0.03.

 

[bushdoc]

Thanks - Nitrates 4.9 and Phosphates are 0.03.

Looks normal too.

 

[bvanfish]

I change mine every 2-3 days and they are dark brown when they come out

 

[JZ199]

Like others have said, after about 3 days mine are gross and brown... Totally normal!

 

[RaymondL]

Thanks all - good to hear that this is nothing out of the ordinary - still wonder though what this brown gunk is.

 

[olonmv]

Thanks all - good to hear that this is nothing out of the ordinary - still wonder though what this brown gunk is.

It’s detritus from food and waste.