Hi! Introduce yourselves here. :: slimey so soon

[thevac]

Hello all,
I keep my buddy, Jack, in a plastic container that is approximately 40x20. It holds 10 to 12 gallons of water. I use 2 filters, an Aqua-Tech 30-60 & a Top Fin 75. I alternate them weekly when I change the water so I don't have to spend so much time cleaning everything. Within 2 days everything is slimey. I feed him in a separate container & after putting him back I scoop out any "business" that wasn't done in the feeder container. At one point I was using both filters at the same time, but things still got slimey very quickly.
What am I doing wrong? Should I get a canister filter? I've read they work great, but using two should do it, also. Right? It's frustrating.

[steve]

How big is Jack? It's possible that Jack is too big for his tank and/or the filters are not providing enough surface agitation.

[thevac]

He's about 6 in. The filter is for a 30-60 gal tank, more than twice the amount of water he's using. Could it be the filters I've been using are just inferior & I should invest in a canister? Things still got slimey pretty quick even when I was using both the filters at the same time. I'd post a pic, but not really sure how.

[steve]

Is he a confirmed male? If so, you can start a "forever tank" for him.

[devilduck]

90% of the problems with water are with inadequate filtration or a filter that has not completely finished it's cycle. The other 10% are overfeeding and algae related. Chances are good your problem will be remedied with a larger filter. Canister filters rated 3X the size of the tank should be the minimum. These guys are messy.

[thevac]

Jack is a confirmed male. I feed him in a separate container. What is a forever tank?

[steve]

Last tank upgrade. Since males are smaller than females, you won't need one as large, though bigger tanks are always better.