Best mechanical filtration?

[omgitsmogo]

So I have had my juvenile Zazu in a 10 gallon tank for a while now but I recently switched from large gravel to sand.

The problem is that I bought the tank used and it came with an overhang filter (tetra whisper)... which was working fine at first but now for some reason it seems as there is a ton of waste buildup. Sometimes when Zazu takes off he stirs up a whole mess of stuff.

I've tried to stir up the water and net it out every few days but it seems never ending... I siphon for partial water changes every few days also but I can only get so much of the debris out without sucking up the sand/emptying the tank

Help??

 

[EJgraydon]

You're in the same exact boat as me
I just try to keep it as clean as possible, and clean out the intake on the filter as often as possible. While I prefer sand, alot of wast gets caught in it very easily

 

[ZombieAxolotl]

Use a turkey baster temporarily.


but obviously the filter isn't doing 100%
have you emptied it and rinsed the media of any heavy debries?

Is the filter the correct size for the tank?

 

[omgitsmogo]

It's the right size I think it might just be old... if I were to get a new one what kind of filter would be best? Just a stronger/newer power filter with an extension tube?