|
FAQs on Freshwater Aquarium Hang-on Power
Filtration
Related Articles: Freshwater Filtration, Power Filter Impressions, A
review of some popular mechanical filtration systems by
Steven Pro, Setting up a Freshwater
Aquarium, Tips for
Beginners,
Related FAQs: Internal Power Filters, Freshwater
Filtration, Know Your Filter Media, A Concise Guide to
Your Options by Neale Monks, Biological
Filtration, Establishing
Cycling, FW Sponge Filters,
FW Canister Filters,
Chemical
Filtrants,
|
Predatory livestock need bigger filtration. Butis
butis... an Eleotrid of interest. |
Re: Restarting an Emperor 400
9/29/16
<Well first things first, starting with what may be the obvious but it
sounds like you have air trapped in the intake, breaking the siphon.>
Ok, yeah, but how do I reengage the siphon. Priming the filter has
always worked before. And I have checked the seal to see if there is
anything wrong (cracks, holes, etc.) with the connection and can't find
anything. Is there some trick I am not aware of to get it going? One the
intake is attached to the impeller, the siphon should engage, assuming
everything
else is correct.
Jon Mathews
<When I've had this problem, I fill the filter up with a cup as full as
I can, then submerge the whole intake tube/pipe separately (in the
tank). Then cap the top end with your fingertip, making sure to leave
the intake/bottom end below the tank waterline. Set the top end without
letting air inside into the filled filter below the water line inside
the filter, then fit it into the slot over the impeller. Pretty much
exactly like using a siphon hose to get water from a bucket or whatnot
into something else lower down. In short, the pump in the filter may not
have the muscle to pull the water up with enough force to push out any
air trapped inside so you need to set up the siphon manually. I am
possibly making this sound
more convoluted than it is...the key thing is just to submerge the whole
pipe and tap out the air bubbles, and never let either end out of the
water without capping the upper end with your finger until you can
submerge that end into the filter body and take your finger off. Getting
that totally airtight may be slightly tricky, but no biggie. Make sure
you have good
light.
I drain a tank from a water line about 5' down to a bucket on the floor
for water changes and let me tell ya, if there is the tiniest but of air
in the hose, Grrrr. If this doesn't work then we can troubleshoot
further.>
Re: Restarting an Emperor 400
9/30/16
Hi Earl,
Thank you for the detailed explanation. I was able to get some time to
try it tonight and unfortunately it didn't work. I filled the intake
tube with water, capped the bottom, and inserted the top end into the
filter. I also had the filter filled as high as I could with water. I
double-checked that the intake was firmly in its tube and had my wife
hit the switch.
Unfortunately, the same thing happened. The water that was in there
pumped out and there was no new water coming in. My hand under the
intake in the tank felt little to no suction. Might I need a new
impeller? This is weird because my 280 on the same tank is working fine,
so it's something specific with the 400.
Jon Mathews
<Hmmm sorry I couldn't help more. What is the condition of the filter?
Perhaps take the impeller out of there and soak it vinegar and clean off
any deposits.>
Re: Restarting an Emperor 400
10/21/16
Hi Earl,
I wanted to follow up on this. I reached out to Marineland for some help
and they sent me a new impeller. This worked a bit better but what
ultimately resolved my issue was a second prime after the filters were
on.
It took another pitcher to finally create the seal that allowed the
impeller to work. Thank you for your help on this one. I am feeling a
bit derpy because I should have tried more water sooner. But in the end,
it's working.
Jon Mathews
<Glad to hear there was a good resolution!>
HOB filters in 55 gallon tank off since July 13th
8/5/16
Hi,
<Jas>
I figured this might be a less conventional question.
My AquaClear 70 HOB, Cascade 150 HOB, Odyssea 130 Hang on the back
Canister
Filter, and CAP-1200 Internal Filter have been off since July 13th,
leaving only my other Internal Filter as the only filter running (since
the HOBs were damaged in an electrical fire while the CAP-1200 got
clogged up). Do you think this could cause any potential problems in
regard to bacteria infections and other diseases?
<Mmm; other factors may well be important... stock/ing, foods/feeding,
water changes and other maint. procedures....>
It seems now my 9 or 10 inch Tilapia has hole in the head (Hexamita) as
of 7-10 days ago. Will the bacteria in the
HOB filters die off while the filters are not running.
<In time yes; die back population wise, out entirely w/o water>
How quickly will they die off?
<A pretty standard pop. curve for Monerans... quickly at first... ninety
some percent w/in a day....>
The media in my AquaClear 70 in particular may have gotten a little dry
(since I had to take out the motor unit a few times to take photos of it
to send to the manufacturer) so some of the bacteria in there probably
died.
Thanks,
Jason
<Will repopulate about as quickly. I'd add, fire up at least one, some
redundant filtration/filter here. Increase maintenance otherwise. Bob
Fenner>
Filter Making Grinding and Buzzing Noise
1/19/12
Hello,
<Kels>
I have a fairly new (less than 2 week old) 3.5 gallon aquarium. A
couple days ago the filter, an Aquarius brand "Mini Might Power
Filter" (it came with the tank)
<A cheapy Koller-Craft/Tom unit...>
, started making a grinding and buzzing noise. It would buzz for about
2 seconds, then make a grinding noise. The bubbles coming out of the
filter were extremely small, making the water appear cloudy. So I
unplugged it and took a closer look to find that the holes that the
water comes out of were partially plugged with small floating plants
that I have (I don't know what they are called, sorry!). I wiped
the plants off, put it back in the water, and it was working
properly.
<Good>
Today, I did a ~25% water change, and when I plugged the filter back in
when I was done it was making the noise again. I tried unplugging it,
checking it for plants or other debris but I didn't see any. Just
to be safe I rinsed it out with a bit of tank water, but that
didn't work either.
<Some air is stuck around the impeller likely>
The water level is at the "optimum fill line". When I pour
water directly into the filter (where the filter cartridge is) the
noise stops (and the normal "waterfall" noise starts), but
starts again as soon as the water is filtered through.
<Mmmm>
I am assuming it is oxygenating the tank enough for now because there
are still bubbles from the filter and my fish are acting normally.
However, the noise is annoying and I know it isn't normal. What can
I do to fix this filter, or should I just buy a new one?
<I'd try "shaking" the unit, after the tank is
refilled and the unit itself filled w/ water... to try to shake out the
air>
It is on warranty but that would require me sending in the filter, and
thus not having a filter for my fish for an extended period of
time.
Thank you,
Kelsey
<That/this or a better unit. Look to the Tetra, Whisper, Hagen,
Marineland/Aqueon lines. Bob Fenner>
Re: Filter Making Grinding and Buzzing Noise 1/19/12
I also forgot to note that if I pull the filter cartridge up slightly
(maybe a quarter to half an inch) the noise stops.
<A good clue... Perhaps some bit of the filter media the cartridge
is made of is in the way... or the cartridge itself is creating too
much intake vacuum, making the impeller unstable. BobF>
Re: Filter Making Grinding and Buzzing Noise 1/20/12
Hello,
<Hey there>
Thank you for your reply.
Shaking the filter didn't work, so I am led to believe, as you
suggested, that it is a problem with the filter cartridge. What would I
do to fix this? Would getting a new filter cartridge possibly fix
this?
<Mmm, maybe. Worth trying>
Thanks,
Kelsey
<Welcome. BobF>
snail in HOB power filter 1/19/12
Hello everybody at WWM,
<Dev>
Thank you for the fantastic job you guys (and gals) are doing. I will
have to think hard to name things I enjoy more on the web than
exploring your wonderful site!
I do not have a question per se, but I feel like sharing this with
you.
<Please do>
I have a moderate-to-heavily planted 24 g community tank. I use a
Dolphin H 500 HOB power filter which obviously runs round the clock.
The tank has some snails, I won't say an infestation, but surely in
numbers I want reduced. I have tried methods recommended by you and
they are yielding good results :)
Most are Malaysian Trumpet Snails *(Melanoides tuberculata)*, very few
really tiny Ramshorn ones (I am not sure of the species, but not the
Apple Snail lookalikes) and of course some Pond Snails *(Physella
gyrina)*.
Over the last few days I have heard the otherwise whisper silent HOB
give spurts of jarring 'krrrrcckk' type noise, which only
lasted a few seconds at the most so I attributed them to probable
fluctuations in the supply voltage. I was wrong.
Last night I woke up and did not hear the background hum which is very
faintly audible if there's no other noise. A tiny MTS had slipped
into the space between the impeller and its housing, jamming it. The
filtration had stopped, the current kept flowing through the armature
and warmed the filter mechanism. The stagnant water collected inside
was really hot!
<Yikes!>
I dismantled it, threw away the hot water, allowed it to cool somewhat
and it was back working. I shudder to think what might have happened if
it was in an empty room and went unnoticed through the night! I was
simply lucky.
<And thankfully observant>
So all with HOBs and tiny snails, please take note and be careful Thank
you again. You are just too good!
Devakalpa. India
<Thank you for sharing. Bob Fenner>
Re: snail in HOB power filter 1/20/12
Hello Bob,
Thank you for your reply.
Regards
Devakalpa
<Thank you for your sharing. BobF>
Marina HOB filter 1/11/12
Hi Neale
<Gordon,>
Have you had any experience with these?
<None at all.>
I have an S15 running in a 60L with fairly heavy planting.
<This isn't a "long" 60 gallon tank is it? But 60
litres, in which case the "L" should be lower case,
"l". American aquarists often put the "L" after a
tank size to state whether it's a "long" tank as opposed
to a "tall" tank which is taller but shorter for the same
volume. It's all very confusing!>
It was set up in June and is stocked as follows: 6 x black phantom
tetra, 4 x Danio, 4 x harlequin Rasbora, 2 x gold ram, 6 x cherry
shrimp, 4 x Amano shrimp and a small number of "hitchhiker"
snails from plants. I followed the usual rules of thumb for stocking
density and don't believe I'm over the score for a tank that
size but the problem is I'm still getting ammonia showing in test
results about at 0.25ppm, as tested on an API test kit. I'm getting
about 20ppm of nitrate produced in a week, pH is 7.5 and nitrite shows
zero. I'm aware that the conditions aren't ideal for the rams
and their new home is cycling as we speak.
<If the tank is 60 litres/15 gallons and has been running since
June, and assuming basically sound maintenance, ammonia and nitrite
should be zero -- assuming adequate filtration and sensible stocking.
And that's the tricky part. For 60 litres, your aquarium is quite
busy. Not wildly overstocked, but busy. Danios aren't a good choice
for tanks less than 60 cm/2 ft in length, which is normally anything
smaller than 20 gallons/75 litres.
Harlequins are also quite chunky. Both species can be busy and the
Danios especially dash about. The Rams are certainly big fish for the
aquarium. A single pair might be okay, but add the other fish, and
things start looking much worse. Now, the Marina S15 filters rated for
tanks up to 15 gallons/60 litres. When manufacturers say a filter is
adequate for an aquarium up to size X, they normally mean
"assuming the tank is lightly stocked and the fish modestly
fed". In other words, a best case scenario. You're not in that
situation, but instead have a heavily stocked, perhaps overstocked,
aquarium. The filter is overwhelmed. You'll need to act
accordingly. A bigger tank together with a second filter (for example,
an internal canister filter) would make sense. For your sort of tank,
aim for a turnover rate around 6-8 times the volume of the tank per
hour; i.e., for a 60 litre tank, filter or filters rated at or above 6
x 60=360 litres/hour.
The Marina S15 is rated at about 70 US gallons/hour, or about 260
litres/hour, so you can clearly see it's only offering about 70%
the filtration you need. A second filter offering around 100-150
litres/hour would be just the ticket. Be sure to concentrate on
biological media; if possible, replace Zeolite and carbon with
additional biological media.>
Is the problem that the filter is not up to the job? If so, would there
be anything wrong with just taking some filter foam and pushing it in
the back, behind the existing pads or even just filling the entire HOB
portion with bioballs? My guess would be that this would work but I
wanted to run it past someone more experienced.
Thanks
Gordon
<Hope this helps. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Marina HOB filter 1/11/12
Hi Neale
<Gordon,>
Thanks for the advice. An additional filter it is then. A larger tank
is just not possible financially just now.
<I see.>
You know, it's odd but it's quite common in my old industry for
chemists to use "L" instead of "l" for litres,
because "l" can quite often be confused with a one! Weird
world!
<Indeed! Didn't know that. At least in England, we use
"l" for litre, and teach kids to do it that way. Perhaps it
was different in the past?>
I'll write out "litre" next time I write and save any
confusion.
<As you prefer.>
Cheers
Gordon
<Likewise, Neale.>
Filtration advice? FW... 1/10/12
Hello crew, i have a novice's classic question in spite of my
experience...
My filter is a hush 55. Not the greatest but it works.
I don't use the carbon, just sponge filters that i replace monthly.
I cleaned out the filter body itself very thoroughly because it
had slowed down to a trickle.
Then i put my old filter media back in. Ran well enough but i still
notice that it is not very powerful anymore. I need it to pick up more
of the waste because my little fantail and angel make a lot of waste in
spite of my proper feedings. All of the waste gets caught in my gravel.
My gravel is actually bigger than most others but it should not be
catching so much. So should i get a new and stronger filter? The filter
is already over sized slightly. And I'm actually not sure what a
header is. Though a header is said to create a current that could push
it all to my filter. I would not know how to set up an under gravel
filter either. Any advice? Thanks, Matt
<So long as ammonia and nitrite are zero, and the water is
silt-free, then your filter is adequate. Sponges clog up with time, and
need replacing, even if cleaned regularly. You can change up to 50% of
the media in a filter every two months without problems. So try
changing out one of the sponges for a new one, and then see what
happens. It may well be that over the next few months you'll need
to gradually swap out the original sponges for new ones. In any event,
hang-on-the-back filters aren't the best for messy and/or large
fish such as Goldfish. You will find canister filters, especially
external canister filters, much more effective. Look for one that
provides 6-8 times the volume of the tank in turnover per hour. In
other words, if the tank is a 30-gallon one, then choose a filter
providing at least 6 x 30 = 180 gallons/hour turnover. Higher turnover
rates are better, but above 8 x the volume of the tank, i.e., 240
gallons/hour, some fish, e.g., fancy Goldfish, can find it difficult to
swim about. By all means buy the slightly bigger filter, but use the
taps on the hoses and/or a spray bar to reduce water turbulence.
Cheers, Neale.>
Filtration advice? 1/11/12
Thanks Neal, i will look into that!
<Most welcome! Cheers, Neale.>
Filtration 1/5/12
Hello, I have two twenty gallon tanks, each
with a hang on back whisper filter sized for 30-40 gallon
tanks, I also have an old , old, BioWheel filter sized
for 125 gph, don't know the tank size for this, they
don't make them anymore, now they make 100, for 20 gallon tanks,
and 150 for 30 gallon tanks, I wanted to know what your opinion on
getting the smaller New BioWheel, made for 20 gallon tanks, or go with
the one larger for 30 gallon tanks,
<I'd go w/ the larger for messy fishes like goldfish; or two of
the smaller on each tank>
I attached a photo of each I was wanting to get a new one as this old
one on each tank is about 10 years or so old, and it is getting
noisy,
<Mmm, sometimes these can be (easily) repaired. Do take it to your
local fish store for them to check out>
the wheel is very old looking .
<And these can be either bleach-washed (see WWM re cleaning,
decor...) or replaced by themselves, w/o tossing the whole unit>
Thanks
Cathy Hart
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>
Filtration
In regard to the last message sent about filtration and getting new
BioWheel filter, I have larger sized Goldfish in these 20
gallon tanks
Thanks again
Cathy Hart
<Yes; had "read ahead". Cheers, BobF>
Re: Filtration
Ok Thanks for advice, So it is ok to add on each twenty gallon tank,
the larger BioWheel rated for 30 gallon tanks, as I already have the
hang on back whisper filters rated for 30- 40?? I don't want to
over filtrate!!
<Ahh, not to worry. Practically speaking this is not possible.
Better to have more than less by far>
Thanks again
Cathy Hart
<Cheers, B>
Which hang on filter to use?
12/23/11
<Hello Kent>
I have been out of the hobby for quite a few years. I decided to buy a
36 gallon bow setup. I will be raising guppies and a few
general community fish. I purchased a foam filter and Tetra
Whisper 40 to hang on the back.
The Whisper was anything but quiet and I returned it. I have this tank
in my study and need something that is nice and quiet. I've looked
at tank filters. Some people love them... others hate them. It seems
they have issues with the rubber o ring leaking over time and other
issues with hose connections. The guy at my local fish store quit
carrying them because of the leaking issues.
I then went back to my hang on back filters and did some more searches.
I see mixed reviews on lots of them. There are so many to choose
from.
Hagen Fluval C2, Aqueon, PennPlax, Tetra has a new one redesigned, and
Hagen Aquaclear.
We sometimes go on vacation for a few days and I don't want to
worry about water leaks or power outages and having the pump not prime
and restart. I would appreciate any help you can give.
<Personally, I like the Marineland Magnum HOT Filter. I've had
mine for many years and it never fails me when I want to use it.
It's also quiet, easy to clean, and versatile.>
Thanks in advance.
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Kent Williby
Re Which hang on filter to use? Canister sel., FW 12/26/11
James,
<Kent>
I sure didn't expect a reply on the Christmas weekend but
thanks!
<You're welcome. It's hard to turn down triple time.
:-)))>
The leaking is my major concern. I saw lots of reviews on the Fluval
where folks had the o ring leak and caused a big mess. Maybe the HOT is
made better. I'll try to decide what to do. I think a local pet
store stocks both the Magnum HOT and Aquaclear that got a good review
on your website.
<You should be happy with the Magnum, I am.>
Merry Christmas!
<And to you.>
Thanks again.
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Kent Williby
Re Which hang on filter to use? 12/28/11
<Hello Kent>
It looks like I have my aquarium too close to the wall for the Magnum
HOT.
I hate to drain it down to move it. Looks like I'm back to a
regular hang on back filter or a canister. I'm just afraid of the
canisters. I have the aquarium in a nice carpeted room and if it leaks
my wife will kill me!
<I can't prevent your wife from shooting you but I believe you
have a phobia here. Did you ever consider a tank seam leaking during
the night and the end result.....death by hanging. :-)) A quality
canister filter such as an Eheim or the Magnum 250 or 350 should not
leak if properly
assembled. I've been in this hobby for 30+ years and I have yet to
have a canister filter leak.
So either a Aquaclear, Tetra etc.
Or maybe nothing at all. I'm using a sponge filter for mechanical
and bio flirtation. Could I just get an in tank device for charcoal for
the chemical portion?
<Certainly.>
Thanks again. Hope you had a nice weekend!
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Kent Williby
Hob of filtration I already have
12/18/11
Hey guys,
Thank you in advance for your time spent on my question. I have
searched all over the place and can't find a simple answer. I am
trying to determine what the gph of my current system is.
<Add together the turnover rates of each water pump. Air pumps
aren't comparable, and turnover rates of undergravel filters driven
by air pumps is very difficult to estimate.>
I understand how to get this information for each type of equipment I
am using but how do I add all the components together for the gph as a
whole?
For example, I have one hob filter at 350 gph, one undergravel filter
with air pump at 70 gph with two up flow tubes, and a secondary hob
filter at 120 gph.
<For the two hang-on-the-back filters, that's 350 + 120 = 470
gallons/hour.
Ignore the undergravel for because the 70 gallons/hour rate refers to
the movement of air, and even if 70 gallons/hour air are pushed through
the air-tubes -- and it won't be anything like that much in reality
-- then that 70 gallons/hour won't be lifting even a fraction of
that amount of water per hour.>
I would like to know how to add all that together so I may determine
all the ratings on my different tanks.
<Undergravel filters are difficult to compare with other types of
filters, so these sorts of calculations don't really work. For a
light to moderately stocked tank, you can generally rely on a pair of
air bubble uplifts to provide adequate water flow, but that's about
it. Of course, if you use electric pumps, i.e., powerheads, then you
have a gallons/hour amount comparable to that of the hang-on-the-back
filters.>
Again, thank you. As always, you guys are one of the best sites for
great information.
<Cheers, Neale.>
Bio-wheel from a Penguin 150 filter and persistent yellow
water in 55G FW 1/3/11
Hello WWM Crew and Happy New Year,
<Thanks!>
I have a question I would like to submit to you:
How can I preserve a mature bio-wheel from a Penguin 150 filter?
<Not hard.>
I used to have a 20-gallon FW aquarium with the
Penguin, but I upgraded to a 55G with a Cascade 700. I am temporarily
keeping the bio-wheel in a container with some aquarium water. I do not
have the capacity of keeping both tanks up, but I would love to keep
the bio-wheel alive as back up for 'hospital or QT' situations.
Should I put the bio-wheel in the 55 g aquarium as
'decoration'?
<Yes, this will work. Anywhere that keeps the media wet, oxygenated,
and exposed to an ammonia source -- e.g., fish -- will work just fine
and dandy.>
Also, my aquarium water is always yellow.
<Quite normal. Comes from bogwood mostly, and to a much smaller
degree to organic decay of plant material, faeces, etc. Activated
carbon will remove yellowing, as will regular substantial water changes
-- 25% weekly is the standard recommendation. Do remember that carbon
needs to be replaced at least every 2 weeks, and the space it takes up
in the filter isn't doing biological filtration. Under most
situations, carbon is useless, so it's best to leave the filter to
biological media, and control yellowing via water changes and/or
removal of some or all of the bogwood.>
I have Flo-Max and natural color gravel as substrate for the following
plants; Anacharis bunches, Amazon swords, Anubias, a Cabomba; 15
platys, 6 Pristella, 7 Neon Tetras, and 2 Yoyo Botia Loaches. I also
found 5 platy fries. I have several natural rocks, light brown in
color, some are petrified wood and coming from the 20 G tank
(established in November). I do a 10% water change weekly, and scrub
the walls gently; I try not to be aggressive in my cleanings. When I
test the water with Quick Dip strips these are the levels --
(approximate values as they are on a color chart):
Nitrates within 20,
Nitrites between .5 and 1
<Not good; will eventually stress, kill your fish. Must be zero! The
tank is overstocked, under-filtered (perhaps a poor balance of
biological media vs. chemical media), and/or the fish are over-fed.
Review and act accordingly.>
Ammonia is 0
Chlorine is 0
PH is between 7.8 and 8.4,
GH is 300
KH is 300 also.
I plan on using these strips up and buy the big kit from API, I am not
sure I can trust the accuracy of these strips, but the local PetSmart
assistant said the were reliable.
<They're good enough. Not as accurate as liquid kits, but easier
to use, and if sliced vertically to make two strips from one, very
economical. When it comes to nitrite and ammonia, anything above zero
is bad, so the precise value doesn't matter too much.>
Any advise?
Many thanks in advance for your input. I really appreciate your time
and input.
Sincerely Francesca B
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Bio-wheel from a Penguin 150 filter and persistent yellow water in
55G FW 1/5/11
Hi Neale, Thank you for your prompt reply.
<No problem!>
I suspect I tend to over-feed.
<Naughty, naughty'¦>
I will correct that and do 25% water changes instead of 10%.I also want
to compliment you and everyone at WWM for the excellent website, the
wealth of information, and the time and patience you "guys"
have for "us" newbies!
<We're happy to help. Cheers, Neale.>
Last Chance for the Tetra Whisper EX70, HOB 11/8/10
Hey there, I have a freshwater 55 gallon tank that came with a Tetra
Whisper EX70 pump. It works great, expect for one thing. Twice now the
tube/pump part that goes into the tank has fallen off. I don't know
how this has happened as both times, it occurred sometime during the
night. Last time this happened, I lost 3 small fish only to discover
their remains inside the pump. I was horrified. You'd think a pump
would have a safe guard to turn off if a large object (fish) gets sucks
up into it. That happened two months ago. This morning, the tube has
fallen off again. I haven't checked inside of it yet, but 1 one my
barbs is more than likely inside as only 2 of the 3 barbs came up for
food when I fed them. Do you guys know why the
tube would fall off? And/or something I could do so this won't
happen again? I'd rather not replace the pump as I've only had
it since July of this year. But if it comes down to it, as in
unfortunately has, I'd much
rather replace the pump than the fish.
Thanks a bunch, Selena
<If the thing is out of warranty, Selena, the easiest approach would
be glue the wobbly bits into place using aquarium-grade silicone
sealant (don't use generic silicone sealant because that contains a
toxic anti-fungal chemical). With this said, do check you're
assembling the thing properly! Good quality aquarium hardware
shouldn't fall apart from normal use. Tetra-branded stuff is solid,
mid-range stuff so I'd expect reasonably good reliability and value
for money. Personally, I'm not wild about hang-on-the-back filters
for many reasons, including the ease with which fish can get into them.
But many people use these filters successfully, so they can't be
too bad! Cheers, Neale.>
Filter stopped, HOB, FW 6/18/10
Hello, I was switching air stones last night and tonight I noticed I
must have unplugged the filter plugs, one whisper 40 and one BioWheel,
both were off until tonight when I noticed it before trying to go to
bed,
<Oops!>
I started them up again with same filters in them and wonder if this
will cause any problems,
<Potentially, but these hang-on-the-back filters are fairly tolerant
of power outages because the biological media is relatively close to
the air. So long as the media didn't actually dry out, you should
be okay. Don't feed the fish for a day or two if the water looks
cloudy or the fish are gasping. Even if they're fine, feed very
lightly, perhaps just plants today not flake. Goldfish need lots of
greens to do well, and if they have a clump of Elodea in the tank, let
them eat that for a few days, not flake.
Since plants contain less protein than flake, the risk of ammonia and
nitrite problems is lower.>
this is not a new tank, has been up for years, goldfish in tank, One
sort of large one. Please let me know will I have problems, I have
never done this before, have a lot of plugs going on on this one strip
and must have gotten
confused, thanks
<Good luck, Neale.>
Re: Filter stopped
Thank you, I was reading all night to try to find out about the filter
drying out and one area said if you use the dried out filter once the
filter stopped that it can release toxins back into water???
<Unlikely.>
I did use the same filter since I hurried and plugged filter back in
once I realized It was off!
<And you should be fine. Indeed, you'll surely know by now. If
the fish are okay, and there's no detectable ammonia or nitrite in
the water, then all is well. Cheers, Neale.>
Tetra Whisper Micro Filter, not whispering
4/3/10
Dear Crew,
<Hello 2.0.>
I would first like to say... you have the greatest helping site for
fish keeping!! Thank you!
<Thank you!>
Yesterday I bought a new three gallon aquarium. It came with a *Tetra
Whisper Micro Filter. *It is a bit loud because it is rattling on the
top of the aquarium. Though, after I took the top off, the filter was
still a bit loud. I looked to see what to do on the instructions. The
instructions told me to take the impeller out and rinse it in the fact
it was noisy.
So I ask to you Crew... should I take the impeller out? I'm afraid
I possibly will damage it if I take it out and I of course do not want
that to happen!
<Just be sure to lift it straight out. The impeller will ride on
some sort of rod. Sometimes
they are ceramic which can crack easily if bent to one side or another.
I would remove it,
your noise may very well be created by something that wound up down
there around the magnet
of the impeller.>
Thank you again,
The Fish Keeper 2.0
<Welcome, Scott V.>
My Filter Story: Was Re: Sudden tank deaths, one possibly
sick fish (plus - How do you say the word "Betta"?)
3/4/10
I was going to write this up later but saw a post that I'd like to
comment on. If you think better for BB let me know.
<Oh?>
I don't expect a play by play response by any means because a lot
of this is editorial but there are a couple questions at the end
I'd like opinions on.
<Sure.>
FYI, when you (NEALE!) say :
<<It's "Betta", to rhyme with "better".
It doesn't rhyme with "beater".>>
In the US (proper English) "Betta" is closer to beta and
nowhere near "beater". I sat in with a class at Microsoft
Reading (after I was stymied by the fact that the elevator had a
"0" floor. I had no idea what button to press) and heard
"rooter" for "router" for the first time. Where
ours is more like "pouter" or "doubter". I think
this is what was behind the war of 1812.
<Ah, this has nothing at all with the differences between British
and American English. At this point, let me remind readers I'm not
a Euro-snob.
I'm a snob in lots of other ways, but not this. I lived in the US
for 3 years, and a good part of my family are Americans as well, even
though I'm British. In fact my British friends and relatives
sometimes comment on my occasional use of Americanisms and American
pronunciations! Anyway, the better/beater pronunciation of Betta comes
down to the fact this is neither an American English nor a British
English word, but a Latin name based on a Thai (I think) word that is
transliterated (i.e., spelled out phonetically) as "Bettah".
This is one of the local names for the fish. When spoken in any sort of
English, the correct pronunciation is "better" rather than
"beater". By all means look this up in your dictionary, but
here's one American English dictionary, Merriam Webster, that even
has an audio file pronouncing the word as I've described:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/betta
So, the better/beater thing is simply about right versus wrong.
It's nothing to do with local versions of the English language. A
couple of analogies would be these: in England, it is quite common for
people to pronounce Michigan as "Mitchigan" and Illinois as
"Illinoiz". These aren't British English versions of the
words, they're just plain wrong. I hope that clears this all up
once and for all.>
I don't regret getting into the hobby though it is quite like a
drug in the sense that the dealer gets you hooked on something cheap
and you have to keep going back for more stuff.
<Yes, can be like a drug, in two ways. Firstly, there's the
stage when people want to keep everything, without realising (or being
told via books or retailers) that they can't. Secondly, there's
the stage when expert fishkeepers try to keep difficult fish, and end
up spending huge amounts of money providing the right conditions for
that fish.>
No retailer here is going to recommend a fishless cycle and my tank was
cleared by the big chain because it didn't have ammonia, nitrite or
nitrate after four days.
<Indeed not. One might argue retailers have a vested interest in
selling fish along with the tank, since any fatalities will involve
additional purchases within a couple of weeks.>
Of course it didn't! It didn't have anything organic to get
these processes going.
<Quite.>
But even my big fancy LFS is cool with fish stocking as long as you
don't more than double your stock every week or two. Hadn't
heard that rule before.
<Nor had I.>
What I'm saying is there is frustration like the fact I have
different species recommended by the LFS after the infamous tetra
incident. They didn't make more money on me by selling me the fish
they did.
<I think Bob and others here would agree with your observation.
Retailers who provide bad advice ultimately lose more customers (and
profits) than they create. Most every retailer in every hobby is
against this problem, the one of short-term profits against long-term
customers. People starting out in hobbies tend to be [a] cheap and [b]
ignorant, so selling them less expensive gear and instant gratification
often works well in the short term. But in every hobby you'll hear
stories about people who started off in that hobby, hitting a couple of
failures, and then giving up. I think this is one reason online
retailers do well, because they don't care, as their catchment area
is national. Brick and mortar retailers on the other hand really do
need to cultivate their local catchment area of customers.
And this surely means a bit more "hand holding". Telling
people to get the 15 or 20 gallon tank, not the 5 or 10 gallon tank.
Telling people to come buy some fish in 3 weeks time, not today.
Telling people what the local water chemistry is, and pointing them
towards species that will do well in that. And so on.>
On the contrary, I was very impressed that they would give me
recommendations by e-mail when I could have gone somewhere else with
the info. I respected that and I still respect them but mostly on a
relative scale since no one mentioned the importance of matching water
hardness until everyone was home and comfy (comfy accept the Pearl). So
I'm determined to make it work.
<Cool.>
The tank came part of a kit for only $130 with heater, HOT filter,
light hood and sample potions and food. Usually the rule is whatever
comes as part of a package deal probably isn't the best around and
I was not impressed with the turn the dial "set and forget"
heater.
<Sometimes, these kits are pretty darn good. It really does
depend.>
But here's the part that kills me. Or almost kills the fish. Or
really doesn't but bear with me.
<Oh...>
The filter that came with it was the Aqueon Aquarium Power Filters 55
which doesn't have a great review rating at the big sites (average
probably about 3.5 stars). It is floss with carbon and a comb thingy
that does some mechanical filtration and captures bacteria so you
don't re-cycle when changing the filter cartridge. Cons with this
are it has an electrical hum to it that almost sounds like you forgot
to ground a turntable (whatever those are). The water fall is quite
loud and I remembered after it was too late why I didn't like those
water fountain decoration things. Frankly, they make me want to produce
my own ammonia if you know what I mean.
<I hear you! As someone who's idea of a good night is a night
where he only gets up once for a bathroom visit, I like aquaria to be
silent. One reason I'm a big fan of canister filters rather than
air-powered or hang-on-the-back filters.>
After I discovered this site I began reading the daily FW FAQ every day
and occasionally general which I did today. That's when I saw the
post about sudden tank deaths and it appears that the poster is
probably using an Aqua Clear Power Filters by Hagen which unfortunately
has the somewhat proprietary system that you advise against from a cost
standpoint though it's still pretty cheap versus a fish and chip
order (but not in front of the tank and what the heck putting fries on
a pizza?).
<Yeah, I'm not wild about filters that force you to buy
proprietary filter modules. It's sort of like razor blades: the
thing's cheap initially, but in the long term, you're paying an
awful lot for plastic fixtures and other mark-ups. There are some
hang-on-the-back filters that, like canisters, simply accept whatever
stuff you want to ram into them.>
After doing the requisite reading here (you really should have a
counter that ranks newbies by how many articles they read) I decided
since my tank was cycled (it wasn't) that I would switch from the
Aqueon to Aqua Clear because I liked the idea of changing the media in
stages, the ceramic thingies were geeky enough, AND most important no
carbon in case of sickness.
<I tend not to use carbon in freshwater tanks, though it does have
its uses.>
I would take the comb thingy from the Aqueon to seed the Aqua Clear
since the tank was cycled (it wasn't).
<Sure.>
Now, what I found out was that if not perfectly balanced the lid would
vibrate insanely and priming this thing can be a real headache. It
won't re-prime itself after a water change or a power outage and
that concerns me. But things really went bad the other night after
doing a 25% water change I was having trouble getting it primed and
pushed down in the wrong place. The gunk that apparently could not be
shifted into the sponge came rushing out the top in a lovely brown
liquid with huge fish scales (Gourami?) and even a dead fly.
<The brown liquid is good, actually, and means the filter is doing
its job.
That's basically fish faeces and other organic particles broken
down into slurry. As for the dead fly... However, if this stuff gets
spat into the aquarium, it generally means the mechanical filter media
either isn't sufficient, or else needs to be rinsed more often. In
itself the slurry isn't toxic, and to be honest, I end up with a
bit in my aquaria after cleaning out the canisters because some
collects inside the hoses and whatnot. But it's more unsightly than
dangerous, and quickly gets cleared up by the canisters once
they're running.>
The tank was awful. This was after waiting for the little floating
stuff to get picked up by the filter which hadn't finished even
after water changes after a week. Things weren't cloudy just not
pristine. When the overflow happened it got cloudy and ironically it
was the first time the water tested positive for nitrite which I had
tested before the water change.
It's like all the bacteria got stuck underneath the fish scales and
crud and couldn't make it out to the tank.
<I see.>
So after an emergency water change I decided to stick the
"old" filter back in but in my panic I forgot to prime the
carbon. I set the Aqua Clear on low and moved it to the other side of
the tank. What amazed me was that within two hours the water was nearly
crystal clear and the nitrites were gone. Though this was a sign of the
cycle being broken it appears to be back tonight.
<Great.>
One of the things that I may not have taken into account was that the
Aqueon is a model "55" for a 36 gallon which I think is the
same size as the other poster. This model moves 325 GPH versus 200 for
the Aqua Clear.
<Ah, yes, the importance of turnover. The recommended tank sizes on
filters are more marketing than science, like miles/gallon on motor
cars, or number of servings on cereal boxes. They bear little
connection with reality.>
I wanted the Aqua Clear to work. It just made more sense. And I assume
that the floss and water travel of the Aqueon is what is working better
versus the carbon which both of them have when configured properly.
<Carbon only removes dissolved organic material, the stuff that
tints water yellow. You can have water that is perfectly silt-free
(i.e., clear) but tinted yellow, even brown. Filter floss traps silt,
and you need enough of it, and enough turnover, to remove
cloudiness.>
I plan on leaving the Aqua Clear in there through the cycle or at least
for a bit because I think I should have a Gourami prison tank (I mean
quarantine tank) considering the amount of bullying I've seen with
two different species and the fact that there are four different kinds
in there now with 17 fish total. It seems it's just a matter of
time before needing one for sickness and I have many redundant parts
now.
<Wise approach.>
My questions probably are best summed up with floss versus sponge and
does what I describe above make sense or did I perhaps get a dud on the
Aqua Clear?
<Floss tends to be better for trapping silt particles than sponges,
but floss does need to be rinsed, perhaps replaced, much more often.
That's logical: the more stuff it catches, the quickly the filter
media needs replacing.>
I'm sorry this is so long but I wanted you to know there are some
new hobbyists that are trying to follow your good advice but there is
so much conflicting data and backfires out there. After all, we all
seem to trust a company that sells great food or equipment or test kits
but then also find out that the magic potions for speeding up cycles
etc are just snake oil (eel oil?).
<Actually, there are some products that can help with water
clarity.
They're called flocculants, and they really do work. But if you
have a chronic problem rather than, say, silty water caused by adding
new gravel, then it's best to find a filtration system that works
for you.>
I'm sticking with it and no fish have died without my permission.
Looks like the cycle is settling in finally and I'm sorry that 17
fish have to bear it.
<Cool.>
If cars were like this I think they'd keep going when you hit the
breaks.
<Indeed.>
-Frustrated yet grateful in Charlotte.
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: My Filter Story (plus - How do you say the word
"Betta"?) (RMF, re: retail in the US?) 3/4/10
Oh I think we now have three pronunciations of Betta. Your correction
wasn't the version I was expecting.
<Oh! What's the 3rd pronunciation?>
Thanks for that. I don't think the big chains here make money on
fish replacement or at least right away. The LFS actually makes you
prove good water before giving you a free replacement but the chains
don't care.
<The water testing restriction is a very good idea. Gets people to
connect the water and the health of their livestock.>
If it dies in two weeks they replace it. So in that sense they are
selling the fish cheaper and guarantee it will work. At least
eventually.
<Bit harsh on the fish that died though!>
I will give them credit too that they do hand out some guides written
by the chain on how to get started just not the best.
<Excellent.>
Honest, they have a couple full time fish people on staff tending the
area all the time and there's no way their salary is being covered
by the fish.
<Maybe the case. Often the animals are "loss leaders", and
the profit comes from the other things people buy over the
years.>
Well maybe higher end chain stores with salt water species where you
can get a "Nemo".
<Perhaps. There are some good chain stores out there. In fact the
one nearest me has some excellent staff, including one chap who breeds
seahorses. One thing I know Bob does rile against is the opinion of
some expert aquarists that retailers are basically nothing but trouble.
I think Bob's right on this, and I know some very good shops and
some very bad shops. The tricky part is explaining how to tell them
apart. By the time you can do that, I suspect most folks will be expert
enough to ignore bad advice.>
The water overflow into the tank was my fault. I just didn't
understand what the reaction would be until it was too late. Still, it
was almost embarrassing that after two weeks the Aqua Clear
couldn't clear the tank as fast as the "inferior" Aqueon
which did it in two hours.
<Proof is in the pudding, eh?>
I almost added "just tell me what to do Neale" at the end of
the message but didn't want to sound bitter. I'm not. It just
seems to do this right you need secret codes, passwords, handshakes,
and friends in high places. The easiest way might just be to be
ignorant and blame mother nature when killing your own fish with
ammonia.
<Often you see people doing precisely this. The infamous
"internal parasites" is my favourite rationalisation.>
Two more things about the retail stores. If you did come in with high
ammonia or nitrites I am convinced they would tell you to do a water
change. It's in the documents they hand out. That would give them
the chance to sell what you need for the change and indeed they sold me
that stuff upfront.
<Water changes *are* a good idea when you have non-zero ammonia and
nitrite levels, but they fix the symptom, not the problem. So *as well
as* changing the water, you want to think about why you have non-zero
ammonia and nitrite, and make the required changes (e.g., feed the fish
less).>
What I think they are up against more than profit motive is the adage
that the customer is always right. Let's face it Neale, if you
worked at Pet* here in the US and told people they were guilty of
killing their fish like you do here, I don't think you'd sell
that many fish.
<Likely so.>
It's easier and appears to be better customer service to apologize
for defective fish that weren't defective, replace them and try to
sell a water changer kit at the same time.
<Certainly true.>
Most people come in with pre-conceived notion of what they want and in
retail if someone asks for a red sports car without the skills to drive
one, you still sell them a red sports car.
<Indeed.>
And even if they were evil, which I don't think they are, they do
introduce a lot of folks to the hobby that are coming by for cat food.
I know this for a fact :') I would have adopted a kitten that night
if it wasn't for the paperwork. Now me and the cat have our own
chairs that we sit and watch the fish together. She's a teenager
now and you know how hard it is to get quality family time and since
the tank is widescreen maybe she thinks it's just HDTV with really
good reception.
<!>
I hope someone benefits from this discussion about filters. My main
point is the banging of the head on my desk with all these forks in the
road.
<Understandable.>
I'll look into canister at some point. That's on my list but as
a primary system it sure isn't cheap for the same GPH.
<This must be an American thing. Here in England something like an
Eheim 2217 can be picked up for a street price of around
£80, or $120. That's a 264 gallon/hour filter, which
is enough for a 66 gallon tank at a turnover of 4 times per hour. Given
how long an Eheim 2217 lasts -- at least 10 years -- and the ease with
which spares for Eheim filters can be obtained, such filters are very
good value. But for reasons I can't fathom, every time I visit a
store in the US, Eheim filters seem to be selling for twice as much
money as here in Europe. Makes a nice change for me: always seems us
Europeans end up paying twice as much for everything compared to our
American cousins!>
Besides I have 1000 articles to read here on the subject.
<Quite so.>
Thanks again. Heading to BB soon with irreverent fish observation
stories!
<Have fun over there. Some nice folks. Cheers, Neale.>
Sad news... ongoing... FW... filtr., outside power, hang-on
sel. 2/26/10
<Hi, Jordan.>
Something bad happened..... Last night the filter made a horrible sound
of the spinner spinning dry so I poured some aquarium water into it
then it worked fine. Then this morning the filter motionless I checked
the power cord and it was in, there was water in it, I pushes the tube
in a little to see if it wasn't in. But everything was fine...
<Is the filter running, but not drawing in water? I'd check the
filter's impeller and make sure there's nothing stuck in
it.>
My question is, should I get a new filter, and is the filter a bigger
priority than tests should I get a new one!
<Well, you've got to have filtration... so, the filter is a
bigger priority. As I said before, you can ask the fish store employees
to test it for you, but you've just got to make sure they're
giving you objective data (numbers), not subjective conclusions. Before
I bought another filter, I'd check the impeller. Talk to you
soon.>
Thank you Melinda
your a great person for helping people like me!
<You're welcome!
--Melinda>
My filter broke 2/26/10
Yeah my filter broke.... I took everything apart and looked into
everything and still won't work. So I am going to get a filter but
I had a band concert with me school today and I'm pretty tired. But
I'll do it for my fish! What kind of filter should I get? I was
thinking about getting a Marineland penguin for my 20gallon. What size
should I get? Thank you !
<This is turning into a dire situation, Jordan. First, I suspected
the tank wasn't cycled properly, and now, you've still been
unable to test and see what, exactly, your fish are dealing with. Now,
you've got no filtration, which means the water's oxygen level
is probably very depleted, especially near the bottom, and that very
little biological filtering is
taking place in the tank. I think you mentioned that you have a bubble
wand or something... I'd hook it up. It will be better than
nothing, but these fish are headed for trouble if you can't get
this fixed soon. When you purchase a new filter, please take into mind
what I discussed with you re: filters and biological media a while
back. What ever filter you choose, buy one whose gallons-per-hour is at
least six times the tank's volume. This would be one with a flow
rate of 120 gallons per hour, and more wouldn't be a bad thing. I
like Aqua Clear hang-on-back filters, because they provide a lot of
room for all three types of media. They may be more expensive, but
you'll never, ever have to buy a refill cartridge, because the
filters come with biological and mechanical media in the box, as well
as a bag of carbon. The only thing you would need to replace is the
carbon, and we already discussed how it's overused, really, in the
hobby, and so this isn't even a big issue.
--Melinda>
Penguin 150 or 200
I have chosen 2 different styles of penguin marine land power filter
150 or 200g/h which one for a 20 g
<The general formula is this: For communities of small fish, or
species like gouramis that don't like strong water currents, a
turnover around 4 times the volume of the tank per hour is optimal. For
tanks with larger, messier fish, like cichlids, then a turnover 6 times
the volume of the tank per hour is recommended. For fish that are very
messy (like large, predatory catfish) or need strong water currents
(like loaches and Black Ghost knifefish) then a turnover 8 times the
volume of the tank per hour is required. So for your 20 gallon tank,
you would want a filter rated at
either 80 gallons/hour (for small fish), 120 gallons/hour (for bigger
fish), or 160 gallons/hour (for fast-water fish). Cheers,
Neale.>
Test results... from ongoing rambling re Filtration, was...
2/28/10
Hi again!
<Hi.>
PetSmart didn't have any filters for some reason so I am going to
do daily water changes :) until the one I ordered gets here 3-4
business days. And I got the test kit instead so here are the test
results Melinda!
pH 6.6
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 0ppm
Is there anything bad with these results? Have a wonderful night!
<Well, these results are sort of strange. First of all, there's
no ammonia, which would mean that the Stability and "live"
sand are actually working. However, there's no Nitrate either, and
no Nitrate in a freshwater aquarium usually means the tank isn't
cycled. Pretty much everyone (every tank, I mean) has some Nitrate. So,
these make me wonder if the tests are being done correctly. If the tank
is cycled, as the presence of no Ammonia/Nitrite would suggest, then it
would have some Nitrate. If the tank isn't cycled, as the lack of
Nitrate suggests, then it would have Ammonia or Nitrite. I've
approached zero Nitrate in my Betta tank before, but I really can't
imagine that in a tank with five catfish, there is no Nitrate! In any
case, water changes are a good idea until the filter arrives. You might
want to run the tests again and see if you come up with different
results.
--Melinda>
Dear Neale and Crew,
How may I possibly slow down the current of my Aqueon power
filter without damaging it? 12/31/09
<I don't know this filter beyond the fact it's a
hang-on-the-back unit. For fish that need/prefer slow water currents,
like Gouramis, a water turnover rate of 4 x the volume of the tank per
hour is sufficient. So for a 25 gallon tank, a 100 gallon per hour is
fine. You can further break up the water current by adding floating
plants with long roots (e.g., Indian Fern) and adding some tall bogwood
roots or stones to the bottom of the tank.
Obviously anything you do to slow down the water current will not be
popular with fish that need strong water currents, like minnows,
Danios, swordtails and loaches. Cheers, Neale.>
Filter Set-up... Hang on, FW... 9/14/09
Hi WWM Crew,
<Audra,>
I have two 350 Penguin BioWheel filters on my 55 gallon aquarium, which
has 4 cichlids, 3 tetras and a Bushynose Pleco. Each filter has two
compartments and a total of 4 cartridge slots.
Filter A - Front slots have a poly filter pad attached to a cartridge
frame only (no carbon or pad). The pad faces away from the BioWheel.
The back slots have filter baskets filled with crushed coral to
maintain my PH, which is 7.2, the other water parameters are Nitrite=0,
Nitrate=0, Ammo=0.
Filter B - Front slots have a poly filter pad set-up and the back slots
are stuffed with filter floss.
My question is, should I have a poly pad blocking the water flowing
through my crushed coral set-up?
<Makes no difference. Despite the hype (and the premium price) Poly
Filter pads are mostly carbon and Zeolite, and that's why they
remove organic compounds and ammonia. There's some stuff in there
that removes chlorine and copper, too. But really, there's nothing
in them of any great value, and off the top of my head I can't
think of any compelling reason to buy them.>
Could this interfere with the buffering?
<No. Poly Filter pads will have zero impact on the dissolution of
carbonate and bicarbonate salts into the water.>
I use poly pads because I love how crystal clear my tanks are. I have
had to replace the crushed coral every other month because I notice the
PH drops a little. Since I do (2) 20% water changes a week, monthly
gravel siphoning and water testing, I am not sure what is causing the
PH drop.
<pH drops for multiple reasons, ranging from organic decay through
to the accumulation of nitrate and phosphate in the water.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWsubwebindex/fwsoftness.htm
pH will tend to be stable in tanks with high carbonate hardness. Small
pH changes are of no great significance, so assuming your fish were
happy, I'd not worry overmuch. Water changes should reset the pH
drop.>
Your thoughts?
AL
<Cheers, Neale.>
|
how many fish, stkg. FW
I have a 55 gallon tank & here's the fish I have so
far
2 leleupi
2 black skirt tetra
2 swordtails
2 platys
2 pepper Corys
1 Oranda (or looks like one)
12 neon tetras
<Quite the collection! The Leleupi will eat the Neons
when they get big enough, even putting aside their rather
difference water chemistry requirements.>
is that enough or can i add more that will be compatible
with the others?
And I need a site that carries bio filters because the tank
didn't have that with it.
<What do you mean a "site that carries bio
filters"? You want to buy one?
Most anything should be a biological filter at some level,
from plain vanilla air-powered sponge filters through to
external canister filters. I happen to rate the Eheim
"classic" canister filters as being (by far)
the
most reliable, long-term investments, and something like
the Eheim 2217 would do a good job here. But a properly
maintained undergravel filter can be superb biological
filter even though it can't be used alongside plants
that have roots. Many options. If you'd like to suggest
a budget and what sort of features you're looking for,
we can discuss further.>
it had the charcoal filter but not the other.
<Activated carbon is hardly essential, so wouldn't
use the presence/absence of carbon in a filter to sway my
opinion between two filter models.>
Any help would be great
Angels on your pillows, Judy
<Cheers, Neale.>
|
  |
re: how many fish... Chatting 09/14/09
okay they are the plastics that hang on the back---I have a dual
air pump with long bubbler & a small round one in the corner
.
<A very popular filter design in the US; much less so in
Europe.>
I'm sending pics of my tank & maybe this would help
you.
<Yes, does.>
I like the undergravel filter but didn't know ,again was told
I didn't need to use that.
<The filter you have should be adequate, assuming sufficient
size/turnover.
While you are talking about the carbon in this filter, there is
almost certainly a biological filter in this unit too. Look for
things like spinning wheels, sponges, and/or modules containing
ceramic noodles. I'm not aware of any filter of this type
that contains just carbon and has no option for any other. One
other thing. Carbon only works as carbon for the first couple of
weeks. After that, it becomes essentially biological media.
In practise, you need to replace carbon every two weeks. (Yet
another reason why it is largely redundant.) It's possible
that one or more of the filter medium compartments of your filter
have been filled with carbon,
even though other types of media, like a sponge or ceramic
noodles, would be more appropriate. If you can find a
manufacturers name and model number on this filter, we can
discuss more. A photo of the filter from above, so I can see its
"innards" would also be helpful.>
I know you cant see the fish but what i think is an Oranda is
because it looks like one it maybe just a regular gold fish the
only one in the tank.
<Sure it's a nice fish either way.>
Cant wait till I can get to the pet store & check out all
that you have sent me. A thank you is not enough for all your
help
Hugs & Smiles
Judy
<Happy to help. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: how many fish... FW maint. f'
09/15/09
Here's the pic of the pump the other is just like it the blue
is what has the carbon in it.
<So the blue things are like cushions, with blue on the
outside, and the carbon inside?>
I know there's suppose to be a plastic thing with a sponge or
something else that goes with it.
<Not familiar with this filter, but there should be one or
more plain sponges that slot in there somewhere. Yes, if you need
one, and there's one for this filter, then buy one. At a
pinch, stuffing some filter floss into the empty space (if
that's what it is) behind the two blue things would work.
Don't stuff so much in water flow drops significantly. You
can buy generic bags of the stuff for very little money, and if
you rinse it in buckets of aquarium water every couple of weeks,
it shouldn't need to be replaced too often. Once it's too
dirty to clean, replace no more than 50% at any one time, and
allow not less than 6 weeks before you replace any more.>
But if I don't need the carbon could I just find bio material
to put inside the pumps?
<Wouldn't worry too much right now. The carbon is actually
a pretty good medium for bacteria, and once you've added the
sponge (or floss) for the compartment behind the two blue things,
the bacteria will spread from the blue things into the new filter
media. Unless you really want carbon to be adsorbing organic
material from the water, feel free to let it become 100%
biological filter media. No harm done at all. Just remove as/when
you use medications that need carbon to be removed, just in
case.>
The picture maybe be big forgot to resize it.
Want you be glad when I leave you alone???
<I'm happy to help.>
Angels on your pillows, Judy
<Hope this helps, Neale.>
|
 |
Tape in the Aquarium, power filter repair
6/17/09
Hello Crew, hope all is going well for you. I have a question, please.
I wanted to know if there was any kinds of tape that would be OK to use
for items inside an aquarium. I have 2 intake openings on my power
filter intake tubes. The top ones had a little "door" that
opened and closed to that one could use the filter with 2 intakes or
one, depending on if the little door was open or closed. Both of these
little doors have broken (they were made cheap) and I want to be able
to close up the top opening again because I feel it more beneficial to
have one strong suction using the bottom intake only rather than 2 that
are not as strong. I want to cover the top openings again and was
thinking about some type of tape.
Please let me know what you think. Thanks, James
<Mmm, the fibered "strapping tape" might work here... I
have seen it employed underwater. Otherwise, you might have success
with "globbing" on a bit of Silastic (Silicone Rubber), 100%,
suitable for aquarium use (no mildewcide)... Bob Fenner>
Re: Tape in the Aquarium 6/18/2009
thank you. Do you think electrical tape would work or not stick under
water? Thanks again,
James
<Nope... has some materials you don't want in your water.
B>
Filter paint 2/18/09 Hello Crew, Hope all is going
well for you today. I would like to know if you are aware of a type of
paint or tape that might be used safely inside a fw aquarium. The
emperor 400 filter intake tubes on my filters have been redesigned and
not have a white sliding piece that can be opened or closed, depending
if you want the filter to take in detritus from both the bottom and the
middle. I cannot disguise this white piece no matter what I do and it
stands out, especially against my black background. If you know of any
way I could disguise this please let me know. Thank you, James
<James, I'm not familiar with the US market for these types of
products, but I'd expect any enamel sold for use on cookware to be
safe in an aquarium. Failing that, just let algae cover the darn thing.
That won't take long! Cheers, Neale.>
Advice on power filter size, FW 1/31/09 Good
evening, I looked around the site and there seems to be many different
thoughts on filter size and the number of turn over for a 20 gallon
tank. I am starting a FW tank for my daughter (almost 2). It is a 20
gallon tall tank. It will probably be set up as a community tank. I
will be using a gravel bottom with silk plants. I have narrowed it down
to 3 filters but I am wondering if 2 of them could be overkill. The
filters are Marineland Penguin 150 or 200 ( I like the idea of having
the 2nd filter slot on the 200). I am also thinking about the
Marineland Emperor 280. The 280 has the ability to add additional
filter material, 2 level intake and the spray bar. My concern is that
the 200 or the 280 might be too much for a 20 gallon tank. Thank you
for the advice. I am really looking forward to get the tank up and
running. I will cycle it properly first. Brad <Hi Brad. The basic
rule of thumbs are these: First, ignore what's on the box. A filter
that says it is suitable for a 20 gallon tank is only suitable for such
a tank under the best circumstances. It's a marketing ploy akin to
telling you your motor car will do 45 miles to the gallon, or a box of
cereal contains 25 servings. Yes, if the car is rolling downhill
somewhere without traffic or lights, and yes, if each cereal serving is
two tablespoons in size. Likewise filters are "rated" by
their manufacturers assuming the filter media is clean, the fish are
few, and most importantly, the filter is put in the optimal position,
at the level of the aquarium. Things like canister filters are usually
put under the tank to hide them away, and this isn't the optimal
position for them. Having to work against gravity, the filter moves
water more slowly. Now, here's some more thoughts. "Tall"
tanks are bad value. The critical thing with aquaria is the surface
area to volume ratio. Tall tanks score poorly here, and a 20 gallon
"tall" tank will hold fewer fish safely than a 20 gallon
"long" tank. There is absolutely no advantage to keeping a
20-gallon tall tank unless you're into landscaping, when the tall
tank lends itself to fancy arrangements of plants and rocks. Otherwise,
avoid. Secondly, if you're not using live plants, then consider an
undergravel filter. These are good value, easy to set up, easy to
maintain, and extremely effective. Thirdly, the thing to consider with
filters is turnover. For small fish (Neons and guppies for example) the
baseline value is 4 times the volume of the tank, in your case the
filter should have not less than 4 x 20 = 80 gallons per hour. For
bigger fish (gouramis and angels) you would up this to 6 times the
volume of the tank, i.e., 6 x 20 = 120 gallons per hour. Beyond that,
it doesn't much matter what filter you use. I will make the
observation that hang-on-the-back filters have serious shortcomings,
not least of all the fact they lock you into buying specific media
inserts that are wildly overpriced for what they are (think of the way
razor blade manufacturers make money by each having their own type of
razor blades). Personally, I dislike hang-on-the-back filters
enormously and can't see why people buy them, though for some
reason they are very popular in the US. You rarely see them here in the
UK. Canister filters have their pros and cons. Internal canister
filters are very easy to maintain and flexible in terms of media, but
in small tanks are difficult to hide behind rocks or plants. External
canister filters are by far the best value, provide strong water
currents, and contain lots and lots of space for media, but they can be
a hassle to maintain. Still, they're the filters of choice for most
experienced hobbyists. Finally, do think carefully about stocking, and
bear in mind you're setting up this aquarium for you, not your
daughter. A two-year old will enjoy fish, yes, but she's not going
to maintain the thing for another eight years! Take care to buy fish
that appeal to you, but also ones that realistically fit into this
tank, especially with regard to sharing similar requirements in terms
of temperature and water chemistry. Do take a look at some of the
articles presented in the top "box" here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwlvstkind1.htm Cheers,
Neale.>
Re: Advice on power filter size 1/31/09 Neale,
<Brad,> Thank you for the response. A long story made short, the
tank and hood/light ( A Eclipse Light) were a gift. Given the space and
area for the tank going to a bigger tank would be hard to fit.
<Nothing wrong with your 20-gallon tank. It's a good starting
point!> That being said, I would like to keep things as simple as
can be. I appreciate your summary of flow in filters and it has allowed
me to make my decision. I did some further reading today and hope to
have the tank up and cycling over the next few days. <How? Do
remember a tank devoid of animal life or a source of ammonia isn't
cycling. It's just a glorified bucket of water. I'd recommend
adding ammonia, either by putting a pinch of food each day (it rots,
making ammonia) or else using a few drops of ammonia solution per
gallon added to get a level of 4-5 mg/l (or ppm) in the water
(determine with a test kit first time around, then repeat that amount
daily). Once you detect zero ammonia and zero nitrite for 5 days,
you're cycled!> Then in a few weeks onto a few fish. I am sure I
will have many questions over the next months. Thank you again for the
information. Brad P.S. I understand that the tank really is for me but
I will enjoy the care and time that it will take to set up and maintain
a proper tank as well as the smile and "Fish" that my
daughter will be pointing and signing. <All sounds good. Children
and animals are a good combination, but does need forethought. Good
luck to you both, Neale.>
Filter media placement in HOB filter, FW 1/26/09
Hello WWM crew, <Hello Audra.> My 30 hexagon is a new tank that
is about 80% cycled (no fish in it). It was used as a quarantine tank
for 2 weeks before I moved the fish in it to their permanent home. My
question is, in what order should I place the media in my AquaClear 70
filter? Instead of using the foam that comes with it, I'd like to
use a flat filter pad. I understand these save space and work well to
remove toxins and debris from the water. <Not all do, Polyfilters
and some of the recent copies do.> I have to add crushed coral,
carbon (when needed) and biological media. Is crushed coral considered
a chemical media? <No, biological, maybe a mechanical in the right
setting. You plan to put the crushed coral in the filter? If in the
tank do consider a smaller grain media, the larger crushed coral ends
up serving as a detritus collector, a nitrate factory.> I'm
concerned about it being in the same filter with my bio media.
There's not much surface space in the tank, so I hope my filter is
an option. <Hmmm, any plans for a protein skimmer? This will help
you out both with the aeration and filtration of this system.> Audra
<Scott V.>
Re: Filter media placement in HOB filter...Scott V. actually
getting it this time 1/27/09 Hi Scott V., thanks for the quick
response. <Welcome....I guess.> The filter pad I'm using is a
Polyfilter. My 30 gallon hexagon set-up consists of a bubble disk,
small airstone, some plastic plants, the AquaClear 70 filter, and a
sponge filter. Both filters are sufficient for 60+ gallon tanks.
Aren't protein skimmers used in marine or saltwater tanks? I have
freshwater. <Skimmers are for marine tanks, I do apologize. It does
change things a bit. After answering so many marine queries you start
to think everything has salt in it!> My PH is very hard but low
alkaline, so the crushed coral is to buffer the water. <I see.>
I've used it in the natural gravel before, but I didn't like
the results. Can I place the media in my filter as follows: Polyfilter,
crushed coral bag, carbon and then bio media? <Certainly.> I
probably could put the bio media bag in the Penguin filter instead.
Your thoughts? <Either could work, I would go whichever route forces
more water through the media itself, not around it. Sorry again for the
mix up, Scott V.>
Power Filter Placement 1/6/09 Hello
Crew, I have tried to research this but can't find anything about
it.. I have 2 aqua clear 100 filters and a 75 gallon tank 48"
long. I wanted to know if you have ever know of anyone to place the
filters on the sides of the tank instead of the back. Thank you for all
you do. James <With any filter, the idea is to optimise circulation
throughout the tank. In particular, you want water from the bottom
being pulled up to the top. By default, if you have two filters, put
one at each end. Whether on the sides or spaced out along the back pane
of glass shouldn't make much difference. Test circulation by adding
a pinch of flake at the bottom of the tank, and seeing how quickly, and
how far, it gets pushed about. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Power Filter Placement 1/6/09
Thank you again Neale. And one more question please. I just finished
setting up my aquarium (finally) and have a sand bottom. When it comes
time for maintenance I planned on using a turkey baster to blow off the
rocks and plants and also the top of the sand itself to get the
detritus into the water column. Rather than letting the detritus go
into my power filter do you know of a good small filter that would take
care of cleaning it up. I had thought about the Magnum HOT hang on
filter but wanted your opinion please. Have a great day. James
<James, a turkey baster is a great way to spot clean the tank.
Otherwise, your standard filtration should be keeping the sediment
basically clean: if it isn't, that means it isn't adequate for
the job. Think about it - any still water on the bottom of the tank
isn't being carried up to the surface of the aquarium. That means
there's no oxygen getting down there, putting your bottom dwelling
fish at risk. Realistically what tends to happen in a properly filtered
tank is that there's much water movement, but the silt collects in
one particular corner thanks to the pattern of water flow. In this
case, your turkey baster (or a water change, weekly) will remove the
silt. External canister filters are ideal for this because you can have
the inlet positioned quite close to the sediment. You can also, if
required, locate the outlet well below the surface of the water. So if
you have more than one external canister filter, you can create lots of
different water currents. Otherwise, just making sure you have at least
4 times the volume of the tank in turnover should ensure adequate
circulation. Personally, I prefer to go with 6-10 times the volume of
the tank in turnover per hour, but that does assume fish from riverine
rather than still water conditions. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Power Filter Placement
1/7/08 Thank you AGAIN Neale for all of your patience
with me. <No problem.> I have never used sand as a substrate
before and last night when trying to get everything running I realized
that I have no way to keep sand out of the power filters. <Much less
of an issue than you'd think. Some big fish (like Plecs) can swish
the stuff into the inlet if the inlet is near where they dig, but
otherwise the sand pretty much stays put.> The intake tube does have
an area to stop fish from getting sucked up but not sand. <Mostly
not an issue.> I had planned on buying a pre-filter made of foam
which is coarse enough to keep the sand out but then the larger
detritus will not have a chance to get into the filter and be absorbed
by the mechanical filtration pads and foam. And I know that even though
the pre-filter may absorb some stuff when the filters are cut off or
turned to a lower speed everything accumulated will fall to the bottom.
<A decent prefilter will of course help, but in my experience what
little sand gets sucked in collects at the bottom of the filter.
Provided you are cleaning the filter reasonably regularly, it's
easy enough to rinse out.> I was so happy to be setting up a new
tank after having cancer and having to quite before, but now I am about
to just quit and give up. <I'm not a medic, but I generally
believe that challenges that focus the mind are a good way to keep body
and soul together. If the worst that happens is a bit of sand gets into
the filter... is that really so bad? Seriously, all my aquaria use
sand, and it is never a problem. Just keep the inlet a couple inches
above the sand, and you'll be fine.> I am glad I at least did
think about the sand being sucked in before I started running the
filters. Please tell me what I can do. I know I have been a real pain
and bother to you so I ask you please accept my apologies. Thank you,
James <Enjoy your fishkeeping! That's my advice! Cheers,
Neale.>
Re: Power Filter Placement
1/7/08 Dear Neale, I have spent all day today trying to
get my Aquaclear filters to prime and have had no results. I called the
company and tried everything they mentioned. I am really frustrated and
have decided that I should do what I considered the first time, get a
canister filter. Could you please recommend one that is reliable, easy
to set up and clean and not as expensive as an Eheim? Thanks again.
<Hello James. I'm not very familiar with Aquaclear units, but
would make the usual statement that it's often a good idea to
disassemble the whole thing and then carefully put it back together
again. It's easy to overlook some critical step first time around.
Do review Hagen's web site; they have manuals for these filters
online, as well as some ideas for troubleshooting:
http://www.hagen.com/uk/aquatic/manuals/aquaclear01.cfm In any case,
external canister filters aren't notably easier to maintain than
hang-on-the-back filters. Indeed, the fact they're fiddly to
install and prime is one reason people often go for other types of
filtration. External canisters are by far the best value in terms of
filtration (i.e., gallon per hour per dollar spent) but on the downside
they require carefully putting together or they either won't work
or leak water all over the floor. In other words, I'm saying that
an external canister might not be the magic bullet you're hoping
for. Probably the easiest filters to care for are the internal
canisters, because they're submerged in the water so don't need
priming at all. They are the most expensive filters to buy in terms of
value, but because they're easy, lots of people like them
(including me, for small tanks at least). When shopping around, Eheim
are generally the best, and if you can get a deal on them, there's
no question about them literally running for 10+ years without
complaint. Mid range brands include Sera and Fluval, both of which
offer nice products. For internal filters, there's no real risk:
either the filter works, or it stops. For external filters, the issue
is that a flaw can result in a massive leak, so shop carefully. The
Eheim "Classic" range is particularly good value; on Amazon
for example the Eheim 2217 (264 gallons/hour) is under $140, while the
Fluval 405 (340 gallons/hour) is going for $145. While the Fluval
offers more filtration on paper, there's no question about which
would be the better purchase. OK, the Eheim is old school and more
fiddly to install and prime (practise with it connected to a bucket!)
but both would be ample in size for a tank up to around 50-75 US
gallons, assuming moderate stocking levels. On the other hand, I
routinely use Fluval filters, and have invariably found them to be well
designed and reliable. So if a Fluval filter fits your needs and your
budget, I'd have no problems recommending it. Keep the receipt
though! If a filter is a "dud", it should be so right away.
Over time, the things that wear out are things like rubber seals and
taps, and these are usually cheap and easy to replace. Hope this helps,
Neale.> re: Power Filter Placement Thank you so very much. <No
problem. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Power Filter Placement, now canister filter
sel. 1/7/08 Hello Neale, Hope all is well there for
you. After you sent me this e-mail I am seriously considering a
canister filter. I have been reading reviews on the Fluval 405 and also
the Rena XP3. I would love an Eheim but cannot afford one. I am not
sure what I will get, but please tell me how to set up the outflow
coming from the filter. I know some have spray bars. I want to be able
to position the outgoing so as to clear the debris from the bottom in
the most effective way. Thank you again for all you do and all your
expert advice. James <Hello James. The filtration rates of both
these filters are similar, and in terms of quality they're both
reasonably well regarded. In terms of setting them up, the optimal
configuration for any canister filter used on its own (as opposed to
with an undergravel filter) is put the inlet at one end of the tank and
the spray bar along the side at the other end of the tank. The idea is
water is sucked in one end, and pushed out the other. I find adjusting
the spray bar so that it is at the waterline and rippling the surface
of the water rather works well, though some people position the bar
above the water line and have the water splashing onto the water, the
idea being this dissipates CO2 better. Either way works well. Canister
filters can't magically clean the substrate: if you find the
substrate stays dirty, then it's likely the canister filter is too
small for the job. This is why I stress the importance of turnover.
Canister filters are rated under optimal conditions -- with no media
and with the canister filter next to the tank, not below it. So the
turnover you read (say, 350 gallons per hour) is not what you'll
get once the filter is put under the tank (where it has to work against
gravity) and filled with media. The impact on clogged media cannot be
overstated either: you'll quickly notice that a new canister filter
pushes the water around wildly, but after a few weeks the water can
seem to be barely moving, and certainly the current isn't as strong
as it was when the filter was new. In other words, when filter
manufacturers say a filter is suitable for a tank of X gallons, I
suggest taking that with a pinch of salt. In real world situations,
overestimate your requirements. Choose a filter with 4 times the volume
of your tank in turnover per hour as an absolute minimum, and ideally 6
times. My own tanks are usually set at 6-8 times the volume of the tank
in turnover per hour, which is getting close to marine levels of water
movement. The flip side to the argument is that if you regularly clean
a canister filter, the media won't get too clogged, improving
performance. But personally, I'm one of those guys who only cleans
his canister filters maybe once every 2-3 months, if that! Cheers,
Neale.>
Re: Power Filter Placement 01/09/09
Thanks Neale, When you mention getting a filter with an output of at
least 4 times the aquarium volume how do you figure that since you know
what the box says but you don't know how much flow reduction you
get due to media and fighting gravity to work? <You don't know.
That's why I use these generous estimates. Realistically, when I
look at the filters I have, placed under the tank and then allowed to
clog up normally across a month or so, the water turnover easily drops
to 50% what it was initially.> Also, by placing the spraybar as you
mentioned with a filter large enough to handle the tank load will this
move debris off the bottom? <If the filter is big enough, it will
move the water at all levels of the tank. Overestimate filtration where
possible. In practise, no filter will keep the substrate spotlessly
clean, especially in tanks with messy Plecs or things like plants that
shed leaves periodically.> And lastly, does a canister filter have
to be placed under the tank or can it set beside it? <Either works,
with water flow being greatest when the filter is beside rather than
underneath the tank.> Thanks again, James <Cheers, Neale.>
Water Flow Too Powerful 12/18/08 Hello, I have a 30
long tank with just 3 mollies and about a dozen fry. My penguin 350 is
too powerful for my fry to handle. However, it is ideal for the load of
fish I plan to fill this tank with in the next 3 months. The fry will
eventually be moved to a 30 hexagon to grow up in but I haven't
started the set-up for this tank yet. In the meantime, is there a way
to slow down the output water flow without compromising the efficiency
of the filter? This is how I'd like to stock the 30 long: 2 Black
Mollies (already in tank) 2 Silver Mollies 2 Cremecicle Mollies (1
already in tank) 2 High Fin Swordtails 2 Red Wag Platies 2 Rams 3 Corys
Can my filter handle this bioload, without the fry? Audra <Try
directing the outflow from the filter towards the glass instead of into
the tank; the current will disperse, and the fish will be less
"pushed about". Some of your fish enjoy strong water currents
though, in particular the Swordtails and Corydoras, so they won't
care. As your research should hopefully reveal, Mollies usually do best
in tanks where salt is added, and while the Platies and Swords
won't mind, the Corydoras and the Rams may well do. On the other
hand, Rams need very warm (28-30 degree C) conditions, and that's
much too hot for Swordtails, Platies and Corydoras. Keep the Rams too
cold and they'll get sick and die. (Actually, most commercially
bred Rams die within weeks anyway, and they're a fish I simply
don't recommend unless you're able to buy locally bred or wild
caught stock.) So over time you'll likely want to spread out your
stock into tanks best suited to the needs of these various fish --
while they might be fine now, by imposing on the preferences of each
species, you increase the odds of disease and poor health. For now,
I'd SERIOUSLY consider keeping JUST livebearers in this one tank,
maintained at about 25 C (77 F) and with a little salt added (say, 3-6
grammes of marine salt mix -- not tonic salt -- per litre of water).
This will suit Mollies, Guppies, Platies and Swordtails. There are
various salt-tolerant fish you could add, about which we can discuss
another time. But since you're still stocking the tank, I'd
heartily recommend choosing carefully now, rather than trying to fix
problems later. By the way, all Mollies cross-breed, so if you want a
single "sort" of Molly fry that you can share or sell back to
pet stores, keep JUST ONE variety in the tank. Pet stores don't
really want "mutt" Mollies that aren't any one variety,
and after a while you'll be fed up with housing hundreds of fish
you can't sell. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Water Flow Too Powerful 12/18/08 Thank you,
Neale, for your feedback. I'll take everything you said into
consideration. <Audra, I'm happy to help. When planning an
aquarium, it's wise to be prudent, and take into account the needs
of all your fish. Doing so is the path to easy, low-maintenance,
healthy fishkeeping! Just because Rams won't work with Mollies,
doesn't mean you can't keep *any* dwarf cichlids. Consider
Etroplus maculatus for example, or one of the Pelvicachromis species
such as P. taeniatus. Get back in touch if you want some more ideas.
Cheers, Neale.>
Nano Powerheads and discus filters! 12/3/08 Hey
crew! I have a couple of questions for you today regarding two of my
tanks! First for my discus tank: I have a 55 gallon planted discus tank
with 4 discus, 2 Cory Cats, 10 or so Neons, 5 SAEs, 4 Bolivian Rams and
3 Otos that has been running smoothly for 6 months now. I am using a
Marineland T5 48" Deluxe canopy with one of the actinics replaced
with another 10000k bulb. I have an Emperor 400 Bio Wheel filter, along
with two Top Fin filters (a 20 and a 40). These were mainly used to
boost the bacteria when the tank was cycling (I used them on my old
tank), but I haven't removed it. I would like to phase out these
filters and place another Bio Wheel 400. What do you guys think about
this? <I'm not a huge fan of hang-on-the-back filters because of
their limited flexibility and the fact the inlet and outlet are so
close together. For some reason they're popular in the US though;
you hardly ever see them in Europe. Anyway, if you have two, and
position one at each end, should work out okay. But I'd sooner
spend the money on a standard external canister filter that allows you
more flexibility in terms of mechanical and biological media options.
Whatever you do, so long as the combined filtration offers at least 4
times the volume of the tank in turnover per hour, you should be fine.
I'd personally veto the Otocinclus though: Otocinclus need cool,
fast flowing water -- the total opposite of what Discus require.
Moreover, Otocinclus are known "skin suckers" that remove
mucous from slow moving fish. I've seen this myself, when keeping
them with Awaous gobies. This would be a risky combination with
Symphysodon spp. I'd also make the point Otocinclus are gregarious
algae eaters, so you'd [a] need more than 3; and [b] would have
them competing for food with the Crossocheilus siamensis. So I'd
strongly suggest some sort of small Loricariid instead, perhaps
Ancistrus or Rineloricaria spp. Cheers, Neale>
Filtering a 55 Gallon Hex, FW 11/17/2008 Hi, I
inherited a 55-gallon hexagon fish tank about 6 months ago, and
although I've learned way more about keeping fish than I thought
possible, now I have some new questions. Most of them concern the
filter. I currently have a H.O.T. Magnum filter that hangs on the back
of my tank, which was recommended by a friend when I realized that the
under gravel filter that the tank came with wasn't doing the best
job. While reading up on keeping fish, I ran across something that said
you should clean the filter with tap water. What is the best way to
clean it? < I take out the filters sleeves and rinse it out under a
strong flow from a garden hose.> Usually once I month I take the
filter off the tank, empty it out, replace the carbon, and wash off all
the components inside (the impeller, etc.). Is there a different way I
should be doing it? < Sounds good to me.> Also, I never installed
the Bio-Wheel that it came with. I've read that they're great.
Can I still put it on with the filter? < A hex makes the logistics
somewhat challenging for installing the Bio-wheel attachment. It is
worth the effort to attach the bio-wheel if you don't mind the
noise it may create.> Will the tank be adversely affected or have to
cycle through again? < The bacteria needed for biological filtration
will eventually grow on the Bio-Wheel. If your tank is fine now then
adding the Bio-Wheel will only increase the biological stability of
your set up.> The H.O.T. Magnum filter can be a little tricky for me
to get back together correctly every time, and I'm thinking of
getting a new filter that's easier. Is there one you would
recommend? < I agree that all types of canister filters can be a
pain to service. Look at the Marineland brand of hang on types of power
filters. They have the Bio-Wheel built in but can be somewhat noisy..
Make sure that it will fit on the lip of your tank.> And if I do get
a new filter, will I destroy all the beneficial bacteria in the tank?
< Every time you clean your filter you essentially remove most of
the bacteria. The bacteria are probably established in the gravel.>
I don't want to kill any fish by doing something dumb. < Do a
water change when you change the filters and watch for ammonia spikes.
Don't vacuum the gravel for awhile because that will remove the
bacteria you need until the filter gets set up.> Finally, I always
add the Stress Coat at the end of the water change. I add the tap water
and then add the Stress Coat to the tank. Is that an ok way of doing
it? < Ideally the new water is in a separate container and the water
conditioner is added to the container and allowed a few minutes to
neutralize the toxins in the water. If your water is pretty good and
you do small water changes your method would probably be OK.> I
don't have a large enough container to add the Stress Coat to the
water before putting it in the tank. So when I add the Stress Coat, I
add enough for the entire tank (5 ML per 10 gallons of aquarium water,
so I add a little less than 30 ML). < Overdosing the Stress Coat
probably doesn't do much good. A good plastic 5 gallon bucket can
be obtained at almost any hardware store.> Thanks so much for all
your help! This has been a little more complicated than I thought!
Melissa < Thanks for the questions.-Chuck>
Filter Question, Hang-on, FW designs 9/1/08
Dear WWM Crew,
<Jean,>
I am interested in purchasing two new filters. I already have two
Whisper Power Filters. One is for a 10 gallon tank and the other is for
a 6.6 gallon tank. The 10 gallon tank holds four Danios and two Albino
Catfish.
<In my opinion, too small for both Danio rerio and Corydoras
paleatus; you're not going to see either species at its best
without more space... so would invest in a 20 gallon tank before
spending money on new filters. Definitely more worthwhile. Danios
should be kept in groups of six or more specimens; in smaller groups
they won't school properly and you have a serious risk of
individual fish "going rogue" and becoming nippy. Corydoras
paleatus (which is what the Albino Catfish is almost certainly) is
another gregarious species that is shy unless kept in largish groups.
Neither species will be truly happy in groups of 2-4 specimens.>
The 6.6 gallon tank will be holding one Betta Fish and possibly one or
two Albino Catfish. Is a Bio Wheel Filter better than a regular power
filter? And is a Bio Wheel Filter worth purchasing even if I already
own two Whisper Power Filters? Also, is there any advantage in using a
Bio Wheel Filter versus a power filter? Thanks for your help - Jean
<No great advantage to either design. I'm not a big fan of
"hang on the back" filters for various reasons (poor
mechanical filtration, gaps in hood allow jumpy fish to escape, many
designs are based around filter "modules" that waste space
and limit options). By default, external canister filters or decent
quality internal filters are my choices. I always go for designs that
let me choose what media I can use, and never ones with
"modules" that can only be assembled in one particular
configuration. For example a filter that insists on having a carbon or
ammonia-remover insert is a poor choice because neither media type is
essential or even useful in the average freshwater tank. Mostly these
filters are poor value for money and aimed at newbie fishkeepers.
I'd sooner have a plain vanilla air-powered box filter I can stuff
with ceramic noodles and filter floss than a more expensive, but likely
less effective, Whisper Power Filter of greater cost rated for the same
size tank. Finally, do concentrate on turnover rather than other fancy
features: for your small community fish, you want a turnover of not
less than 4 times the volume of the tank. In other words, a 20 gallon
tank would need a filter rated at 80 gallons per hour (GPH). Everything
else, bio-wheels, spray bars, and other such things are, at best,
gimmicks. The only things that truly matter are how much media (of your
choice) the filter holds; and how often the water moves through that
media. The rest is marketing! Cheers, Neale.>
Aquarium filtration is about to change. Advert./info.
announcement from Tetra - 7/2/08 Innovation Changes
Everything You're invited to an exclusive preview of the next
revolution in aquarium filtration. The soon- to-be-released Whisper[R]
EX Filtration Systems from Tetra combine eight new patent-pending
technologies, new materials and a complete redesign. The result? A new
standard in aquarium filtration technology. * Sleeker, quieter and more
efficient. * New patented carbon filter carrier makes filter changes
fast, clean and easy. * Exclusive Timestrip[R] technology takes the
guesswork out of when to change your filter. * Easier to use.
Whisper[R] EX is ready to go right out of the box. To experience the
next generation in aquarium filtration now, click here.
http://www.tetra-fish.com/sites/TetraFish/aquarium/AquariumContentTwoColumn.aspx?id=2416
<Nice graphic, ideas... Wish I were receiving monies for the
cartridge replacements. Bob Fenner>
Emperor 400 Microbubbles 4/12/08 Hello crew. I am
hoping for your help. I am getting micro-bubbles from emperor 400.
Makes the tank look cloudy. Any recommendations on how to fix this
problem? Thank you. Phil <Generally keeping your water level at or
near the level of the filter return will eliminate or at the very least
greatly reduce the bubble issue. You may need to top off the water
daily'¦price we pay for keeping aquariums! Welcome, hope
this helps, Scott V.>
How to Fix a Whisper Filter 4/7/08 Hey Crew,
<Hello.> I haven't seen this information on the Web so I just
wanted to pass it along to you. Recently, my Whisper HOB filter stopped
working. The motor was still spinning, but it was not drawing water up
the tube. I was feeling adventurous and decided to repair it with %100
success. Here's what I did: This will repair most any
non-functioning Whisper Filter The problem is most likely that your
Impeller has become detached from the magnet cylinder that spins
it...The impeller still spins, but not like it should....The following
is a (poorly made) ASCII Drawing of an impeller: D <--End Cap l I I
I I I I <--Impeller Head WW <--White Plastic Shaft --------
<--Top White Round Cap MMM MMM MMM <--Magnet MMM MMM --------
<--Bottom White Round Cap l l <--Metal Pin (it actually goes all
the way through the whole impeller) D <--End Cap Basically, you need
to silicone the "Top White Round Cap Back" onto the Magnet.
Use a proper silicone, %100, no mildew-icide...Put something like an
elastic or loose fitting vise-grips onto the newly siliconed joint, and
let sit for 24 hours. Cheers <Thank you for sharing this tip, it
will be passed along for the benefit of others. Nice diagram, Scott
V.>
|
New Tank question, stkg. Melanotaeniids,
Colisa lalia 3/12/08 Hello. I am new to aquariums and have
purchased several books and read tons on your site (which has
been VERY helpful) in an attempt to be the best fish owner
possible. I have some questions that I can't seem to find
specific answers to, even though I have done several searches on
your site. Some background info: I purchased my fish from a local
fish store that has the best reputation in the area. These are
the fish (all locally raised) I purchased based on their advice:
3 angels (started with 4, one just died after a bout with an eye
infection fish store thinks was due to injury - I removed sharp
fake rocks) <Bad choice for your first aquarium, and for what
it's worth, the eye infection is more likely aggression
between the Angels followed by a secondary infection. Fish just
don't normally scratch themselves.> 3 turquoise Gourami
(again started with 4 but one died almost instantly, fish store
said sometimes that "just happens"!??) <Fish Store
somewhat correct. These are Colisa lalia, a fish that is plagued
with an incurable viral disease. Inbred forms like the turquoise
variety are even more flimsy than otherwise. Colisa lalia is a
complete waste of money.> 2 blue rainbow <Should be kept in
groups of at least six specimens: Melanotaenia spp. are schooling
fish, so what you're doing is cruel. Depending on precisely
what species you have, these may be too large for your tank. Many
Melanotaenia reach 12-15 cm.> 2 Hoplo catfish (acquired about
3 months after the others) <Far too large for your aquarium;
Hoplosternum littorale gets to over 15 cm in length and is
extremely boisterous in temperament. A superb choice for a 55
gallon tank; an appalling one for anything smaller.> I have a
29 gallon tank that I set up and let run for 2 weeks before
purchasing any fish. <Just "running" isn't
enough -- how did you mature the filter? What source of ammonia
did you add? Ammonia from a bottle? Bits of rotting shellfish? If
you did nothing, and just let it sit there, then it is no more
cycled after two weeks than it was when you started.> All the
fish did fine in their new home (excepting the one Gourami). I
test my water regularly and do a 20-30% water change every week.
I have had the tank set up for almost 6 months so now I am in the
process of adding live plants. (I put in 2 live plants a couple
of weeks ago and they did well so I just added some more). So now
on to the question(s): What is the best temperature for this
grouping of fish? The fish store said 72F but everything I read
says it should be warmer. Should I listen to local advise or let
majority rule? <Neither. Science isn't democratic or based
on local wisdom. Each fish has its own preferences dependent on
its point of origin. Buy and read a decent aquarium book so you
don't have to depend on what the guy in the shop says. Aiming
for 25 C/77F would be about right for your fish.> I have been
having a heck of a time keeping the water quality stable. It
seems I am always fighting against high ammonia or high
nitrites/nitrates. Since I monitor this regularly, I am able to
take corrective action before I get any further than the
"mildly stressful" levels according to the test kits -
but I would REALLY like to get everything stable and not always
be worrying about what is going wrong!! <Poor water quality
depends on three factors: stocking, food, and filtration. If you
are getting poor water quality even six months after setting the
tank up, then you are either overstocked, overfeeding, and/or
under-filtering. Pick and choose from these. Do also check you
aren't doing anything stupid like killing the filter bacteria
every time you open the filter, for example by changing all the
media or running the media under a hot tap.> I have hard water
with a pH of 6.8 and currently my ammonia and nitrite readings
are 0. <Fine.> I think maybe I am feeding too much? I read
that as long as all the food is eaten in a couple of minutes,
then it is the correct amount. <Depends on the fish and the
food. A juvenile Angelfish for example needs 3-4
"flakes" per day. Consider each flake about the same a
medium-sized steak would be to a human. Alternately, a single
wet-frozen cube of bloodworms would be adequate for all your fish
for one day. Fish need very small amounts of food.> My fish do
eat all the food in that time period and come to the top
afterward acting like they are starving, so could it be I am
still feeding too much? <Maybe.> How do you know exactly
how much to feed? This question has been driving me crazy for six
months! I alternate between flake food and frozen brine shrimp,
and I just started giving seaweed 1-2 times a week. I don't
want to overfeed but I also don't want my fish to be hungry!
<Well-fed fish should have a gently rounded abdomen. If the
abdomen looks chunky or swollen, you're overfeeding; if the
ventral surface is concave or "knife-edge" in
appearance, you're underfeeding.> Then I just got a new
filter. The one I had was an used AquaClear 70 that worked OK but
made a horrible racket and I just couldn't take the noise any
more! So I purchased a Marineland Emperor 400 (for up to 80
gallon tank) as I liked the idea of the bio-wheels and not
risking the biological filtration every time I cleaned the
filter. I know this is big for my tank but I went with the
assumption that it would keep the water cleaner (and maybe
therefore help stabilize everything) and also I hope to get a
bigger tank in the future and this way I won't have to buy
another new filter. I added the filter material from the old
filter to start with (planning to remove it in a couple of weeks)
in an attempt to keep the biological filtration going - I have no
idea if this worked. <Should do, but don't remove the old
filter media for at least 6 weeks.> But this filter makes the
water much more active and I don't know if my fish like it!
My Gouramis are turning darker since the change, even though they
are eating and swimming normally. Is this grouping of fish OK
with active water or should I change back to a smaller filter
that won't move the water so much? They are all swimming
around fine, not seeming to be buffeted or anything, but I notice
it especially when feeding as the flakes now move rapidly around
the tank and the fish get pretty hyper chasing the food. Is this
stressful? My rainbows are chasing each other at feeding time and
they never used to do that. <What matters is water turnover.
Look at your filter: it will have a turnover rating in gallons
(or litres) per hour. Compare this to your tank. You are after
4-6 times the volume of the tank in turnover per hour.> I
raised the water temperature to 77F when I was dealing with the
hurt angel (per fish store) and I haven't lowered it yet.
Could that be the reason for the hyper behavior and color
changes? <No idea, but leave the temperature there anyway.>
Overall my fish seem happy with each other and the new plants
(nibbling on them and hiding in them), but the angels are
starting to get really big and I know the rainbows and Hoplo can
get big too so I am worried about whether they will continue to
get along. Or if maybe the angels are harassing the Gouramis and
that is the reason for them getting darker colored? <Possible,
and the Hoplosternum are also a bit more robust that one would
normally want with Gouramis.> I also notice a white area on 2
of the Gouramis (it is not raised or cottony or anything, looks
more like a small layer of scales is gone) which makes me wonder
if there is some fighting going on of which I am not aware.
<Or the start of Dwarf Gourami Iridovirus.> I want to be a
good fish owner and I love my fish, but so far I have spent much
more time worrying than enjoying! How do I create a happy, stable
aquarium environment? <Primarily by reading first. Knowledge
is power.> I apologize for the long message. Thanks so much
for your help and all the invaluable information on your website!
Cathy <Good luck, Neale.>
Re: New Tank question... Outside power filter 3/14/08
Thank you for your response to my questions. Your response has
raised two more questions. I did search your site before writing
to you again, and I spent almost 3 hours reading without finding
the answers to my questions, so I hope it's OK to write to
you again. <It's fine! Ask away!> The first is
concerning the fish I was advised to purchase. I am stuck with
these fish now and want to make the best of the situation.
<Agreed.> I feel really bad about the rainbows and plan to
get a larger tank and more rainbows as soon as it is possible. So
that leads to my question - I have already had these fish for 6
months and am not sure how long it will take me to gather the
money for the larger tank set-up - at that point, I can only
assume that the rainbow fish I have are going to be a good bit
larger than the new fish. Is this going to be a problem in terms
of them getting along and schooling, etc.? <Shouldn't be a
problem. Rainbowfish usually school with one another happily
regardless of size. Mature males might chase one another, but
normally no harm is done.> I'm also very aggravated that
they told me to get the Hoplos as I told them I wanted two small
catfish... and they were small when I got them :-) but have grown
an enormous amount already and are very, very active - running
into/over all the other fish if they happen to be in their way
<Indeed, Hoplosternum littorale is far from a
"small" catfish.> The 2nd question regards my new
filter... it turns over 400 gallons per hours. I have a 29 gallon
tank so this is obviously more than 4 to 6 times the volume of
the tank. Does that mean I am now over-filtering? <Seriously?
400 gallons per hour is a HUGE filter. This would be a
top-of-the-line filter costing several hundred dollars and would
be churning a 29 gallon tank into something like Niagara Falls!
I'm pretty sure you're misreading something, and what you
have is a 400 litres per hour filter, which is pretty standard
for an entry-level filter. 400 litres is about 100 US gallons, or
in other words a turnover about 3 and a bit times the volume of
your tank per hour. Under-filtering rather than
over-filtering.> Do I need to get rid of this filter and get
something smaller? I am reluctant to do that (since I am planning
to get a bigger tank), but I will if it is what is best for the
fish. <Save up for the aquarium. At this point your problem is
you have a bunch of fish that need a bit more space than you
have. I'd recommend at least 55 US gallons. To keep costs
down, save up for that tank and then install an undergravel
filter. Coupled with the filter you already have, these two
different filters will combine to provide excellent water
quality. Undergravel filters aren't compatible with plants
that have roots, but they're fine with floating plants and
plants stuck to rocks (like Anubias and Java fern). Old school
technology perhaps, but cheap and effective.> Thanks again for
your help! Cathy <Cheers, Neale.>
Re: New Tank question... filter According to the box,
my filter does run 400 gallons per hour (see specs below)! It is
a huge filter - taking up most of the back of the tank. I paid
around $80.00 for it. The water is active but not churning...
should I get something smaller? Or maybe just figure out how to
adjust the flow pump (that wasn't in the directions)? Thanks!
Cathy Marineland - Emperor 400 Power Filters *Model Number **400*
*Flow Rate (L/H) * 1500 *Aquarium Size (L) *<300 *Flow Rate
(GPH) * 400 *Aquarium Size (G) * <80 <Hi Cathy. Okely
dokely; my mistake. But seriously, a 400 gallon per hour filter
on a 29 gallon tank will have a turnover of more than 13 times
per hour. That's more than the average marine aquarium! I
can't imagine angelfish and other community fish of that sort
being happy. The normal turnover for community tanks with
freshwater fish is between 4-6 times per hour. In other words,
just as the ratings suggest, this filter would be ideal for an 80
gallon tank (5 x 80 = 400). So yes, I'd be looking for a
smaller filter, and would save this one for as/when you get a
large tank. Cheers, Neale.>
An addendum: Regarding Emperor 400 filter On 3/14/08 Neale
answered a question from Cathy (Re: New Tank question)
3/15/08 Hi there, Crew! I just had a note to add. Regarding
Emperor 400 filter On 3/14/08 Neale answered a question from
Cathy (Re: New Tank question) regarding her Emperor 400 filter on
her 29 gallon tank. Neale suspected that this filter couldn't
possibly be so vigorous as 400 gph, but this is actually what it
is rated at! In fact, I've seen two of these filters powering
a 250 gallon tank with a single Koi, at my fave Pan Asian
restaurant. It seems to suffice. This web page explains some
basic modifications you can make to maximize efficiency:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/power_filter_tricks_v.php
Emperor filters are workhorses, and they do deliver ample flow.
Unfortunately, these filters are the "cartridge type"
with some blue floss and crumbles of carbon in a grid...I
*highly* recommend to anyone who uses them, that they swap out
the disposable cartridges for the largest AquaClear media they
can find. Specifically the foam sponges and the Biomax bags. All
of my tanks have hang-on back filters (some also employ canister
filtration) and I use AquaClear media on all of the hang-on back
filters, even though some of them are not AquaClears. The
AquaClear media comes in an array of sizes, so will fit most any
HOB filter. Rinseable, reusable media is the way to go!
Incidentally, that filter must be roiling the water on that 29
gallon tank a whole lot. Since as I recall, Cathy has three dwarf
Gouramis in there, maybe she should try to diffuse that flow a
bit. One suggestion would be to secure floating plastic plants
just under the filter's flow path. Some black binder clips
holding up the plants on either side of the filter ought to do
the trick, although a more elegant and lasting solution could
probably be effected eventually. Just food for thought! As
always, thank you for all your efforts. Nicole <Thanks much
for this Nicole. Will send along to NealeM and accumulate. Bob
Fenner> <As Bob said, thanks for this. Without the filter
being named in the original e-mail, I simply had a hard time
imagining anyone would put such a big filter on such a small
tank. But I was wrong! I agree with you, the water current is
perhaps overkill for Gouramis, but then again, I imagine the
"gallons per hour" of the average Southeast Asian river
is pretty substantial, too! Cheers, Neale.>
|
Filter Recommendations - 02/06/07 I forwarded my last email
to you, below is what I sent. Just to elaborate on that, I was looking
into penguin, Emperor and whisper hang-on power filters. So pretty much
it was between those unless you have a better one to recommend.
Currently my Rena does 350gph, how many more gph would I need for an
overstocked 75g African tank? Thanks again Bob I appreciate it. <The
Penguin and Emperor filter lines are both made by the same company,
Marineland. Go with an Emperor 400. Has Bio-wheels and overflow when it
needs serviced. Nice filter. When you get tired or cleaning on the Rena
you will really appreciate the Emperor. The best filter is the one you
will clean the most often.-Chuck>
Airstones inside H.O.T. filters? 1/15/08 Hello, Brando here.
<Hello.> I have a 90 gal. Malawi cichlid tank- 1 acei, 3 red
peacock, 1 albino ice blue, 2 yellow labs, 2 red zebra, 1 jewel, 1 CAE,
1 African lace cat. <Quite an interesting collection!> Filtration
is 2 TopFin 60 H.O.T. filters. <OK.> I have always used carbon as
the filter media, however I am considering switching out the carbon for
a different media. <A no-brainer: do it. Carbon doesn't have any
significant benefit in freshwater tanks. All carbon does is remove
dissolved organics, which 25-50% water changes per week will be taking
care of anyway. On the downside, carbon is wasting space that could be
used for better biological media that would actually help water
quality, or mechanical media that would improve water clarity. In a
Malawi cichlid tank, even the use of a calcareous substrate, like
crushed coral, would be more useful for its pH-buffering, KH-raising
effects.> The TopFin 60 is a dual-well filter and I have two of them
on the tank. Should I replace the media all at once, or should I do
just one side of each filter to avoid any sudden changes? <All at
once. Then take the carbon out to the garden, and ceremonially burn it,
to signify your rejection of Stone Age fishkeeping in favour of the
Modern Era.> What media would you recommend? <Anything would be
better. Depends on what you're after. As noted above, a calcareous
substrate would be useful. But if you're going for better water
quality, then a decent ceramic media like Siporax wouldn't be a bad
choice.> Also, would it be wise to place airstones into the bottoms
of these filters (so that bubbles rise up through and around the cotton
pouches which hold the media) to supply more oxygen to the media?
<Worth a shot. Certainly can't hurt. But if those filters
already are open to the air and have water sluicing across the media,
then the bacteria may well have all the oxygen they need. In which case
placing the airstones in the tank to improve water circulation might be
a better use of resources.> Thank you so much, Brand <Cheers,
Neale.>
Canister vs. Hang-on, FW 01/13/2008 I have been
looking at your site, and have seen filtration questions answered
differently. My tank is a 30 gallon with a H.O.T.. Magnum and a double
bio-wheel by Marineland. Not many fish as to an ammonia spike. I have a
Fluval 304 and a Fluval 404 that I could use. My question is-Canister
vs. Hang-On. Would I be better off using one of the canisters? Someone
told me the Bio-Wheel is not a good choice, and others say it is. Could
you please give me your opinion on this. Thank you for your time.
<Greetings. There's no short answer to this: it's a case of
"horses for courses". All things being equal, a tropical
aquarium needs about 4 times the volume of the tank in turnover per
hour when small things like Neons and Guppies are kept; that goes up to
about 6 times for larger fish such as Goldfish, and as much as 10 times
for sensitive or mess creatures, such as big catfish, marines, Oscars,
and so on. So a 100 litre aquarium with small fish needs filtration
that equals at least 400 litres of turnover per hour. So far, so good.
But not all filters excel at the same things. Canister filters are very
good at mechanical filtration. Water is sucked in under pressure,
forced through sponges or whatever, and then back into the tank. But
because the canister is closed to the atmosphere the only oxygen it
gets is through the water, and the bacteria can easily used up this
supply as the water goes through the filter media. End result is that
canister filters are less effective at biological filtration than
filters that are open to the aquarium or open to the air, such as
trickle filters or wet-and-dry filters. On the flip side, low-pressure
trickle and wet-and-dry filters aren't so good at trapping solid
waste. They don't generate much pressure, and the water doesn't
pass through much mechanical filter media. Your hang-on-the-back filter
is some sort of low-pressure filter, with a pump pulling water quite
gently into the box where it sluices through chambers open to the air.
That's great for biological filtration, but less good for
mechanical filtration. The "ideal" is ultimately about
choosing what your fish need most. If you're keeping Goldfish, then
mechanical filtration is paramount, since these fish produce a lot of
silt, partly as faeces, but also because they root about the bottom of
the tank all the time. But if you were keeping marines, where tanks are
lightly stocked but the livestock very sensitive to ammonia, then
biological filtration is the prime issue. Realistically, provided you
adhere to the 4x, 6x, or 10x rules outlined above, it shouldn't
matter too much, but one idea to use two types of filter, so that you
get the best of both worlds. Hope this helps, Neale.>
Filter
intake problems, HOB 11/30/07 Hello WWM folks, <Hello
Melissa,> I have a 15 gallon freshwater tank that completed its
cycle two days ago. It was set up on the 15th of November. I cycled
with fish - five blackskirt tetras - and seeded with sponge media from
another tank. Yesterday, I did a 50% water change and added three
peppered Corys. <Hmm... a bit small for these species. Your tetras,
Gymnocorymbus ternetzi, get to around 5 cm long and are hyperactive
little fish. The Corydoras paleatus can get even bigger: I have
specimens around the 7 cm mark. So while things might be fine now, I
have to confess that I think your tank will be very cramped once these
fish grow up. Do also remember that Gymnocorymbus ternetzi is a
semi-parasitic fish. It eats the fins and scales from slow-moving fish.
It cannot be kept with anything slow-moving, and your Corydoras are
likely to get nipped periodically as well. When kept with things with
long fins, like Guppies, Angelfish and Gouramis, Gymnocorymbus ternetzi
simply shred their fins, resulting in fungal infections and the like.
In short, not a community species, despite its wide sale as such.>
However, when I was planting the tank (Vallisneria, water sprite,
Anubias and some moss, if it matters), a lot of bits of roots and
leaves fell off the plants. <This happens when plants are moved.
They don't like being moved.> I left these bits in the tank to
decompose and help the cycle along. <Not a very good idea!> Now
that the cycle is over, I've removed the small bits of leaves and
roots, but there still remains quite a lot of detritus that I'm
pretty sure resulted from the rotting plants. For some reason, my
filter doesn't seem to be doing its job in getting rid of this
detritus. I don't mean actual pieces of plant, I mean tiny specks
of detritus, like dust or dirt. <Simply means inadequate mechanical
filtration. Hang-on filters are especially bad for this, being
optimized for biological filtration but providing little to no
mechanical filtration.> I have a HOB filter that filters 450 L/h (my
tank is 57 L). I have no dead spots in there as far as I can tell. The
detritus circulates around the tank due to the current produced by the
filter's waterfall, settles on the leaves of my plants or on my
sand substrate, but never actually gets sucked up. <A common problem
with this sort of filter. Your filter is theoretically adequate for
biological filtration, but if you're seeing silt in the tank,
that's empirical proof that mechanical filtration (removal of solid
particles) is inadequate. Two solutions: add more filtration, or do
more water changes. Your move.> I removed the bottom part of the
intake tube which seems to have improved the suction. With the entire
intake tube intact, I could feel absolutely no suction when I placed my
finger at the end of it, but when I removed the bottom part I could
feel some very slight suction, but nothing strong enough to take a
fish. However, it doesn't seem to be making all that much
difference. <Sounds as if the filter is clogged. Assuming the pump
itself is working, take a look at the filter media. As the media gets
clogged up, water flow through the filter drops. Solution: clean the
media. Biological media can be cleaned a bucket of aquarium water by
squeezing it a few times. Mechanical media can be aggressively washed
under a running tap. Carbon can be taken out and buried in the garden.
You have no need for it in your sort of aquarium. Replace that part of
the filter with something like filter wool.> Obviously this
subtracts terribly from the aesthetic value of my tank, but I'm
also very worried for my nitrate levels. I fear that with this huge
amount of detritus around, my nitrates are going to spike and then I
will be faced with a whole host of new problems. <No... plant
detritus is mostly cellulose with little to no protein content (review
your biology classes at school, and why carnivores only need to have
small meals, but herbivores must graze for hours and hours at a time).
So the effect on nitrate is minimal. One flake of flake food probably
has more protein than a whole Amazon swordplant! But what silt and
plant material will do is block the filter, and once water flow gets
too low, the removal of ammonia and nitrite by the bacteria becomes
inadequate.> Any help is deeply appreciated. Thanks. -Melissa
<Hope that this helps, Neale.>
Re: Filter intake problems 11/30/07 Hi Neale,
Regarding the maximum size of the fish - I have never heard this
before. <A common problem. This is why investing in an aquarium book
is such a good idea. The public library will have many, I'm sure.
Always look up the maximum size of fish *before* purchase.> I was
told that I could have up to six Corys in my tank. Thanks for the heads
up. <Ah, depends on the Corydoras. Peppered Corydoras are very
tolerant any may be fine enough. My specimens will happily spawn in an
8 gallon tank! But personally, I'd consider a 15 gallon tank a
little on the small size for Peppered Corys. Small species, perhaps,
but Peppers get to a fair old size when kept properly. Certainly
upwards of 5 cm, and potentially around 7 cm.> What kind of
additional filtration do you think I need? <To start with, I'd
just try manual cleaning. Siphon out 50% of the water at a time (what I
recommend you do once a week regardless). Put your finger over the
spout to 'shoo' away any fish that get too close. Use the
siphon like a vacuum cleaner, sucking up detritus as best you can.
Assuming the plants are actually thriving and not slowly dying, you
should be able to remove all the dead material by doing this. If you
want, repeat every day until the tank is spick-and-span.> I
wouldn't have thought my tank needed a canister filter. I washed
the filter media, but to no avail. <Your filter probably just
doesn't have much mechanical filtration capacity. Many don't.
For small fish in unplanted or lightly planted tanks it really
isn't a big deal. Mechanical filtration becomes more critical with
filthy fish like Goldfish and big Cichlids, and in planted tanks with a
lot of decaying vegetation. But as I say, for now, hold off buying
another filter. It may well be that 'vacuuming' the tank a few
times will do the trick.> I don't use carbon in my filter.
<Good.> Thanks, -Melissa <Cheers, Neale.>
Filter Intake, FW 9/26/07 I have a 2.5 gallon tank that I
have a Crown Tail Betta in. I just added 2 zebra Danios today. I
noticed one had gone missing a few hours after I put them in the tank.
<Eaten?> I looked around, he was gone. No little body floating,
nothing. I have a Whisper filter with the top of the water almost level
so I looked into my filter and found my fish! At first I thought he
might have swam into the filter, so I took out a little water, but he
was on the back side of the filter. I'm thinking that he either
swam up the intake part of the filter, or he was sucked in. Is there
any sort of cover that I can place to keep him from swimming/getting
sucked into it again? (If he does it again, I may not find him until
its too late!) Or do I need to get a different type of filter? This is
the filter that came with the tank set up. Thanks. <Mmm... most
outside powerfilters have such screens... on their intakes... Are the
Danios so small they can fit in anyway? I would cut, fix a piece of
plastic screen door material over the existing intake if so... likely
with a zip-tie/Panduit. Bob Fenner> I might want to clarify what
kind of whisper filter I have: it is an In-take filter. Right now I put
some of my gravel closer to the intake, so maybe they wont wander under
there! <Maybe...>
Filtration and oxygen, FW 7/17/07 Hi,
guys. <<Tom here.>> Quick question. <<Okay. (I'll
have one for you when I close. ;) >> I have installed a second
filter on my 55 gallon discus tank, in order to allow it to mature
before my new and larger tank comes. <<I like your thinking.
Excellent move!>> My primary filter is an Eheim 2026 (rated up to
92 gallons) and the new one is an Emperor 400. <<The Emperor
won't take long to establish and nice choice.>> I plan to run
them both together for a month before placing them both on the new 90
gallon aquarium. <<Again, good planning!>> Here is my
question: I have a bubble bar in the aquarium. Should I remove it since
the HOB filter should provide some oxygenation of the water?
<<Nope. The more, the better. Oxygen in the tank is at a
'premium'. Unless utility costs are an issue, I'd keep it
going.>> I do not intend to allow the water level in the aquarium
to fall enough for the water coming off of the Emperor to make much
splash/noise. <<Got one myself. The 'noise factor', in my
opinion, is vastly over-stated (if you read the reviews). Switched it
out from a large Aqua-Clear model (a very good filter), which made a
heck of a lot more 'water' noise. Just me, perhaps, but I
don't think you'll be disappointed'¦in the
least!>> Thank you for your reply! <<You're welcome.
(Now, two things. I like to know who I'm talking to, first of all.
Second, there's a SHIFT key on your keyboard that's used to
capitalize letters that are meant to be capitalized. 'Old
school', perhaps, but we have to proofread AND answer questions
before submitting them. Your question, and our responses, go on the Web
for everyone in the world (including those who might not have English
as their 'first' language) to read. 'Nuff said. ;) )
Tom>>
How often should filter cartridges be cleaned/replaced --
05/21/07 Dear Crew, <Nicole.> I have what is likely a silly
question about filtration, but I've been puzzling on it for a while
and I can't seem to figure it out. I have a 10 gal tank with a
Tetra Whisper Power filter, and my question is this: the
manufacturer's instructions suggest changing the cartridges once
per month, but if I throw out the cartridge, won't I be throwing
out the beneficial bacteria that are growing on it? <You are
right.> How long will it take the bacteria to re-establish
themselves in the new cartridge <A few days, many will be left in
the substrate and on the decorations.>, and will this be harmful to
the stability of my tank? <It could, if you'd also clean
decorations and substrate.> Should I just be rinsing the cartridges
out <Yes, just rinse the cartridges as soon as you recognize water
flow to become significantly weaker or when water just overflows the
tube like chamber. Those cotton or foam like materials can last for
several years, only wool in other models needs to be replaced more
often.> and replacing the carbon instead of changing them every
month? <You do not need to use carbon at all. New activated carbon
will only be good for one or two weeks. It's only useful in
specific cases e.g. to help removing some chemicals such as remedies or
certain toxins. It needs to be introduced fresh to your filter in such
cases.> Thanks in advance for your help, my tank is going along so
well and I just don't want to mess it up! Nicole. <You are
welcome. Have fun with your tank. Marco.>
Quiet Skilter 250? Skilter Problems 4/12/07 I got a used
Skilter 250 (came without box or instructions) in a batch of equipment.
I set it up on a 10 Gal. freshwater tank currently only occupied by 1
P. bridgesii snail, castles, & some live plants (there are fish
coming, though). <Generally skimmers do not work in freshwater for
various reasons unless the water is very very dirty. They require the
increased surface tension of salt water to maintain the bubbles long
enough to work properly, which does not happen in freshwater.> It
runs quietly (quiet waterfall noise is quite pleasant, so I'm
bidding on another for a similar tank for just a few fish). <Can you
cancel your bid?> But in 2 weeks+, nothing in the cup!
<Expected.> I thought, well, the water IS pretty clean... After
reading the posts concerning the Skilter 250, I have to wonder--is
there something I have to do, to turn the Protein Skimmer part on? You
are probably ROTFL right now, but I didn't notice a separate
switch... Please advise. Linda Willis <Your problem is that skimmers
just don't work in freshwater, and the Skilter in particular have a
reputation of not working in salt water either.> <Chris>
Impossible <Marineland> Filter Cartridge -- 3/26/07
Hello. <Hi.> I am a new tank owner and I need to change my
filter. Stupid me didn't buy replacement cartridges when I bought
the filter. That was two hours away from my home. Now, I can't find
the cartridges even on line. I bought a Deluxe AQUA-Tech power filter
and it says to use EZ-Change #1 Filter Cartridges. I can't find
them anywhere. <I'm not seeing much out there either. Perhaps
not a current model. Hmmm.> I know AQUA-Tech is made by Marineland
and I still can't figure out which filters will work. Can you
please help me? <Marineland changed their size designations recently
to Rite-Size, complete with color-coding. So some of the older sizes
might have new and improved designations. I would measure the old
filter cartridge and go to a more convenient pet store and try to match
the size in the new designations. Or call Marineland customer service.
Their info is listed on their website www.marineland.com.> Thank you
for your time. Jennifer <Welcome. Alex>
Siporax in power filter question, FW ap. 2/23/07 Crew-
<Michael> I hope all is well. I'm writing today with a few
questions regarding the placement of Siporax beads. Specifically,
I'm setting up a 15-gallon freshwater dwarf puffer tank. I'm
using an Aquaclear Mini (100 gph) for filtration. Inside the Aqua
clear's media chamber, I'd like to place a Dacron bag filled
with Siporax beads for their nitrification and denitrification
benefits. <An excellent idea, proposition> I plan to cut the
sponge in half to increase the volume of Siporax that I can place into
the filter. I also plan on using Aqua clear's carbon insert in the
media chamber (in between the sponge and the Siporax). My actual
question regards exposing the Siporax bag to air when cleaning the
filter. Will I be drastically harming the anaerobic population if I
transfer the Dacron bag from the filter (through the air) to a small
bowl filled with aquarium water (and then back when finished cleaning)?
<Mmm, no... the majority of said anaerobes are located deep within
the fractured areas of these sintered glass beads> I realize that
the anaerobic colony resides in the anoxic "innards" of the
beads (devoid of oxygen), but I have no idea if air will penetrate
these regions during such a transfer. Any help is always greatly
appreciated. Also, if you feel that my placement of media should be
rearranged in any way (in terms of order), I value your advice. Thanks,
Mike <Likely little issue here... I would avoid much in the way of
rinsing such media... Bob Fenner>
Filter Recommendations - 02/11/2007 Hey Chuck, we were
speaking about power filters yesterday. I just went and purchased the
penguin (bio-wheel) HOB power filter. The Emperor was a bit out of my
price range but I was wondering how you feel about BioWheels? < I
love them. I think they are a great asset to any aquarium filter. If
they had them for air driven filters I would have them on them too.>
I am using this on an overstocked 75g African Cichlid tank as an
addition to my Rena Filstar Xp3. The Aquaclear is within my price range
compared to the Emperor so now I am considering buying one of those for
my 55g. I never realized until just now that the media in the Aquaclear
is much like a wet dry filter. Is the Aquaclear filtration setup more
effective than the bio wheel setup, or are they similar? Also, which is
the most quiet between the Penguin and the Aquaclear? Thanks a lot.
Jason McCorry < The limiting factor to biological filtration is
oxygen. That is why the Bio-wheels are out of the water. They are
probably the most efficient media for bacteria to grow
on.-Chuck>
Filter Choices, FW power 2/12/07 Hey Chuck, just a follow up.
After reading your email regarding the Penguin filter I went and
returned it. Still, the Emperor is way out of my price range (strictly
because it's only an add-on filter for an already powerful
canister). So I went and bought the Hagen Aquaclear 110 (pumps 500gph),
do you think this is a better choice than the Penguin? < It does not
have a Bio-Wheel so I think you will be missing out on some of the
biological filtration it would have provided. The Hagen is fine. Lots
of water movement with very good mechanical filtration.> I've
read a lot of reviews on this filter, but what's your opinion on
it? Where does it stand in ranking amongst the Emperor etc.? Thanks
Chuck < I am still a big fan of the Marineland filters with the
Bio-wheel attachments. I have had them run for many many years without
any problems. The Hagen filters are good I just do not have any recent
hands on experience with them.-Chuck>
Tetra GC30 Hydroclean tank siphon, r/etail is best? 1/29/07
Hi, I've decided to buy a Tetra GC30 Hydroclean tank siphon. The
only problem is that I can't seem to find a dealer in the U.S. I
tried to order one from a UK store and they wanted 45 bucks, just to
deliver it! <Wow!> I live in South Carolina, and was wondering if
you guys know of a closer online dealer. I have found U.S. sites that
sell Tetra products but not the GC30 I'm looking for. Thanks for
your time, Greg <Mmm... I'd try a good-sized local store or
two... see if they'll allow you to special order this for you... or
try the "usual suspects" etailers here... Custom Aquatic,
Marine Depot... and dang the torpedoes. BobF>
Note about AquaClear filter 1/10/07 Hi! <Hello there>
Just a quick note about the AquaClear filters. It is my understanding
that the AquaClear Mini is now called AquaClear 20. <Mmm, something
like this: http://www.hagen.com/usa/aquatic/basic/4-1.cfm> Just
thought it might help people trying to buy this piece of equipment! (I
own the old version myself). Audrey <Thank you for this. Hopefully
Hagen (the manufacturer) will provide cross-indexing for their media,
et al. Bob Fenner>
Re: Note about AquaClear filter 1/11/07 Hi
again Bob! <Audrey> > Just a quick note about the AquaClear
filters. It is my understanding that the AquaClear Mini is now called
AquaClear 20. > <Mmm, something like this: http://www.hagen.com/usa/aquatic/basic/4-1.cfm>
Like this one:
http://www.hagen.com/usa/aquatic/product.cfm?CAT=1&SUBCAT=107&PROD_ID=01005950020101
> <Thank you for this. Hopefully Hagen (the manufacturer) will
provide cross-indexing for their media, et al. Bob Fenner> They do,
but the writing on the box is *tiny*! Audrey <Perhaps a note to Rolf
and Dieter in Canada re...? Manufacturers do appreciate such input.
RMF>
Re: Tom: Snail update and hang-on filter trick -
12/04/06 Hello Tom, <<Hello again, Rachel.>> I wanted
to update you on the cuttlefish bone addition for my mystery snail.
<<Updates are always welcome, Rachel.>> The bone seems to
be very slowly dissolving into the water, and his shell has stopped
deteriorating. The tank's pH has not changed. Once in a while I
notice the snail munching while on the bone, but I couldn't say
whether he's munching the bone or a bit of algae off the surface. I
don't see any tell-tale teeth marks. Worth noting, though, is the
fact that he did chew with gusto on one of those terrible plaster
"vacation feeders." The pet store had run out of automatic
feeders... thankfully I got my family to bring me an automatic feeder
just in time for break, and I pulled the awful plaster thing out of my
tank! But anyway, the bone seems to have served its purpose.
<<I've never used a vacation feeder but, since plaster is
largely composed of calcium sulfate, perhaps yours wasn't so
'terrible' after all or, at the least, your snail knows
something we don't. :) >> I also wanted to pass on a trick I
discovered for my Whisper Micro in-tank filter. My tank is a MiniBow
kit and I've written in before about a few modifications that can
be made to these kits to make them quieter and healthier. One more! I
had some leftover filter sponge from covering the intake of the filter,
so I slipped a piece behind the filter body. It helps keep the filter
from resting on the tank wall (which it's not supposed to do
anyway; the suction cup is supposed to prop it up but it's too
flat) so the vibrations and noise are greatly reduced. I also padded
the hook that hangs the filter from the tank's lip with a bit of
sponge. Sounds much better! And it feels better too now that the tank
isn't vibrating, for me since this tank sits on my desk, and
hopefully for Terrence the Betta inside too. <<I like your
thinking, Rachel. Thanks for passing this along to us and the rest of
our readers.>> Thanks for your help, Tom! Rachel <<Happy to
have been of assistance, Rachel, and thanks for the nice update and
tip. My best to you. Tom>>
Using established
tank to put bacteria on new bio-wheel 11/4/06 Hello WWM crew,
<Helen> I was wondering if it would be possible to put beneficial
bacteria on a new bio-wheel, for a new filter system, for a new tank,
by putting it as a decoration in a tank that has already cycled (not
making it a part of the cycled tanks filter system). This would be for
say a few weeks and then set up the new aquarium. <Yes, can work...
better to inoculate the "wheel" by hooking the whole filter
up, and running it though> Okay a bit of history. The cycled tank is
a 3 gallon one, it had two fish in it, a Synodontis and a Keyhole
Cichlid, <Yikes... too small...> up until a few weeks ago when I
was forced to relocate a guppy into the tank, due to a fin-nipping
fish. All of these fish are small. The biggest is the Syno. and he is
only about 1 1/2" long. So, there is no hurry to relocate these
fish yet. Toxin levels are as follows:* Ammonia - <0mg/L Nitrites -
0mg/L Nitrates - 10ppm *this is with the guppy in there for a week.
*These numbers may actually be lower as I recently did a water change.
The new tank will be a ten gallon tank because it's the biggest I
could get for the space I have. It will be using a Penguin filter. I
can't remember if it's a 100 or 150, but it's the smallest
one I could find (space issue). I plan to move as much as I can from
the cycled tank to the new one, but do you think it would be a good
idea, or would it at least help the new tank cycle a little faster if I
did as I proposed. <Is a very good idea/practice> Much appreciate
any help you could provide. halexander9 <You have read: can't
seem to open here in Cambodia... but WWM FW really biol. filtration...
Articles and FAQs files. Bob Fenner>
Power Filter
Choice 9/4/06 Hello there, <<Hello, Steve. Tom>>
I currently have a 55 gallon planted discus tank. I have four 3-4 inch
discus and one 5 inch Pleco. I am currently running a Jebo canister
filter along with a Penguin 125 power filter. I realize the Jebo was a
terrible choice. Guess I had to learn for myself that it is worth it to
pay extra to get something decent. I would like to replace the filters
and was considering either an Emperor 400 or an Aquaclear. Due to the
brace on the middle of the tank, an Emperor would have to be off
centered and I worry about not getting a good circulation of water in
the tank. I like the simplicity of the AquaClear filters. I thought
that maybe it would be a good idea to use two smaller Aquaclear filters
in order to create better circulation. (Maybe two Aquaclear 50's) I
realize that opinions vary, but what would you do in this situation?
<<Steve, both the Emperor and AquaClear models are good choices
for this style of filter. My preference for the AquaClear filters is
only due to my own experience with them as I've never had a bit of
trouble with any that I've owned (I currently have two running, a
50 and a 70). Were it me, I'd probably opt to go with two AquaClear
70's - as opposed to 50's - just to get the extra filtering
capacity on a tank the size of yours.>> Thanks for taking the
time to help. Hope you are having a great Labor Day Weekend. Steve
<<Happy to help, Steve, and I hope you're enjoying your
holiday weekend as well. Tom>>
Extra Media Slots (Penguin
200 and 350) For an additional Rite-Size Filter Cartridge or Penguin
Refillable Media Cartridge for enhanced chemical filtration.
6/13/06 I just bought a Penguin Power filter 200 model. Can you
tell me the purpose and proper settings for the mid level filter, My
tank is 29 Gal fresh water. Thank you Tom <Per the above spiel,
these hang-on outside power filters have an extra gap to place either
stock cartridge or a refillable media cartridge... Bob
Fenner>
Re: Extra Media Slots (Penguin 200 and
350) For an additional Rite-Size Filter 6/14/06 Thank you for the
response. I was looking for the proper setting of the midlevel filter
level that is half way down the extension that goes in the water. It
says it is for water filtration at a different point. Thank you
<Ahh! Yes... some water to be "taken in" at an upper
level. Bob Fenner>
BioWheel Question
5/31/06 Greetings! <Hi> Any information in response to my
question would be greatly appreciated! I have a 40 gallon glass tank
with 3 goldfish: 2 calico fantails and 1 goldfish fantail. I figured
this set up would be perfect for the little guys to grow healthy in
with a penguin 350b power filter. In regards to the bio-wheel, once the
nitrifying bacteria colony grows on it, what color should it be? Reason
being, my two bio-wheels are brown, as if mostly algae? <Normal
color.> As a result, I believe that this is the cause of my water
with small bubbles on the surface. <Unlikely related, some bubbles
are normal.> I've done 20% water changes everyday for the past 2
weeks, yet there are still small bubbles (that will eventually burst),
but I know there is a water quality problem here. I've tested the
water with the following results: ammonia =~ 0.1 (obviously still bad)
<Yep> ph =~ 7.2 nitrites =~ 0.50 (needs to be 0, which is why
I've done daily water changes) <Good> nitrates =~ 10 ppm The
water changes have not changed much. I've conditioned the new tap
water with ammo-lock, added aquarium salt after the water changes, and
even rinsed the filters in the original aquarium water, but still no
luck. Which leads me to the bio-wheel and it's brownish coloration.
Could this be the cause? Any ideas would be great. Thank you. Ty
<Most BioWheels look brown after a while, so the color is normal. Do
you have ammonia/nitrites coming from the tap water? Ammo-lock can
cause false positives on the ammonia test. If this tank is only a
couple of weeks old then I would suspect than the cycle is not yet
completed. Can take up to a month at times.> <Chris>
Hang-on-back filter hang-up 5/26/06 Dear WetWeb: <Martha>
I recently obtained a standard 55-gallon freshwater tank second-hand.
To my surprise, the AquaClear 70 filter that I have been using on my
45-gallon tank won't quite fit over the rim of this new tank!
<Happens> Instead, it perches about 1/2" above the tank
edge, failing to clear the inner lip of the tank by perhaps 1/8".
<Yep> Do I leave well-enough alone, and leave the perching filter
in its elevated position? <Mmm, no... not made to function a kilter,
and too likely to "fall off"!> The water-flow comes closer
to the glass canopy than I find truly comfortable; too easy to get
stray water-droplets on top of the glass, under the light strip. Do I
take a knife, or a saw, or a blowtorch (!) to the plastic rim of the
tank, trying to create a space for the filter to slip into more firmly?
<One approach...> I don't think the filter itself can be
modified. <Mmm, can... and this is what/where I'd make the
modification as the rim of the tank itself is structural to a degree.
The lip of the filter box can be (very carefully) cut... with a fine
jig saw blade for instance... taping over both sides, going slowly, and
an "extension" solvented onto/over the cut to extend its
reach> Or are some HOB filters more capacious than others?
<Yes> I am very happy with AquaClears in most of my tanks, but
would consider using another brand if it would fit this thank. Thank
you for your time. <Am a big fan of these fine Hagen products as
well... but would look into Supreme et alia. lines to fit this 55 here.
Bob Fenner>
Poor Filter Intake Depth - 05/22/2006 Hi
Crew. Could you please answer a question that I can not find a specific
answer to? < We will try.> I recently set up a 75 gal. freshwater
aquarium and can't find any info on where to place the filter
intake tube as far as depth in tank. For best results should it be
close to the substrate or in middle levels. Filter is Emperor 400.
There is no reference the placement with manual or on their website.
Also...I am going to stock this tank with blue gourami's and albino
Cory cats only. How many do you recommend as maximum number of each for
this size tank? Thanks for all of your help through the many fin
articles and FAQ'S all of you provide for this fascinating
addictive hobby. Thanks again...DR < In the center of the tank would
be perfect. The Cory's would occupy the lower areas while the
Gouramis occupy the upper levels. The intake would not interfere with
either in the middle.-Chuck>
Significance of artificial filter sponges in
freshwater aquarium changing color 4/6/06 Dear Sirs and Madams:
<Tamara> Hello! After much searching on the net and other links,
I have been stumped as to why the artificial filter sponges in my
planted, established freshwater aquarium are turning pinkish-red. My
ammonium levels are minimal, my pH is a relatively constant 7.2 and the
water itself rather hard (but it has been about the same since I
started my tank, about six years ago). I have never had an epidemic in
my tank with regards to my flora or fauna, with the exception of a
couple of algae blooms in the spring, but nothing too extreme. I have a
balanced number of fish, and do not overfeed them. Is this cause for
alarm? <No> It started happening around November of 2005. Thank
you for your input! Sincerely, Tammy <Likely is biological... algal
growth... though could be other life (need a microscope to discern) or
simply a chemical/physical staining... but not to worry in all cases.
Bob Fenner>
Treating A Tank With A Bio-Wheel - 2/28/2006 Hello, Have been
combing the archives and I can't seem to spot this question/answer.
I have a 12gal Eclipse with a bio wheel, when you're medicating a
tank (ick)-after you're done, what do you do with the bio wheel?
I've gotten rid of the carbon in the filter and have a new one
ready to put in after the treatment, but am not sure what to do with
the wheel-if anything or how to proceed. Thanks, Judy < Before
treatment, take the Bio-wheel out of the system and place it in a
little dish/bowl with some aquarium water and place it in a cool dark
spot like under the aquarium. Keep it moist but not submerged. Treat
the tank for ich for at least three days as per the recommendations on
the bottle. After the treatment is complete you add carbon to remove
any medication. When the tank is clear you can simply reinstall the
bio-wheel. Without a fish to host the parasite it will die off in a few
days depending on the water temp. This is one of the great things about
the Bio-Wheel. This is especially useful when treating with
antibiotics.-Chuck.>
Re: Medicated Tank with Bio-Wheel - 3/1/2006 Thank you Chuck
for the quick response! I of course acted first and asked second! :-(
What would I need to do (I pulled the bio wheel after I started
treatment) in this instance? Should I get a new wheel and treat the
water with a Bio Spira product after the treatment and about a 50%
water change? I was so anxious to treat the white spots that I
remembered the carbon but wasn't sure about the wheel. Thanks
Again, Judy < When the fish are cured add carbon to remove the
excess medication. Start feeding after adding the carbon. Be very
careful not to overfeed and remove any excess food after a couple of
minutes. Check the ammonia and nitrites. If they start to get up there
then I would add Bio-Spira.-Chuck>
New Fish And Quieter Filter - 02/20/06 Hi Crew! I have a 10
gallon tank which is really empty (well, seemingly to me). It contains
2 Cory catfish -1 peppered and 1 bronze- and a Bolivian ram (so said at
the pet shop). I was wondering what other fish could be compatible for
these fish without overloading the tank. < Almost any community fish
would work well in your tank. Small tetras, livebearers small barbs
etc...> Also, over the past year my filter has been growing louder
and louder, and I was wondering why this is (the noise is driving me
mad since the tank is located in my bedroom near my bed...)? I clean
the filter regularly, and can't seem to find the problem... Thanks
for all of your help, love the website! Christine < Disassemble the
filter and wash everything well with a garden hose with a aggressive
spray attachment, especially around the impeller. Sometime small grains
off sand or carbon get between the impeller and the sides of the filter
causing the grinding sound.-Chuck>
Bio-Wheel Replacement
1/11/06 Great info here. I have a quick question. I am converting
my saltwater tank to freshwater. I wanted to see if I could reuse the
BioWheels from my Magnum 350 after rinsing/soaking them in freshwater,
or if they will need to be replaced. Thanks for your help. < Rinse
them out and add Bio-Spira from Marineland to the tank and you will be
ready to go.-Chuck>
Bouncing Bio Wheel Here I am resending this email. Oh and by
the by, all my ammonia issues have finally resolved themselves!
<Great. Probably the number one killer of fish. Bio filtration is
very important> Greetings, and my deepest thanks for ANYTHING you
can help me out with. Ok, so here's my issue, but first, I'm
sure you will want to know all about my tanks, and such, (although that
isn't terribly pertinent to my question). I have two ten gallons
(I'm 16 and I baby-sit, so my income is hilarious, otherwise
I'd have 55 gallon tanks or something) one of the tens is filtered
with a penguin bio wheel mini, and the other, has two of these
absolutely dirt cheap box filter thingy deals. And up until recently
the cheapo filters had run for a year, with no fish killing problems.
One of the tens, houses about 10 or 15 Dalmatian lyre tail molly fry,
which are almost a month old. And to be brutally honest, I have no idea
why they are still alive, and apparently thriving. Crazy ammonia levels
have forced me to perform water changes just about every other day,
which I fear is only sending the ammonia/nitrate/nitrite cycle dealy
even more out of whack. <Your work at water changes are why the fry
are alive. Water changes will slow, but not stop, the establishment of
the bacteria needed to cycle. I would suggest a simple change here.
Replace the boxes with sponge filters. Since there is no floss to
replace, bacteria will continue to thrive in the filter rather them be
thrown away when you service the box. There is no real need for
particle (floss) or chemical (charcoal) filtration if you do partial
water changes as needed.> You'd think that would be my problem,
but it isn't. Moving along to the OTHER tank, all of ITS issues
started, when I started switching the filter's around in the
different tanks. I moved the bio-wheel from the now-molly fry tank, to
what I christened the Death Tank, so that the babies wouldn't all
get sucked up into it. This of course, left the fry tank filter-less,
so I put the two box filters in there. Well, unfortunately, in the past
week or so, I've switched them around again, because the fry are
big enough to NOT get sucked up and I want them to have the nicer
filter because they are oh-so endearing. Gosh, I'm really sorry to
whoever is reading this, I realize it's long and confusing but
please bear with me. So, here's where the question comes in:
Because my death tank seems to have un-cycled itself (and by that I
mean, the ammonia which had previously been flawless, is high, and who
the heck knows what the nitrate and nitrite are even doing?!)...
<You should be testing for nitrite and nitrate, not just ammonia.
Very important> ...fish have been succumbing to these stresses and
developing illnesses. A week ago, one of my cherry barbs (which
I've had for a year-ish) decided to get dropsy. He looked
hilarious, but it ended sadly, when after treating with some Jungle
Fungus stuff in conjunction with Jungle Parasite stuff. (I'd read
it could be either, although I'm not sure my diagnosis was
correct.) He died. Yesterday, I started treating my death tank for Ick.
<Most bloating is caused by an internal bacterial infection. Fungus
and parasite meds would be of little use. A medicated anti bacterial
flake food may have been a better choice. Even a good wide spectrum
antibiotic in the water may have been better. And why are you treating
for Ich? First, you make no mention of white spots on the fish. Second,
you already treated for parasites. Do not treat unless you need to>
Here's the part that I simply don't understand: For all of
these medicine's I've been using to treat my cursed tank, they
say to discontinue carbon filtration, which with my set-up, is all the
mechanical filtration I've got. So what I've been doing, is
putting the box filters into the fry tank, which has remained
untreated, putting the bio-wheel filter into the death tank, which I
first take the filter pad out of, because of course, it contains
carbon. No wonder my tank is so screwed up! Can the bio-wheel alone
handle the filtration of 1 female Betta, two adult mollies, and two
barbs? I sort of doubt it. <There are three types of filtration.
Particle filtration simply removes any junk floating in the water. Any
waste or old food that hits the bottom will usually stay there until
removed with a gravel vac during water changes. This is less important
than most people think. A good water change schedule removes far more
junk than even the best filters. The second type of filtration is
chemical. Usually done by adding charcoal. You only need chemical
filtration if you are trying to remove a chemical, such as at the end
of a med treatment. You can simply cut the black plastic cage on the
filter insert and shake out most of the charcoal. The third, and by far
the most important, is bio filtration. This is establishing a bacterial
colony to convert the ammonia produced by the fish into nitrite, then
finally nitrate. Most of the bacteria in your system lives on that bio
wheel. It must be considered as if, and treated like, it was alive. In
fact it is, with millions of lives working to keep your fish alive.
When you start moving bio wheels around you may stress or kill the
colony. Also, antibacterial meds will nuke the colony. That's what
causes the ammonia to spike. Please read here on establishing FW
cycling. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwestcycling.htm>
Could you possibly tell me how in the world I'm supposed to keep
the tank clean, while medicating it? Any light you can shed on this
would be greatly appreciated. <Stop all treatments and work towards
re establishing your bio filtration. If you do treat you must do water
changes to correct ammonia or nitrite spikes, replacing the med with
each> Thank you so much again, I'm sorry this is so long. Liz
<No problem. Don>
Sand + AquaClear = uh oh... Thank you for your
previous quick and helpful responses. I thought I'd bounce this off
you guys. So here's the scenario. I have just set up a tank. About
six months ago I had a freshwater tank. I decided to add marine sand. I
neglected to turn off the Aquaclear. Some sand got into the filter. I
heard what can best be described as the filter trying to clear it's
throat. And choke - choke -nothing. No sound. No motion. Dead in five.
So it hasn't been junked yet and is just sitting there. Does it go?
<Mmm, hopefully not> Or should I try a new impellor
thing-a-ma-jiggy? <Maybe> It would be great if I could somehow
salvage it but alas I fear it has become permanently non-perfunctory.
<Heee!> If I could get it to work I'd have added flow, could
but some foam in there for bacteria; it would be quite a boon. What do
you suggest? - Ishan <Take the unit apart completely and rinse
any/all bits of sand out of it... and see if it will start again... if
it makes a bit of sound like it's trying to start, give the filter
box a slight bump with your hand... If it still won't go, take it
to your dealers for a look-see... if still no go, write the folks at
Hagen (the manufacturer and ask for help. Bob Fenner>
Re: Sand + AquaClear = uh oh... I rinsed the
motor when it happened. I tried just plugging it up with little water
to see if it would go. And it did - sort of. It is still a bit shoddy
though. It makes a lot of noise now. Perhaps a few more cleanings and
the little guy will finally smooth out. Thank you once again for your
speedy responses - WWM - is the best! - Ishan <I would do what
you're doing... likely just a bit of a bit of gunk... that will
clear itself or wear down... Bob Fenner>
Was a stinky FW system, wish Chuck would supply titles Thanks
Chuck for getting back to me so fast!!! You were a wonderful help! My
tank is now clear and not smelling so bad. The ammonia is still high
but we are doing water changes every other day. My LFS doesn't
carry Amquel, but we are traveling 65 miles to a really great fish
store to get some. Hopefully it and the water changes will work. Oh, we
also bought a Magnum 350 Pro Series canister filter and it seems to be
helping also. Anyways, I just wanted to say a big thank you for helping
me out!! < When the bacteria grow on the BioWheels you should almost
never have an ammonia problem again. Next time you need to medicate you
can simply store the wheels for a few days during treatment and then
replace them after the medication is removed and you won't miss a
beat.-Chuck> Dayna
Whisper Filter Won't Prime Hi All!! If anyone can help
me... you can. I have a Whisper 20 hang-on-tank filter that has a hard
time priming. The impeller spins, and it moves water, but will not pull
water up the standard tube. It will prime after a while... if I force
feed it to get it going... but on its own its mostly won't pull.
Once it gets primed it works GREAT!! But it takes FOREVER to get going.
Any suggestions other than getting a new one?? That is in the plans..
but probably after the first of the year. Paul <I would suggest you
check their website for this answer. Maybe contact their customer
service department. Sorry, but I use Marineland filters. They prime
great. Don>
Re: increase hob overflow box flow rate? Thank You for the
response Chuck. I understand what you are saying. But, my siphon tubes
are extended about 2" below the water level in the intake box, the
intake box bottom is about 2 1/2" below water level and the slots
in the intake box extend about 1" below water level. In the back
box the siphon tubes are 1" longer than they are in the intake
box. There is a weir in the back box between the siphon tubes and the 1
1/2" Durso stand pipe drain, the top of this weir is positioned
1/2" below the slots and a 1/2" above the siphon tube bottoms
in the intake box to maintain a siphon during a power loss. While the
system in running the water level in the back box behind the weir at
the standpipe is about 2" below the normal tank level, but only
about an 1" below the weir. Could my weir be causing back pressure
on the siphon tubes and if it is how would I maintain a siphon during a
power loss without it? < Measure the actual pump volume at the
current aquarium level. If it is at least 300 gallons per hour then it
is OK. A rate of 400 to 500 gallons per hour would be better. Increase
the pumping rate slowly until it looks like the system cannot handle
any more and measure the pump rate again. This will be the maximum
capacity of the system. As the water level in the aquarium increases
then the flow rate of the siphon between the two water levels should
also increase. To increase the flow rate between the two boxes I would
make sure that the friction in the siphon tubes was kept to a minimum
by making sure that they were clean. If you decide to lower the weir
then I would make sure I had a longer siphon tube as it exits into the
outer box.-Chuck> Thank You Much Rich Ducham
Re: increase hob overflow box flow rate? Thanks for the
advice again Chuck. A few days ago I raised the water level in the main
tank (as you explained the first time, my bad) as the sump level began
to rise I slowly opened the valve on the return line from the pump. By
having a little patience, I now have the valve almost full open. I seem
to have to add about a 1/2 gallon of water each morning due to
evaporation to keep the sump level where needed this keeps the proper
flow through my weir system to turn my bio wheels. I had set it up
originally that on a power outage the sump would fill to within about 6
gallons of being full to avoid overflows. After raising the main tank
level to increase the flow I did another power outage test, it fills
the sump to within about 3 gallons of full (close but no
overflows!!!!). I put a small rotometer from work on the drain and
measured ~1175 gph. Amazing how a little higher level in the main tank
can affect the drain flow so drastically. So to reward myself I added a
male and a female Demasoni to the tank crew today, 20 little Mbuna
baddies!!!! Now my wife said I can start a saltwater tank, so I may
have more questions down the road:-) Thanks for the time to answer back
it made a world of difference. I knew those chemies weren't all
their cracked up to be!!!! LOL < If the water backs up into the sump
through the hose running from the pump into the tank then you need to
get a one way check valve that will prevent this from happening during
power outages. Go to Drsfostersmith.com and check out the
valves.-Chuck> Thanks, Rich D.
Re: increase hob overflow box flow rate? Thanks again Chuck.
I tested the system again. When I cut the power to the return pump the
water in the overflow box drains to the sump until the main tank level
reaches the bottom of the intake box slots. The return line also then
drains back to the sump (the lowest point of the return manifold piping
in the tank is even with the bottom of the intake box slots). After
water flow has stopped draining back to the sump from the drain line
and return line the water stops rising at about 2" from the top of
the sump. Does that sound OK or am I still missing something and may
have a flood? < If this is the most water you have in your sump then
you should be OK . The Marineland SOS system does not continue to
siphon after the power is turned off. You may want to take a look at
that system to look at the way they prevent any further siphoning.
Usually the water siphons back to the sump through he pump hose from
the aquarium. That is why I recommended the check valve. If the water
still siphons through the main drain line then a check valve would be
useless.-Chuck>
