External canister filtration

[andyroo]

I imagine that in my "bio-active" tank ecosystem with assorted diggers i'll be changing out this micro-filter twice a week. I was really looking forward to an idiot-proof, low headache system.
This thing would be great for Tinman's solid-substrate pristine system, but Nighthawk, i reckon i've got the wrong machine for me.
No bio-wheel (though i didn't want one) and by no means inexpensive.

Anyone else who can tell/convince me i'm wrong... or right ?

[andyroo]

Experienced aquatic gurus,
i know i know, it's well cheeky to be reviving a thread that's fallen out, but i do need an answer (read: support/vindication):
Do i go through the headache of sending it back or just swallow my pride (and the 170 bucks + 5 years of electrical bills) and get on with it ?

Foolish question at the end of the day as it's probably not worth the stress, but all-told the full 130-odd-gal Eheim at 25 watts would only have been 35 bucks more.
I'm so annoyed.... probably excessively so.
I've written to Petsmart- no response for three days now.
A

[grizzlyone]

I have a 350 and I don't use the micron filter unless I have a cloudy tank. I use the media container in place of the micro filter and use one of the filter sleeves outside the media container. I don't use carbon, and fill it with those ceramic media nodules. You can use carbon or zeolite or any other mixture of media.

Kevin

[angrybeerguy]

I have a Marineland c-360. Really quiet. Bought it here for $149
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... atid=16744

[andyroo]

that's the one i was looking to buy. Every maker seems to doing something along these design lines: silent, 25watt motor, stacked media and drip-less. I think the kid at Petsmart was trying to unload the old design stock and saw my girl as a daisy.
Either way, Petsmart is shipping this one back up for us. They were pretty cool once i got them on the phone. I suppose cool on the phone and actually putting money back on the VISA card may be two different things....
A
ps: Angry Beer Guy, what's the motor wattage and outputs on your machine?

[Tinman]

Glad you got it sorted out Andyroo....and btw I do have some substrate as I was convinced by the forum to add sand...but only sand in the tanks with my Syncrossus and in the tank with my large Clowns. The tank with the almorhae and smaller Clowns as well as the dead pool tank with my Yasuhikotakia modesta are clean bottom.My Striata tank and my Botia kubotai tank each have a small area of sand whipped into a dune by the current if they feel like sifting.I am opposed to large gravel as it give waste and un-eaten food places to lodge and contaminate the tank causing larger than neccesary fluctuations upon cleaning in my experiance as well as lots more work with the amount of tank bottom I have.
I use Rena Filstar 3's on my tanks as additional filtration and current and find them very nice and quiet and easy to maintain.Glad to see you adding new filters,you will be happy with your choice me thinks

[andyroo]

I suppose the question is, if one is expected to do 25% water changes with every filter clean anyway, why are these things not make with a "backwash" function/option?
I'm sure Martin has a design in mind and re-fit schematics for the next thread :)
And Tinman, i've seen some of your photos-postings... i'm jealous of your set-ups.
A

[Tinman]

No reason to be jealous, I 've just been adding on longer than most...I am a simple fish keeper with a full basement under my house as I live near tornado alley.Most people buy a pool table for theirs,I use the space for my hobby instead....and I have a Sugar-Momma

A backwash is intresting but you must remove the sponges/media to clean them to remove the waste from them and not push it backwards into the tank from which it was removed. It takes quite a bit of rinsing to clean them. Even removing the inlet and flushing them into a sink woud not be sufficient imo.

[andyroo]

what about a sand/particulate media-type filter similar to what they use in pools/ponds? Those are made for essentially push-button back-washing. A tiny 200-gal version would make life easy for large tank folk.

[Tinman]

what about a sand/particulate media-type filter similar to what they use in pools/ponds? Those are made for essentially push-button back-washing. A tiny 200-gal version would make life easy for large tank folk.

Intresting but.....The waste is solid in a tank as the uneaten food etc. so the pre filter would have to catch that then the sand could be used. This is the set up Steve and Emma use at their store btw as I got a peek The issue is the sand bed is hard to rinse out. they can speak to the details of this .I know it is backwashed into a drain at certain intervals. I use two seperate bio-beds,one of standard bio-balls and one of lava rock. These are in a milk crate under an additional pre filter rack and spray bar to minimize maintenance to them. I only remove one at a time hence my reason for two. I looked into sand filters but noticed some do not use the entire sand in the ball,much bypasses or rather travels the same repeated route so much sand is dry even after several months in some filters. and I like the openness of the bio stacks to have increased O2 in my filter which minimzes the size required.It would take a lot of pressure to backwash a filter sufficiently to make it work here on my relatively small "large" system.I dismissed it with much thought for my circumstances here. I do like the idea overall but could not make it work for myself. Over 3000 gallons I think it would possibly come into play. I prefer to do it myself as I have found sand very hard to rinse clean.

[andyroo]

Fair enough. It does take more pressure.
A

[jones57742]

Andy:

I have reviewed the product literature and the Mu size for the Micron Filter is not set forth.

My comments are based upon 50Mu or less.

You can aslo soak it overnight in a bleach and water solution. This step isn't necessary but I do it because I like it to be nice and white when I put it back in. Just remember to rinse it until you no longer smell the bleach before you put it back in.

50Mu will filter algae which cannot be observed in the tank water. Soaking in a mild chlorine solution will kill the algae such that rinsing will remove the dead algae from the tank water.

I imagine that in my "bio-active" tank ecosystem with assorted diggers i'll be changing out this micro-filter twice a week.

A previous post indicated that this cannister would easily lose prime when the filter media became clogged.

In my planted tank 50Mu media will become clogged in 6 to 12 hours.

My filtration system is wet/dry. By prefiltering with a ton of filter floss in the overflow sump the 50Mu media will last 24 to 36 hours before becoming clogged.

TR

[LoachOrgy]

my rena x3 fillstar has treated me right so far. easy cleaning, easy maintenance. quiet filter.