filter / sump advice

[mumrah]

(copied from general freshwater)

I've recently bought a 55g tank from one of my professors that came with an undergravel filter. Knowing this wouldnt provided enough filtration (or current) for my desired fish, i bought a HOT magnum 250. This thing worked great for the first month or so, but recently it's been crapping out.

I had added some peat to the filter in hopes to lower my pH. After a few days i noticed there was very little current in the water. I checked out the filter, and the peat was causing the blockage. So i cleaned out the canister, rinsed the filter really well, and reassmbled it. Now, the filter barely trickles any water with the filter element in. I removed it and put in the waterpolishing thingy just so my fish could have some current back.

I have two questions about this.

1- i've decieded i want to construct a small wet/dry in the sump i've created. what's an economical way to approach this. my sump is a 10g. i would also like to have a refuge down there, but i think space may be an issue.

2- was the peat the real reason for this filter media clogging up so quickly? I've heard that these magnum canisters really do well at mechanical filtration and get really dirty really quick. If this is true, i dont think i can afford to replace a 15.00 filter element every month. Or i'd like to not have to.

TIA,
David

 

[czcz]

1) A tall wet/dry tower, if possible, would be easy. For efficency you would need a spray bar and will use gravity to move water from top to bottom. Google "DIY wet/dry tower" for plans. Also "wet/dry" in the archives here have great advice/ideas. Maybe you'll get some ideas from my econimical 10g fuge: http://members.dslextreme.com/users/czcz/howto_fuge.html

2) Do you have proper flow rate with no media in the Magnum? Try measuring the output by measuring how long it takes to fill a container of known volume. Just a suggestion for troubleshooting.

 

[loganj]

Having used a HOT Mag for a long time, I can say they are very efficient mechanical filters although, unless used with a Bio Wheel attachment, they don't have a good biofilter. Did you clean the impeller and impeller housing in the bottom of the filter? If not, you might want to disassemble that and clean it. You can also get a foam sponge to go around the carbon canister. It's easy to wash and can be used for a long time. If I remember correctly, soaking the polishing cartridge in a weak bleach solution and then giving it a thorough rinsing is the recommended method to clean it. I rarely used it in mine as the sponge/carbon canister provided good filtration and kept the water very clear. Watch for leaky O rings on these filters as well. Lightly greasing the O ring with Vaseline (very lightly) will usually take care of the small air leaks that can develop after the filter is reassembled. HTH.

 

[mumrah]

thanks for the suggestions.

As of a few minutes ago, the filter is back to regular output. It must have just needed some lovin.

I'm currently using the white cylindrical micron filter. Would it be better to use the sponge filter with carbon in the middle?

Also, i have the piece that connects this filter to a bio-wheel, but what bio-wheel assmebly do i need?

Thanks,
David

 

[loganj]

You can use the polishing filter if you want to, but it will clog relatively quickly. I always used the carbon/sponge. You can use other chemical media in the carbon container as well if you need it. The Bio Wheel system used to be (and AFAIK, still is) called the Pro 30.

 

[RandyStacyE]

You wanna know what works better than any canister filter in the world?

First you need a sump. A sump could simply be a little 10-15 gal glass tank or rubbermaid tub. Make your own filter socks. You get full flow, better filtration, absolutely NO back pressure, and the simplest of maintenance. My wife has a sewing machine so I've got it made. You just buy some sheet felt from your local fabric store, sew it up any way you want and POW the cheapest filter in the world. Throw it away after a while if you want, but I just turn it inside out, spray it clean, and reuse it. Every once in a while I throw a couple of them in the wash. Don't use any detergent with reef tanks. I guarantee its cheaper than any other filter as well.

I have been round and round with different types of filtration. I started with those stupid hang on biowheel penguin things, they suck and I have no faith in those stupid bio wheels anyway. Think about this...If you rely on these bio wheels to keep your fish healthy and alive ... you've got bigger problems than biological filtration.

This is the cheapest canister filter known to man, works better than a Magnum and the cheapest replacement filter elements in the world.

DIY Canister Filter:
http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2130240017&idx=1

Right now its in my basement in a box because canisters are too high maintenance for my taste. I've been there and done the canisters. They are out of sight and out of mind. You don't want to know what happens when you forget about a canister filter for a while...stinky, nasty, putrid, and deadly. They can be a nitrate factory to say the least.

I now use my filter socks and not a single problem. Worst case scenario, you forget about the sock and it overflows. This is not a problem since it sits in your sump anyway.

 

[RandyStacyE]

Here is a diagram I drew of my wife's Turtle Tank. It's similar (in setup) to all my reef tanks. The Overflow in this drawing is my DIY Overflow.

http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2130057870&idx=1