replacing eclipse filter - with an aquaball?

[bubble bobble]

I get the feeling this is not adequately filtering the water. It's a 40 gal tall planted tank with an eclipse hood ( the lighting is a retrofit 65watt pc ). there's always some amount of particulates in the water, and I've had greenwater for months, which is ever so slowly clearing up. at the moment I have the biowheel submerged in the corner and have been running extra filter floss in the biowheel container to try and pull out more particulates.

would an eheim aquaball filter provide enough filtration for the 40 gal tall planted tank? which size? I can't completely ditch the eclipse hood because I still need the lighting, although someday I will get batter lighting, but that may be a ways off and I may do that when i get a bigger tank.... at least a year or 2 away...

any other reccomendations? can I use a canister filter without (or only slightly) modifying the eclpipse hood?

Thanks

 

[neilanh]

Is that the hood that came with or is made for the tank? I didn't know the eclipse line had a 40 gallon. If not, I assume it's for a smaller system, which means you aren't getting adequate filtration. If that's the case, a new filtering system, either HOB or canister, can take care of that for you, and you can still use whatever you're using for lighting. You may just have to modify the hood slightly to utilize a new filtration system.

Are you doing regular PWC's? How long has the tank been established?

 

[bubble bobble]

its a tall tank, with the eclipse 3 hood (30"wide, 20"tall, 12" deep). the tank has been going for several months, is lightly stocked (not for too much longer) and ive been doing weekly / biweekly pwc's

does anyone know of a good, quiet canister or internal filter that would work with leaving the eclipse hood mostly intact?

 

[Pleco]

I have the same 40 tall that you have. mine is a 40 Tall AGA brand tank with an Eclipse 3 hood combo thingy.

If you run a canister you will need to widen the holes on the back. I talked with LWB about doing this to my Eclipse hood a month or so ago. The filter seems to be fine for me, it keeps the water clear as can be so long as you keep up with filter maintenance and replacement. I noticed once i started replacing the media every week to 2 weeks tops that the water clarity was a whole heck of a lot better.

I think i made a Omnigraffle (M$ Visio compliant) diagram that went over what modifications would have to be made in order to get a XP3 in to there without replacing the whole hood.

I retrofitted lunar lights to it too, you can see the install here http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=90981

I do weekly 60-70% PWC's & replace my media every 1-2 weeks.

-Pleco

 

[bubble bobble]

Cool, I'll start replacing the media more frequently, ive been doing it every moth or so. do you still have that diagram of the modifications to fit an xp3 to the eclipse hood?

 

[Pleco]

Cool, I'll start replacing the media more frequently, ive been doing it every moth or so. do you still have that diagram of the modifications to fit an xp3 to the eclipse hood?

I will hunt it down for you. Basically you need to use a dremel to the back two holes that your cables go through. One side would need to be a bit larger than the other in order to allow the light cable to share the space with the canister pipe.

Ill pm/email it to you once i find it

-Pleco

 

[bubble bobble]

Cool Thanks!