Recent content by melonie

these look exactly like my Pentair AF-94 'single' filter module, except that the previous owner has glued multiple units in line. If my guess is correct, all of the currently available pleated filter cartridges and other parts for the current line of 'single' modules should work in your older...

you're right that there aren't a lot of pictures floating around for a Turbo-Twist UV unit all set up. The closest thing I ran across was http://www.cloudytanks.com/reviews/aquariums/uv.html The basic idea is to hang the Turbo-Twist on the back of your tank, remove the return hose from your...

if you really meant 'best', you might want to have a look at a Pentair (Rainbow Lifegard) modular filter setup.

UV kills algae with relatively small 'doses' - however killing parasites requires much larger 'doses'. Basic guesswork would say that your UV unit was designed to kill algae at a flow rate of about 300-500gph based on the manufacturer's tank size specs. Wild guesswork would indicate a flow...

I've seen some theoretical calculations ... ... and the math says that parasite kill is a function of both light intensity and exposure time. Obviously you can increase the light intensity by going with a higher wattage unit ... at a higher initial and ongoing operating cost ... but also with...

I run a UV on my 55 gal My 55 gal tank filter setup incorporates an 8 watt UV near the end of the filter loop, and the flow rate is somewhere around 225 gph. [/img]

This is a 'specialty' filter media ... according to the mfgr, Rena Bio-Chem Zorb ... "contains a unique blend of ion exchange and organic scavenger resins, along with activated carbon. Removes aquarium pollutants without removing trace elements" IMHO if you have 'decent quality' water to start...

Every extra inch of hose length, and every extra bend and kink in the hoses, adds restriction to water flow. As you have discovered, it doesn't take a whole lot of hose length and bend reductions to cause a major increase in flow rate. As to the 'suction' hose collapsing, this can be totally...

This is also my one and only complaint regarding All-Glass a.k.a. Hydor-Theo PTC tank heaters. My solution was to stick a liquid crystal thermometer to the side of my tank and 'tweak' the temp setting knob on the heater repeatedly until the temperature I wanted was maintained.

if you don't mind a bit of noise, you might consider a Rena XP2 or XP3. Rena offers mechanical filter pads in different porosities all the way down to one micron, which makes a huge difference in terms of overall water clarity. Running one Rena with one of your Penguin 330's would greatly...

I'm certainly no expert, but I do know that the 'bow' stress on the front and back glass sheets can become a MAJOR issue if the length of the sheets starts getting up there. The major function of the top frame on a 'long' aquarium (i.e. 4 ft or longer) is to relieve the 'bow' stress on the...

You may also get away with your own DIY chiller. Start with a WalMart style 12 volt electric 'beer" cooler with 120vac adapter. Then buy about 50 feet of thinwall nylon/kynar/styrene tubing one size up from the hose that your canister filter normally uses (guess 3/4"ID 7/8"OD tubing versus...

well, I've posted about my Pentair Rainbow Lifegard modular filter setup in another thread... but it isn't officially considered to be a 'canister' filter I guess, and it didn't elicit much in the way of comments/responses. Eheims get a lot of attention because they're considered to be the...

Most lighting retailers and industrial electrical suppliers will carry Advance ballasts - just match the wattage to your lamp. However, because compact flourescents really aren't that popular yet for 'mainstream' uses, you may not find the ballasts or socket clips in stock and the price might...

I also have to '3rd' or '4th' or whatever the count is up to in support of Danner Mag-Drive pumps for return sump duty, or for any duty where the application requires pumping against 6'-8'-10' + of gravity lift plus pipe/hose/filter losses. Every pump in the Danner line-up has a respectable...