DirtyMechanic
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
- Joined
- Nov 18, 2011
- Messages
- 13
Ok to make a long story short about a great deal i got on a 55gal set up. The question is what do i have a 1200 or 1500 model Penn Plax canister filter? after having it set up for about a month now. I figured it was time to open up and inspect and clean the filter. This is really only after seeing small particals floating around now after a month of set up at my place. when i first got it here the water was crystal clear and the last week and a half it just hasnt been the same... hence why i opened up the filter to see what i got in there. well what i found. from the bottom up
1. course
2. course
3. some sort of plastic bio media balls.
4. floss.. which i quite thin and looks very well used...
so all i did was wringed out the floss with some drained tank water and put back and did about the same to the other to course pads. and just wrised off the bio balls and cages for everything. dumped the canister of all the... turd nasty water and refilled it all with tank water... when i was looking at the pump and all i removed the impellar housing only to find the o-ring was broken and the impellar shaft was also... maybe thats why i had a slight noise when running and not air bubbles... so this is why im asking the 1200 and 1500 have different impellar part numbers. and seeing as i have 4 filter cages. im thinking its the 1200, because i read somewhere someone had a 1500 with 5 cages...
also should i do anything more to the stages i have. was thinking of moving some stuff around and maybe change the plastic bio balls for something else(better ceramic bio rings or something of that nature). maybe something like
bottom
1. course
2. bio rings
3. floss
4. floss
top
obviously i would have to leave the bio balls i have in there in the 3rd stage for a month or two while the new bio rings grow there bateria. but this is what i was thinking for a final setup.
Im new to this but not stupid about it all. just low on experience of what is works and doesnt work in the product market.
oh and i would like to add i have 4 discus ranging is size... about to get 1 more today and looking around for maybe 2 or 3 more. 4 clown loaches smaller ones. 2-3 inches. 12 neon tetra all full grown and a very very healthy 6? inch pleco. i do 50% water changes every week(err within a day or two of a week, but on my weekend)also add about a teaspoon of okinawa sea salt when i do water and dont know the name but the stuff for chlorine. everyone is happy and feeding very well...
1. course
2. course
3. some sort of plastic bio media balls.
4. floss.. which i quite thin and looks very well used...
so all i did was wringed out the floss with some drained tank water and put back and did about the same to the other to course pads. and just wrised off the bio balls and cages for everything. dumped the canister of all the... turd nasty water and refilled it all with tank water... when i was looking at the pump and all i removed the impellar housing only to find the o-ring was broken and the impellar shaft was also... maybe thats why i had a slight noise when running and not air bubbles... so this is why im asking the 1200 and 1500 have different impellar part numbers. and seeing as i have 4 filter cages. im thinking its the 1200, because i read somewhere someone had a 1500 with 5 cages...
also should i do anything more to the stages i have. was thinking of moving some stuff around and maybe change the plastic bio balls for something else(better ceramic bio rings or something of that nature). maybe something like
bottom
1. course
2. bio rings
3. floss
4. floss
top
obviously i would have to leave the bio balls i have in there in the 3rd stage for a month or two while the new bio rings grow there bateria. but this is what i was thinking for a final setup.
Im new to this but not stupid about it all. just low on experience of what is works and doesnt work in the product market.
oh and i would like to add i have 4 discus ranging is size... about to get 1 more today and looking around for maybe 2 or 3 more. 4 clown loaches smaller ones. 2-3 inches. 12 neon tetra all full grown and a very very healthy 6? inch pleco. i do 50% water changes every week(err within a day or two of a week, but on my weekend)also add about a teaspoon of okinawa sea salt when i do water and dont know the name but the stuff for chlorine. everyone is happy and feeding very well...
