AQUA Ultima II Filter Reviews

[ScatMan]

Here's my setup.

Water is crispy with four pbass, four severums and one snook. Heavy feeding.

what's the smaller unit in front of the ultima? nice fishies!

 

[pacu mom]

I JUST CRAPPED IN MY PANTS!!! how many gallons is that tank pacu mom? i love it! i'm subscribed- http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=299810

Tank is 15' x 4' x 4', so just shy of 1800 gallons. At 6' x 3' x 3', the holding sump is another 405 gallons. We should have at least 2100 gallons of water circulating.

 

[Pharaoh]

I'm not sure if it is the exact same one, but Li uses the FSI filter chamber. I think they run about $250.

 

[ScatMan]

thanks pharaoh, would you know if those sock filters have any advantages over a cartridge filter (like the ones typically used for a pool or spa)?

 

[jlnguyen74]

thanks pharaoh, would you know if those sock filters have any advantages over a cartridge filter (like the ones typically used for a pool or spa)?

From what I heard, sock filters get clogged quick. I don't know about cartridge filters, so I can't compare

 

[ScatMan]

kendragon, i'm assuming that unit is some type of cartridge filter.

i have a few questions, if you don't mind...

how big is the tank?
how many square feet is the cartridge?
how often do you need to clean the cartridge?
is it a pain to clean?
how long do the cartridges last?
what, if anything, would you have done differently?

thanks kendragon, sorry about the question-bomb!

 

[ScatMan]

hey kendragon, please don't hate me for pestering you but i really want to set something up like what you got going on there. forgive me!

i was thinking that you might be better served by putting that cartridge filter AFTER the ultima to catch what the ultima misses. that would (in theory) give you more life out of your cartridges and have less cleanings to do on them.

what are your thoughts about that?

do you ever backwash your ultima, how much crud comes out? hopefully this will be my last question for you, lol! thanks man!!

 

[kendragon]

The chamber in front of my bead filter is for a cartridge filter. You can run whatever you want in it including carbon, mechanical or more bio.
The mechanical should be before the biological. I don't find the cartridge clogging at all but after three weeks I would pull it. I hose it out with a nozzle and a lot of brown bio sludge would come out. I never backwash my bio. I have koi ponds with media that has never been backwashed for seven years.
My tank setup is a 225. However, I done the same at a larger scale.

9000gal pond with koi.

 

[koienterprise]

As a side note you can also configure and modify sand filters with different media like Bio Wave or K3. I would also highly suggest if going this route to include an assistant air blower backwash system with check valve. On another note many filters like the Ultima are already setup out of the box and come with warrantys. So as for saving money I would stick with companys like W Lim, Ultima, Aquabead and AlphaONE filters =)

 

[Pharaoh]

thanks pharaoh, would you know if those sock filters have any advantages over a cartridge filter (like the ones typically used for a pool or spa)?

From what I heard, sock filters get clogged quick. I don't know about cartridge filters, so I can't compare

I wouldn't honestly be able to tell you the advantage or disadvantage between them. But it all depends on the micron rating, stocking and/or feeding routine as to how fast they will clog. This would be for both the cartridges and the socks.