Diatom Filter's
- Thread starter abigman67
- Start date
I have been using the diatom filter for over 20 years. I have owned 2 in that strech mind you i was out of the hobby for about 5-6 years then decided to get back into it. I only use it once every 3-4 weeks, usually to give a thorough polishing to the water. It becomes crystal clear after 6-7 hours of use. They are not recommended to run constantly. I have heard of people burning up the motor after trying to run 24/7 for a couple months. I feel they have helped me keep my aquarium fairly disease free and i have fish usually very happy. I notice a constant change in their activity right after and during the use of my diatom filter. Most of the LFS around here have used them on several tank cleaning set ups. I initally saw one being used in a LFS and inquired after i bought the first one I stuck with the use all these years.
abigman67;1468181; said:
Pros-
Improves clarity GREATLY!
Removes parasites, floating particles and algae spores (ie. GW)
Cheap to run (DE is widely available and cheap)
Cons-
Difficult to setup
Slightly noisy
Cannot be run constantly
I can't stress enough how much clearer the water becomes after you polish it; it looks like the fish are floating on air. Now I just wish I could run it 24/7.
Wow.
I was just going to start a topic on these!
I was given a diatom filter recently, it's pretty old but still works from what my grandpa tells me. It has a giant motor on top, wich screws onto a Jar that holds a bag of white diatomeceuous(spelt that wrong didnt I?) earth. I dont have the right intake/outake tubes for it though. I'm going to try and get the right parts for it and see if it still works.
I was just going to start a topic on these!
I was given a diatom filter recently, it's pretty old but still works from what my grandpa tells me. It has a giant motor on top, wich screws onto a Jar that holds a bag of white diatomeceuous(spelt that wrong didnt I?) earth. I dont have the right intake/outake tubes for it though. I'm going to try and get the right parts for it and see if it still works.
AttackFish;1468976; said:
Mate, don't waste your time on trying to replace with it Vortex parts. Not only are they obsolete, they're pretty cheaply made (ie. the intake isn't really sealed on the seams and it has this cheap rubber stopper on the back). Most people actually mod it by using Eheim quick-disconnect valves instead of the recharge valve and replacing the intake/output as well.
my diatom is leaking like a sive from the area between the motor and the intake/outtake. the company said this is a common issue. now they tell me after i soaked the rug and spent 300.00 on a diatom elite