Diatom XL reviews

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
I've used my diatom filters for fresh and marine. I don't know what the least amount of cleaning is, but I always run them in a sink full of water and a capfull of bleach before moving it to another tank. Of course you need to get the chlorine out of it, before you use it. With a balanced biological setup, you shouldn't have to run it all the time for crystal clear water. Besides, running it all the time is a lot of work. With the tiny filtration, it needs to be cleaned a lot. Otherwise, you lose water pressure, and wear out the motor. I always prime the filters with tank water. That way I can be consistant on my water properties. I have also found that diatoms can get into parts of the unit where they should not be. I've taken the unit apart to get to these places periodically. It's a lot like getting dirt in your fishing reel. I hope this helps. I think, also, that if I used it all the time, I may miss something vital because the water looks better than it is. Remember, I've had tank water so clear that the fish look like they're suspended in space, even with a micro photo shot. And most of the time, I didn't have the diatom filter hooked up.
 
One of the best things about having any diatom filter is that if you have an outbreak of ich in a tank you can run the filter and eliminate a lot of the parasites before they go into the tomite phase and attach themselves to your fish. Not a cure for ich but it will help out by reducing the numbers. I definately would not run a diatom filter 24/7, a fortune would be spent on diatomacious earth if you did.
 
Wow, alot more helpfull info. I just want to run it after heavy feedings. I have alot of current in my salt tank and its hard to get alot of the debris into the overflows. This would come in handy for me. Thanks again.
 
tankbuster to swich it to salt just rince the filter and change the powder , you may even buy another filter and ose one on salt one on fresh ..i would not use it if you have a reef at all
 
I just put some 100 micron filter pad in my filter and that works just as well. You can either rinse if off or throw it in the washer to clean it.
 
TankBuster;640809; said:
Wow, alot more helpfull info. I just want to run it after heavy feedings. I have alot of current in my salt tank and its hard to get alot of the debris into the overflows. This would come in handy for me. Thanks again.
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If that's your main reason for getting a diatom filter you might want to consider getting the vacuum attachment (also made by vortex). I dont own a vacuum attachment myself so I honestly can't rate it, but again, diatom powder is pretty pricy so you'll likely want to preserve it by not letting too much solid waste and food get into the jar while the filter is in use.
 
the vacuum attachment provided with my vortex was nothing more than some black tubing lol. you have to cut a plastic bottle, which does fit well, to seal the deal lol. seems kinda ghetto for fancy de filter.
 
^^ never seen that around here. i'm curious now too whether anyones used it.
 
skinless;641480; said:
the vacuum attachment provided with my vortex was nothing more than some black tubing lol. you have to cut a plastic bottle, which does fit well, to seal the deal lol. seems kinda ghetto for fancy de filter.
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It is so much more powerful than gravity syphons or Pythons. It does get the stuff all fouled up though. If you put a piece of prefilter in the soda bottle and just used it for suction, that would work too:)

Magnum 350 pro, you can run a gravel washer and a micron filter cartraige and a biowheel. That could be another option for you.
 
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