filtration question

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thereke187

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 29, 2007
19
0
0
pittsburgh
i have a 120 gallon in my basement that i want to put some discus in, and i know they need very clean water, any sugestions as to what i should use for filtraton? i was going to add 2 filters from my old 55 (a whisper 60 330 gph+ a whisper 30 120 gph) just so maybe i can save some money
thanks in advance
 
I would use a Fluval FX5.
 
You can do a LOT better than the wispers IMO. I have an FX5 running on a 110 gallon tank along with a pair of Hydro5's and the water looks amazing....the quality is always very high. Replace the wispers with a single E400 with optional bio-forever supercartrages. you won't regret it.
 
I was thinking the same thing except he already has the Whispers. If you have them, might as well run them.
 
I have at least 8 wisper filters of various sizes laying around. I modify mine to use floam blocks and bags of bio-media rather than the poorly designed filter cartrages they use. If at all possible however I just leave them on the shelf.
 
thanks guys i appreciate the feedback, but as reptileguy said, i do want to use the filters just so i can save a few bucks, being that i spent so much on the tank..... how much does a fx5 run these days anyway?....and wolf could you go into more detail as to how/what you modify the cartridges
 
I highly suggest the FX5. If you get it, I highly recommend you set it up as follows: you don't change the outer rings which is couse mechanical (foam). The top half of the top center ring should have as much polyester pillow stuffing crammed in it as possible. The rest of the center rings (bottom two and bottom half of top) should be filled with Biomax, Fluval's biological media.
 
Your looking at between 180.00 to 300.00 for an FX5 depending on where you get it plus the cost of the media. I run mine with the outer foam filters in place and then the whole inside filled with ceramic rings.

Wisper modification...I remove the factory cartrage and replace it with a 1 1/2" to 2" thick piece of foam as wide as the filter chamber and about 1" taller than the waterfall spout. slip this foam block inside the filter chamber and pull it tight up against the front edge of the chamber just before the outlet (waterfall) In the remaining space...I fill a medium or large filter bag with bio media (ceramic rings) and slip it in.

TO servace it..all you have to do is slip out the foam block and rince it in the sink.(slapping it against the side of the sink helps get it clean a lot faster.) I don't even bother to turn the filters off while I'm doing this. You might have to take the bio-bag out momentarilly when putting the foam block back in.

It takes a bit of time to get the hang of it but you wont have to buy any more filter pads....frames....or carbon.
 
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