HELP decide Eheim filter for 75G & tweak SeaClear System2 & eartheaters.

[petspoiler]

@ Jc1119 John: Your reply REALLY HELPED! My system had WAY too much bio balls! The drip tray was completely above the water flow, like a lid. Due to your description, I removed enough balls so it is now properly working as a "drip" tray! I also adjusted the overflow teeth. AND put a home made bag of chemical media in the far right area...some water does now fall on that, although I'm not sure if it's perfectly done... it doesn't seem like very much compared to the tank size.

I can order the SeaClear prefilter. When it arrives it should be self-explanatory as to correct positioning, whereas my home made one is questionable.
THANK YOU for taking the time! I knew things weren't right, but couldn't find a manual online.
I'm also ordering Eheims, so this tank will be much better by the time it's bio-load goes up.

I have a 90 gallon seaclear system 2 and mine has a drip tray over the bioballs. Media is not fully submerged, but true wet-dry and surface skimming is actually a very efficient way to filter. In fact, I try to surface skim all my tanks including my 300.

Chamber 1 (right behind the overflow teeth) should have a white plastic frame wrapped in mechanical filter floss. Chamber 2 is for the heater and the third small chamber sends water up and onto the drip tray, dripping water over the bioballs.

On mine I also run an old magnum 350 with the strainer low in the tank to help with mech filtration. I did use 2 rena xp3's at one point on this tank for 2 reasons 1) sand friendly 2) maintenance was a breeze. But any eheim with a top mounted motor would be sand friendly.

 

[petspoiler]

Dee, thanks to you also!
I love this forum.

 

[Jc1119]

No prob. I don't have any specific instructions, just the pics on seaclear's(casco) site. There should be a little plastic window(clear) down low on the bottom right hand side of the tank, if you're looking at it. The water level ideally should be visible in the plastic window. If it's higher than the window, you've got a bit too much water, but if it's below it or too low, you'll blow bubbles into the tank........

I've got some pics around somewhere of the top of my setup.......I'll see if I can dig them up

stay tuned....

 

[Jc1119]

ok...excuse the mess in chamber 1 lol The downside of this style tank is unless you drill extra holes in the top, everything has to go in and out of the opening above the teeth(including airline hoses). In chamber 1, behind the mech filter screen, I have the input of my magnum and my heater. In chamber 2 I have the output of the magnum. Driptray over bioballs.....pic of it on and off

One other thing to note....you can adjust the level in the bottom of the filter area but simply moving the gate(teeth) up and down. Moving the teeth up will lower the level in the filter area and raise it in the display. Lowering the teeth will lower the display level, but raise the level in the filter

 

[petspoiler]

There's no clear window down low (tank back is against wall). there is a clear triangular view on right TOPside of tank. I have to stand on a step ladder and look down on tank. from there, it shows the area where drip tray has ended and drips off edge. that's where I put some chemical media. that plastic tray is not submerged in water, but is wet.
I have the intake teeth flowing as full as possible.
My tank water level is about 1 inch from very top now. a bit lower than usual bcuz fiddling with everything causes fluctuations & I need wiggle room.
no bubbles blowing into tank. but the outflow is all from 1 vertical slot, about 2 inches in height. going from 5 to 3 inches from tank bottom, and round holes all along back bottom.
The guy who sold it to me said this was originally for marine. I'm not sure if his info was accurate, he got it for a quick turnaround.and I still got a huge bargain.

There should be a little plastic window(clear) down low on the bottom right hand side of the tank, if you're looking at it. The water level ideally should be visible in the plastic window. If it's higher than the window, you've got a bit too much water, but if it's below it or too low, you'll blow bubbles into the tank.....

 

[Jc1119]

Interesting. Sorry about these pics, they aren't the best, but behind the wood there is a little clear plastic window visible from the front of the tank. At least on mine there is.......

 

[petspoiler]

wow John, thanks for posting the pics, that really helps!
Yours has way more water flow than mine, but you also have that magnum.
Nevertheless, I removed the little eggcrate piece I had placed to keep the prefilter farther back from the ingate, and got my gate open even more now. So there's more water flowing over my right-end bag of chemical media.
No clear viewing front-window into my lower pump area, so yours is slightly different. but I reckon if bubbles were ever shooting into my tank from there, it'd mean was something wrong.

I'm not sure how to run all the hoses when my 2 canisters get here(?) I want to put one on each side of the tank. Ya, that IS a big downside of this system. bcuz of that, it crossed my mind to remove all the SeaClear guts instead of adding the canisters to it, but guess I'll cross that bridge when they arrive.
I haven't ordered them yet, still figuring out details of what I need/want. Some people say Eheims aren't sent with enough hose length, and they had to get more..... Anyone?

Thanks for help!

 

[Jimmy16]

so bioballs work best in this system? would ceramic rings work better or the bioballs that came with it? i took out all the bioballs and filled it with ceramic rings, am i doing it wrong? lol

 

[petspoiler]

so bioballs work best in this system? would ceramic rings work better or the bioballs that came with it? i took out all the bioballs and filled it with ceramic rings, am i doing it wrong? lol

these tanks just come with bioballs. there could be a reason the manufacturer chose them for the system.
I don't know if they work better or worse than ceramic rings.

The built-in compartment filtration is not adequate in my tank, which is lightly stocked.
I got it 2nd hand, no prefilter included, and didn't realize that at first. I rigged one up myself. It has to be changed a lot.
Also, either the original owner removed the little plexiglass "viewing window" into the rear compartment (so a lot of water flows out of that slot), or mine was made differently to begin with.