Yes, definitely due to an error on my side when it was first set up. Make sure any of that gravel it comes with is poured around the tube and no grains of gravel or sand end up under it or in the middle of the tube. It needs to be flush with the bottom. It was very difficult to do so I remember...but I should have taken my time....I hope you have better experience than mine...no reason not to...I had the slightly longer 1000 version.
Oolitic Sand...
- Thread starter Quizcat
- Start date
Yes, definitely due to an error on my side when it was first set up. Make sure any of that gravel it comes with is poured around the tube and no grains of gravel or sand end up under it or in the middle of the tube. It needs to be flush with the bottom. It was very difficult to do so I remember...but I should have taken my time....I hope you have better experience than mine...no reason not to...I had the slightly longer 1000 version.
Well, sorry it happened to you, but it's reassuring that it was an error, and not something that was an inherent defect in the product. 'm optimistic that mine might work well for me. Time will tell...
Isn't there a way you could order a part to replace the part that was ruined? I think the filters are made in the UK, so not sure if the vendor even stocks parts, or if the cost of replacing the part that failed on you would be too expensive.
Isn't there a way you could order a part to replace the part that was ruined? I think the filters are made in the UK, so not sure if the vendor even stocks parts, or if the cost of replacing the part that failed on you would be too expensive.
Last edited:
Yes, nothing to worry about. My disappointment was not about it leaking, as it was my fault. It was about it never functioning well in my opinion, due to difficulty getting the right amount of constant flow. Mine was attached to an Eheim pump and the pump is still flawlessly working. I had a prefilter on it too to prevent debris getting into it.
As far as I could tell, it made no difference to the fish after I removed it..not sure how well it dealt with biological filtration....although I did get hooked up on the advertisement hype about it prior....I can never be sure or say it was bad or good...it just made no difference in my scenario, is all I can say...bar driving me nuts...But all that is not to say its no good. I was over-filtered to start with at the time. I am normally crazy about over filtering tanks, hence I bought this filter as its supposed to be very biologically efficient...
Edit: I am not sure you can order a part for it. I did in fact search for one for a brief moment of madness. I actually siliconed the hole and put the filter in a box. One day I looked at it and in the bin it went...But I could have used it inside a tank, as an internal filter...I just could not trust its abilities after observing its flaws for a year. Perhaps the exact same happens to external filters, we just can't see it happening, and think its all good...So the filter might have been perfectly fine the way it behaved...I am just being negative about it....
As far as I could tell, it made no difference to the fish after I removed it..not sure how well it dealt with biological filtration....although I did get hooked up on the advertisement hype about it prior....I can never be sure or say it was bad or good...it just made no difference in my scenario, is all I can say...bar driving me nuts...But all that is not to say its no good. I was over-filtered to start with at the time. I am normally crazy about over filtering tanks, hence I bought this filter as its supposed to be very biologically efficient...
Edit: I am not sure you can order a part for it. I did in fact search for one for a brief moment of madness. I actually siliconed the hole and put the filter in a box. One day I looked at it and in the bin it went...But I could have used it inside a tank, as an internal filter...I just could not trust its abilities after observing its flaws for a year. Perhaps the exact same happens to external filters, we just can't see it happening, and think its all good...So the filter might have been perfectly fine the way it behaved...I am just being negative about it....
Last edited:
Yeah, I've bought into the reviews I've read in some forums, and seen on You Tube. I just hope that it will process ammonia and nitrates as many have claimed it will. But, I can see where somebody might become disenchanted, especially after leakage, and no apparent benefit with respect to biofilter.
So, what kind of filtering system to you have now?
In a different tank, I'm currently running two Aquaclear filters stocked with Seachem Matrix in one, and Seachem De*Nitrate media in the other, where in the De*Nitrate filter, I have a reduced flow down to about 8 GPH or less, which according to Seachem is necessary for their De*Nitrate product to perform.
I just got some Oasis (Seachem) Pond Matrix, which I had intended to just stack on top of the substrate, but Seachem says it needs some flow through it to be effective. So, I'm not sure how it will work, since sitting on top of the substrate, kind of in a rock pile look, might not present sufficient flow to cultivate the bacteria I desire.
That's the problem with all these theoretical filtering "systems." Other than using a test kit to see whether ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates are actually being processed, you really can't measure the rate of effectiveness of any particular system. You throw them in there and just hope they work. I'm trying the shotgun effect with all these methodologies, hoping I will hit on one that actually works consistently well.
So, what kind of filtering system to you have now?
In a different tank, I'm currently running two Aquaclear filters stocked with Seachem Matrix in one, and Seachem De*Nitrate media in the other, where in the De*Nitrate filter, I have a reduced flow down to about 8 GPH or less, which according to Seachem is necessary for their De*Nitrate product to perform.
I just got some Oasis (Seachem) Pond Matrix, which I had intended to just stack on top of the substrate, but Seachem says it needs some flow through it to be effective. So, I'm not sure how it will work, since sitting on top of the substrate, kind of in a rock pile look, might not present sufficient flow to cultivate the bacteria I desire.
That's the problem with all these theoretical filtering "systems." Other than using a test kit to see whether ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates are actually being processed, you really can't measure the rate of effectiveness of any particular system. You throw them in there and just hope they work. I'm trying the shotgun effect with all these methodologies, hoping I will hit on one that actually works consistently well.
Sea Chem denitrite will work in salt water, in order for bacteria to break down nitrate in fresh water it needs. A carbon source, sugar, alcohol or vinegar. Very controlled dosing with no free oxygen.
Basically a bacteria uses the oxygen in the nitrate. Converting it into nitrite, which is converted into nitrogen gas by another bacteria. All in anaerobic conditions. The rotten egg smell will begin after nitrates are used up and the sulfate compounds are stripped for their oxygen.
Basically a bacteria uses the oxygen in the nitrate. Converting it into nitrite, which is converted into nitrogen gas by another bacteria. All in anaerobic conditions. The rotten egg smell will begin after nitrates are used up and the sulfate compounds are stripped for their oxygen.
I decided this morning to replace the De*Nitrate that's in the Aquaclear 30 with Pond Matrix. The Pond Matrix is supposed to be superior with respect to it having deeper pores and greater surface area for aerobic and anaerobic bacterial cultivation. I decided to take the De*Nitrate out of there because it takes so much time to establish the biofilter in new media, that I wanted to get started using the Pond Matrix, which I envision will be the better media compared to the De*Nitrate. And, I still have regular Matrix loaded into the other box filter, the Aquaclear 50.
I was able to fit the recommended quantity for my 29 gallon tank, consisting of approximately 1/3 liter of Pond Matrix, most of it into the chamber of the box filter, and also to load a small amount of it into the framework that supports the Filter Max Pre-Filter sponge by dropping it into the skeletal center support area, which is an open area.
So, slowing down flow to accommodate the De*Nitrate is no longer an issue when using Pond Matrix. I suspect the flow rate now, with the Pond Matrix stuffed into the chamber of the Aquaclear 30, and the center of the Filter Max II, is probably between 15-30 gallons per hour. So, it should have sufficient flow to accommodate the Pond Matrix.
But, I assume that the dosing of a carbon source is still required, since my tank is fresh water.
Which carbon source is best of the three; sugar, alcohol, or vinegar?
What dosage amount is recommended for a 30 gallon tank?
How should I dose it?
and
How often do you recommend I dose it?
I was able to fit the recommended quantity for my 29 gallon tank, consisting of approximately 1/3 liter of Pond Matrix, most of it into the chamber of the box filter, and also to load a small amount of it into the framework that supports the Filter Max Pre-Filter sponge by dropping it into the skeletal center support area, which is an open area.
So, slowing down flow to accommodate the De*Nitrate is no longer an issue when using Pond Matrix. I suspect the flow rate now, with the Pond Matrix stuffed into the chamber of the Aquaclear 30, and the center of the Filter Max II, is probably between 15-30 gallons per hour. So, it should have sufficient flow to accommodate the Pond Matrix.
But, I assume that the dosing of a carbon source is still required, since my tank is fresh water.
Which carbon source is best of the three; sugar, alcohol, or vinegar?
What dosage amount is recommended for a 30 gallon tank?
How should I dose it?
and
How often do you recommend I dose it?
I use nothing fancy right now, simple external filters. I also keep emersed plants. As a rule i rely on good surface movement and hopefully plenty of oxygen to supply the bacteria... Then again, this is just theoretical but ammonia and nitrite are abundant in the tank...oxygen is the limitation because almost every organism in a fish tank needs oxygen, and it is not easily dis-solvable in water. The previous tank on which the sand bed was attached to, had several external filters additionally and huge emersed plants.
The sand bed filter maybe efficient as it states on the label. It's just difficult to measure the effectiveness. My tank was well established, shouldn't have been affected from disconnecting just one filter anyway and I keep relatively small fish..the biggest being clown loaches...
That's the problem. It would take a 55 gallon sump full of the stuff, too remove the nitrates effectively from a 1 gallon goldfish bowl.
Carbon dosing gets very complicated. Their are threads on here about it. I have switched over to algae scrubbing to remove nitrates.
Their us a product that uses a sulfur media in a reactor that will remove nitrate. Bio plastics. Comes to mind. I have never used them.
Carbon dosing gets very complicated. Their are threads on here about it. I have switched over to algae scrubbing to remove nitrates.
Their us a product that uses a sulfur media in a reactor that will remove nitrate. Bio plastics. Comes to mind. I have never used them.
The simple solution is the water change.
I dabbled with carbon dosing as a biology experiment. In an attempt to produce a 30 GPD denitrator.
Thread on "contained carbon dosing"
I dabbled with carbon dosing as a biology experiment. In an attempt to produce a 30 GPD denitrator.
Thread on "contained carbon dosing"
