Filter question

1178 Views 9 Replies 7 Participants Last post by wkndracer, Jan 7, 2011

Prostock442

Discussion Starter · Jan 6, 2011

I have a Marineland Penguin 200 with Bio Wheel. It has space for two filter cartridges which I have been using two charcoal cartridges in. They get clogged up pretty fast affecting water flow so much that my Bio Wheel stops turning.

I'd like to eliminate the filter cartridges & just use Floss in a net or nylon of some sort. How will this affect my tank? Am I suppose to just rinse the charcoal cartridges in a bucket of tank water, put the cleaned cartridge back in the filter & throw the dirty tank water out? My tank seems to go into a mini cycle whenever I touch the filter cartridges.

And if I change from 2 charcoal cartridges to just one Floss Filter, how do I keep the good bacteria?

I need some help, anyone?

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mylittlefish

· #2 · Jan 6, 2011

?? What is the volume of this sensitive environment you have here??

A few suggestions, if i may :>)

Try a prefilter on your intake to the filter.
Shut it off for a short time , while feeding.
Try a water change more often.... sounds like your water is a little rich in detritus, etc.
Carbon will only stay activated for so long....... can't imagine those cartridges are holding that much Nitrifying bacteria , so you might open up those cartridges and refresh with better carbon or switch to zeolite or biomech or up grade to a better filter option.

Skip an oil change on that Beast Car of Yours

and put the money into a better filter.
Sell the beast and shop for a great complete tank setup on craigslist :>) JK LOL.

What size tank is this?

Are you feeding Way To Much ?

Are you gravel siphoning ??? at all?

Can you get an analysis of your water....... sounds like you are over doing and under doing all at the same time.... If you know what i mean.

Good questions and this is the place to get creative advice :>)

How about pics of your tank? Unless there is a car forum where you post those HAHA! sorry couldn't resist.

I have keep fish for only about 42 years , so i am new at this myself.

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Prostock442

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jan 6, 2011

mylittlefish said:
?? What is the volume of this sensitive environment you have here??

A few suggestions, if i may :>)

Try a prefilter on your intake to the filter.
Shut it off for a short time , while feeding.
Try a water change more often.... sounds like your water is a little rich in detritus, etc.
Carbon will only stay activated for so long....... can't imagine those cartridges are holding that much Nitrifying bacteria , so you might open up those cartridges and refresh with better carbon or switch to zeolite or biomech or up grade to a better filter option.

Skip an oil change on that Beast Car of Yours and put the money into a better filter.
Sell the beast and shop for a great complete tank setup on craigslist :>) JK LOL.

What size tank is this?

Are you feeding Way To Much ?

Are you gravel siphoning ??? at all?

Can you get an analysis of your water....... sounds like you are over doing and under doing all at the same time.... If you know what i mean.

Good questions and this is the place to get creative advice :>)

How about pics of your tank? Unless there is a car forum where you post those HAHA! sorry couldn't resist.

I have keep fish for only about 42 years , so i am new at this myself.

Instead of attacking me with a barrage of questions & going on & on about whatever...... Try to focus & just answer the questions I asked. By the way, don't quit your day job, you wouldn't make it as a comic. Thank you

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shane3fan

· #4 · Jan 6, 2011

Prostock442 said:
Instead of attacking me with a barrage of questions & going on & on about whatever...... Try to focus & just answer the questions I asked. By the way, don't quit your day job, you wouldn't make it as a comic. Thank you

I actually got a chuckle--so 'mylittlefish' might have a future in comedy.

However, most of his post was on topic and I would look at his questions closer. If the filter is getting clogged quickly you may need to look at your maintenance to avoid having your clogging issues. The reason for the suggestion of turning off the filter was to avoid sucking up uneaten food and clogging the filter---shouldnt happen unless you are overfeeding but isnt a bad idea.

I would recommend trying most of what 'mylittlefish' suggested and not being so touchy. If you ask for advice and get it then you shouldnt bite the hand that feeds you.

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HolyAngel

· #5 · Jan 6, 2011

I've never really had much luck with the biowheel filters myself, eventually, something always stops the biowheel from continually spinning.

That being said, the carbon in the filter needs to be replaced monthly if you want to use it. Otherwise it starts leeching the harmful chemicals and whatever it removed, back into the tank. You should be able to open the filter 'bag' and empty the carbon. Replace if you want but in a decently planted tank you shouldn't need it at all. Just keep the filter floss/sponge as thats what has the beneficial bacteria, not the carbon.

If you want to replace it, put in the new stuff and keep the old one in there for at least a week or two so it can colonize the new stuff. The floss doesn't need to be super clean when you clean it in the tank water, just not full of grime and gunk that would stop the flow.

Depending on the size of your tank(29G+) I would really consider upgrading to a different type of filter entirely, like a canister filter. But even the HOB's that don't have the biowheel are fine if thats what you want and aren't injecting co2.

Hope that helps a bit

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lauraleellbp

· #6 · Jan 6, 2011

shane3fan said:
I actually got a chuckle--so 'mylittlefish' might have a future in comedy.

However, most of his post was on topic and I would look at his questions closer. If the filter is getting clogged quickly you may need to look at your maintenance to avoid having your clogging issues. The reason for the suggestion of turning off the filter was to avoid sucking up uneaten food and clogging the filter---shouldnt happen unless you are overfeeding but isnt a bad idea.

I would recommend trying most of what 'mylittlefish' suggested and not being so touchy. If you ask for advice and get it then you shouldnt bite the hand that feeds you.

Ditto.

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Mc Fish

· #7 · Jan 7, 2011

You can always just remove the cartridges and replace it with a block of poret sponge, many people use the sponge from aquaclear filters. It has better mechanical and biological filtration than most cartridges from my experience. Floss on the other hand clogs rather quickly. Also because it's a biowheel filter, the bulk of your biological filtration comes from the wheel itself. The good bacterial grows on the wheel and because the wheel spins and exposes itself to air it exposes the bacteria to room air which has greater O2 in ppm than water itself so more bacterial will grow on that wheel than the rest of the filter.

If you like activated carbon, you can also get a mesh bag and cut the sponge smaller and place it on top of the sponge. If you want more biological filtration you can put ceramic rings, pumice, or lava rock on top of the sponge. With activated carbon do rinse it off before using, and replacing it once a month would be a good idea. Generally if you pick up a bag of AC and if feels heavier, it's used up.

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Mc Fish

· #8 · Jan 7, 2011

Oh, one poster mentioned a prefilter, that is a fantastic idea. I underestimated how effective a prefilter works. I had one on my african dwarf frog tank so that my little guys don't get sucked up but i recently made some for my discus/angel planted tank after noticing the difference in my filters. You can always make your own but buying a 2 dollar aquaclear sponge and make a hole with a steak knife and plop that thing on. Rinsing it out at least once a week prevents it from clogging. That way any large particles and food is prevented from from entering your filter. I switched to this method vs turning off my filtration during feedings and i find myself not having to clean out my filters nearly as often.

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HolyAngel

· #9 · Jan 7, 2011

Mc Fish said:
Oh, one poster mentioned a prefilter, that is a fantastic idea. I underestimated how effective a prefilter works. I had one on my african dwarf frog tank so that my little guys don't get sucked up but i recently made some for my discus/angel planted tank after noticing the difference in my filters. You can always make your own but buying a 2 dollar aquaclear sponge and make a hole with a steak knife and plop that thing on. Rinsing it out at least once a week prevents it from clogging. That way any large particles and food is prevented from from entering your filter. I switched to this method vs turning off my filtration during feedings and i find myself not having to clean out my filters nearly as often.

+1 ^^
I started using a prefilter sponge since I got my RCS, definitely prefer having it and so do the shrimp&otos. Just requires cleaning every couple days in some tank/dechlorinated water

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wkndracer

· #10 · Jan 7, 2011

Hello OP, I spent a few minutes looking at the treads you've posted and the listed tank profile photos. Seems like a good start on the tank.

My Emperor BIO-Wheel stumbles in rotation but doesn’t stop. Never had the type you've got but strange it should quit (imo). The one I've got has an adjustable spray bar that hits the top of the wheel (currently using the 280).

The carbon in the filter needs to be replaced about monthly if you want to it to remain 'active' but that said I don't. I disagree with HolyAngel's post that it starts releasing the harmful chemicals and whatever it removed, back into the tank. The carbon simply becomes plugged up then acts as a poor bio media. Poor being that once it's plugged there is little surface area for the bacteria. The factory cartridges for mine are rinsed with the hose to clear the floss facing and reused dozens of times. Unless you used the new cartridge to remove chemical treatments that were added to the tank all they absorbed were the minerals and animal waste products present in the tank (the same thing any biomedia does).

Seems like you do have more suspended material in the water though if the filter panels are plugging really fast.

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