Purchased the Aqua One AR980 4 weeks ago, looking to get rid of the carbon cartiridge set up and replace it with loose activated carbon in bags, wool, sponges and obviously keep the noodles. Do I really need the carbon and what is the best set up for the layers of filter material in the the trays. Any advice would be grately appreciated.
Changing Filters On Aqua One Ar980
- Thread starter kev240
- Start date
smegforbrains
Fish Addict
Am I correct in thinking this is the 'in-hood' filter with three compartments?
If so, I would put noodles in the first compartment from the inlet, coarse sponge in the middle one and fine polyester floss in the last compartment.
You should not need to use carbon unless you are cleaning up after a dose of medication.
If so, I would put noodles in the first compartment from the inlet, coarse sponge in the middle one and fine polyester floss in the last compartment.
You should not need to use carbon unless you are cleaning up after a dose of medication.
nickelplates
New Member
I have the 620 and I have as much sintered media as will fit in every compartment except the first. In that first compartment I have some floss on top of a thin sponge to keep the floss and the ceramic underneath seperate.
My thinking is that it's the sintered media that harbours the bacteria so have as much of it as possible. The floss physically cleans the water before it goes into the bio media, that way this media never needs cleaning which is best for the bacteria. The amount of floss in my filter only costs a few pence and is easily replaced every couple of weeks. I find the floss actually does a better job the less you put in (as long as it covers the full surface of the chamber) don't know why but that's my experience.
This setup is the easiest possible filter to maintain and keeps my water at 0 nitrites 0 ammonia at every test in the last nine months with sparkling clear water all the time, works for me.
doresy
Sometimes Right, Sometimes Wrong but ALWAYS certai
Hi, I have the 850 and 380 both with the canopy filter system.
My 'system' is so......
Top, (water coming in).........White floss to trap particals..washed every water change
then thin slice of coarse foam....washed every other w/c
then a layer of ceramic noodles.....washed only if dirty (3 months or so)
then thick medium foam hardly ever cleaned (maybe 6 months or so)
finally another layer of white floss for 'polishing' , washed every water change.
*EDIT* All washing done in old tank water
*TIP* no need to use the carbon filled cartridges but do not throw away. What I did was rip off the white layer and empty out the carbon. Then carefully grind away the ribbing so that you end up with a tray with loads of slits in it. Use this tray to house the ceramic noodles for easy cleaning. It also regulates the water flow through the filter.
My 'system' is so......
Top, (water coming in).........White floss to trap particals..washed every water change
then thin slice of coarse foam....washed every other w/c
then a layer of ceramic noodles.....washed only if dirty (3 months or so)
then thick medium foam hardly ever cleaned (maybe 6 months or so)
finally another layer of white floss for 'polishing' , washed every water change.
*EDIT* All washing done in old tank water
*TIP* no need to use the carbon filled cartridges but do not throw away. What I did was rip off the white layer and empty out the carbon. Then carefully grind away the ribbing so that you end up with a tray with loads of slits in it. Use this tray to house the ceramic noodles for easy cleaning. It also regulates the water flow through the filter.
waterdrop
Enthusiastic "Re-Beginner"
A possible explanation for why less polyfloss works better than more polyfloss is that the more packed a given filter media, the more the small water streams will be forced to "avoid" the path, or "find an easier way 'round" so to speak. Packing the floss less densly encourages it to permit water to flow through more easily with the result that lots of small particles get trapped and the water made more crystal. The less media volume you have, the more important "tightness of fit" and micro water paths are in the design.
I second that the advice on carbon is correct. Carbon (aka activated charcoal) is a good tool for the aquarist to keep on the shelf, but not normally in the filter. It is put in for specific special cases that hopefully are rare. It is good at removing certain medications after they are finished working. It is good a removing yellow tannins from bogwood and other decorative woods. It is good at removing various organic smells that cannot be figured out otherwise. When you put it in, it will "adsorb" (that is attract via chemical charges I believe, not via trapping action) for at most about 3 days, until a particular chemical substance reaches an equilibrium state. After 3 days (or at the next weekend as a practical matter) you just remove it and toss it out, there is no practical "cleaning" or reuse of it I don't believe.
Carbon will indeed provide a good surface for the beneficial bacteria, and thus can be considered a contributor to the overall biofiltration if it has been in there for enough time, however it is an impractical material for this job as it easily crumbles and is in fact gradually removed as some volume of its dust goes out with each filter clean and water change. As such it is far from an ideal biomedia. A problem sometimes occurs with beginners who have allowed carbon to become a significant percentage of their biomedia but then remove it, as this can cause the filter to have a cycling problem.
~~waterdrop~~
I second that the advice on carbon is correct. Carbon (aka activated charcoal) is a good tool for the aquarist to keep on the shelf, but not normally in the filter. It is put in for specific special cases that hopefully are rare. It is good at removing certain medications after they are finished working. It is good a removing yellow tannins from bogwood and other decorative woods. It is good at removing various organic smells that cannot be figured out otherwise. When you put it in, it will "adsorb" (that is attract via chemical charges I believe, not via trapping action) for at most about 3 days, until a particular chemical substance reaches an equilibrium state. After 3 days (or at the next weekend as a practical matter) you just remove it and toss it out, there is no practical "cleaning" or reuse of it I don't believe.
Carbon will indeed provide a good surface for the beneficial bacteria, and thus can be considered a contributor to the overall biofiltration if it has been in there for enough time, however it is an impractical material for this job as it easily crumbles and is in fact gradually removed as some volume of its dust goes out with each filter clean and water change. As such it is far from an ideal biomedia. A problem sometimes occurs with beginners who have allowed carbon to become a significant percentage of their biomedia but then remove it, as this can cause the filter to have a cycling problem.
~~waterdrop~~
danon
Fish Fanatic
Evening all, just got my internet back after 2 months, dont ask!!!!!!
I to have the Aqua One 980 and have experimented with various filter media. My problem is that the top layer of media gets blocked very easily and water level rises up to meet the spray bar.
Regarding the previous comments,
What 'thin layer of coarse foam' do you actually use? Make and where from?
What 'white floss' do you use? Make and where from?
I have been using the Aqua One wool filter pads.
Doresy, great advice as always. It was you that persuaded me to get the Aqua One in the first place, back in april.
Everything still looks great and all are healthy, have had a lot of babies
3 have survived for about 2 months and are a good enough size to not get eaten
As for all the others, let nature take its course. Who hides the best, lasts the longest.
I to have the Aqua One 980 and have experimented with various filter media. My problem is that the top layer of media gets blocked very easily and water level rises up to meet the spray bar.
Regarding the previous comments,
What 'thin layer of coarse foam' do you actually use? Make and where from?
What 'white floss' do you use? Make and where from?
I have been using the Aqua One wool filter pads.
Doresy, great advice as always. It was you that persuaded me to get the Aqua One in the first place, back in april.
Everything still looks great and all are healthy, have had a lot of babies
3 have survived for about 2 months and are a good enough size to not get eaten
As for all the others, let nature take its course. Who hides the best, lasts the longest.
nickelplates
New Member
Hi
The 'foam' is actually one of the sponge layers that came with the tank. For the floss I use any make of loose filter floss, my current box says Marina on it. It looks like the same stuff used in many cushions and soft toys although personally I stick to the stuff sold for aquarium filters as with anything else there is the possibility it has got fire proofing or other chemicals in it and I use so little the cost saving would be minimal so I simply don't think it is worth experimenting.
I don't say my way is the best way or the right way. All I can tell you is it seems logical and it works for me.
hello all
in regards to the filter media for the ar-series i run my 980 with medium-fine wool on top, black mech sponge in the middle and seachem matrix mixed with denitrate 50/50 on the bottom,
the spray bar drips water from the top and trickles down to the bottom hence the way iv set mine, not from left box to the right, but in the last box i put my chem media -seachem purigen and phosguard to polish the water from yellow tea stained tannins and phosphate cousing brown diatom algea.
in regards to the filter media for the ar-series i run my 980 with medium-fine wool on top, black mech sponge in the middle and seachem matrix mixed with denitrate 50/50 on the bottom,
the spray bar drips water from the top and trickles down to the bottom hence the way iv set mine, not from left box to the right, but in the last box i put my chem media -seachem purigen and phosguard to polish the water from yellow tea stained tannins and phosphate cousing brown diatom algea.
Hi there I'm a newbie on the forum so excuse anything that I’ve missed. I’ve set up a new AR980 with the Power-head trickle feed return hood mounted filter system (just over 2 months ago now). I’ve been a fish keeper for many years but am having real issues with this one.
Despite not over feeding my tropical stock the filters keep blocking up with the result of the water rising in all 3 chambers up to the return spray bar and then if I’m late noticing this it overflows over their tops as well. I love the tank and the water is pristine with zero ammonia and nitrate but surly they cant expect this to occur every few days or so I’m still using the 3 layer filter media system that the tank came with i.e. ceramic at bottom, foam and activated carbon on top. Any advice suggestions and solutions gratefully accepted here as these are supposed to be minimal maintenance systems once mature and thus far mine far from being this!! Many thanks Si
Despite not over feeding my tropical stock the filters keep blocking up with the result of the water rising in all 3 chambers up to the return spray bar and then if I’m late noticing this it overflows over their tops as well. I love the tank and the water is pristine with zero ammonia and nitrate but surly they cant expect this to occur every few days or so I’m still using the 3 layer filter media system that the tank came with i.e. ceramic at bottom, foam and activated carbon on top. Any advice suggestions and solutions gratefully accepted here as these are supposed to be minimal maintenance systems once mature and thus far mine far from being this!! Many thanks Si
anon02
Fishaholic
On my 980 I removed the carbon cartridges and replaced it with some fibre pond filter blanket of the same thickness then a similar fibre blanket of 5mm thick as a throw away, only cost about a fiver for 5 sq metres off ebay, will last ages and keeps its shape
Many thanks for the Tip I've been on ebay and found a supplier of this stuff at various depths and will try your deep and less deep throw away method. Hope I get as good results. What order did you put them in in i.e ceramics at bottom, then foam then thick fibre and finaly throw away thin fibre ?? Apart from this these tanks are brill veiwing. I have 11 clown loachs, a golden severum, a 8 parrot chilclids, flagtail cat, weather loach, sail fin plec and two yo yo loachs on my set up and they love it I fitted a korallia 900 circulation pump and the loachs literaly swiming at it against the stream in obvious enjoyment My smooth finaly laid gravel is all humsp and bumps now after the fisk buily themsleves dens but who cares as long as they are happy Thansk for the help Si
anon02
Fishaholic
I put the media in the order you`ve written then I put some ceramic noodles I`d bought in the end compartment by the drain hole as spares
anon02
Fishaholic
Check that the clear tube that fits into the drain hole isn`t set too high, it should be level with the compartment bottom
Just double checked and its level Got that one right Last question I promise How long before you bin the thin throw away layer on average or do you wait until a slower version of the blocking up carbon cartridges escapade repeats itself?? I have a spare set of the 5C carbon cartridges, which I will keep for use only after medication treatments are used as and when and if needed. By the way I’m very grateful I love my hobby and my fish and not sure that anyone lese in the family appreciates my hobby so getting good honest help from fellow enthusiast is invaluable and makes me feel part of a larger not so mad group of people that love their fish keeping What’s do you keep in yours??
anon02
Fishaholic
I`m still fishless cycling my tank. I took out the carbon cartridges on advice from a forum member and I decided to add the 5mm piece when I realised how easy it would make filter maintenance. The 22mm thick piece of fibre has been in there over a week now and it`s still keeping its` thickness
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