Drat It All! I've Been Given The Wrong Filter :(

[MBOU]

Oh and for the UV filters, ask if they are new or old stock, the UV is just a clarifier and not a steralizer, you would need some seriously intense UV going on for it to be a steralizer, a little 5w uv works wonders for keeping tank clear but isnt going to prevent diseases... or not entirely.

The first import of the UV filters had a 2 hour switch on them (not asked for by AquaOne but the manufacturer put it in anyway) which means the UV turns off after 2 hours because it shouldnt need to run more than 2 hours a day to keep it clean (saves on the bills etc). The new batch imported (not been in the country long so not sure if in the shops yet) has the on/off UV switch and runs constantly.

That said... if it were me... I would be offering to pay the £10 difference and pick up an EFX400 or the bigger UV model. Go for as big as you can! Though the 600 might be pushing it

 

[Aquascaper]

If people just asked nicely... it would be a flipping miracle and would get you a lot further. Hurts no one to be polite and ask. Even if it is your 'right'... if you are polite and ask nicely, they are still more likely to be more helpful whenever you go to the shop than dreading seeing you.

Got to agree with that method and also the idea of asking for mature media. That would turn a PITA situation into a nice easy tank cycle

 

[Tizer]

lies, i'm a charmer, people do what i ask most of the time

As for the UV in the Aquamanta filters, utter waste of time in my eyes Most people take the bulb out and save on the costs of running it.

 

[PaulHR]

I had massive problems doing that Tizer! dont know why, maybe it was a mssive overkill or the type of biomedia but kaldnes biobedia is a pain in external filters! it slips through the baskets and into the pipework because its so small and it floats.

Plus always found that adding it to considerably smaller tanks caused an ammonia spike... but then again... if there is no fish yet it wouldnt be a problem.

The EFX filters are good, the do what it says on the box unlike other filters that quote you a flow rate on an empty canister which is incredibly pointless.

I doubt the MA will mind if you are polite and explain that you need the media as its already cycled, they wont be able to sell the filter if its been used anyway, it will either get returned to the manufacturer or used in the shop... by which point they can put their own media in it.

Tizer's reaction is enough to get anyone's back up if people just asked nicely... it would be a flipping miracle and would get you a lot further. Hurts no one to be polite and ask. Even if it is your 'right'... if you are polite and ask nicely, they are still more likely to be more helpful whenever you go to the shop than dreading seeing you.

I'm very much a people person and treat everyone the way I would expect to be treated myself. I'm not really angry about the situation, my lack of experience so far made me panic a bit when I discovered what I had.

I've spoken to them yesterday, very nice people there and were very apologetic about the situation and keen to resolve it for me quickly. I just wish I could change it before Saturday but work is in the way

So it's not a good idea to ask them for the media then? If due to the size and what you have said, it's sounds like more trouble than what's worth.

 

[MBOU]

Maybe, but probably dont go out of their way to help you

I'm not saying be a complete suck up, its more... using politeness as a tool to get what you want. Everyone's happy then! You get what you want and the shop assistant doesnt have to deal with grumpy miserable whining customers

EDIT: I would just keep your mature media (leave it in the tank) and return them the filter minus media (might be worth being polite and calling the shop and double checknig they dont mind but cant see why they would) and swap it for new boxed filter with new media (it will be larger than the EFX200 but you can still put the old sponges and biomedia etc in and layer it with the new media.

Would also pay the few quid for an upgrade and get a bigger filter than necessary!

 

[PaulHR]

Oh and for the UV filters, ask if they are new or old stock, the UV is just a clarifier and not a steralizer, you would need some seriously intense UV going on for it to be a steralizer, a little 5w uv works wonders for keeping tank clear but isnt going to prevent diseases... or not entirely.

The first import of the UV filters had a 2 hour switch on them (not asked for by AquaOne but the manufacturer put it in anyway) which means the UV turns off after 2 hours because it shouldnt need to run more than 2 hours a day to keep it clean (saves on the bills etc). The new batch imported (not been in the country long so not sure if in the shops yet) has the on/off UV switch and runs constantly.

That said... if it were me... I would be offering to pay the £10 difference and pick up an EFX400 or the bigger UV model. Go for as big as you can! Though the 600 might be pushing it

Brilliant, thank you for the information. I'll have to study all these other filters now and see how it goes

 

[Tizer]

stick mature media in a stocking, nowt will escape them, another problem solved. I'm too good at this shizzle.

 

[Aquascaper]

As Tizer said, ditch the idea of a UV in the filter, there's no discernable benefit as it kills all bacteria & pathogens in the water, good and bad.

I would call them and explain you've started cycling your tank so would it be possible to retain the media you already have in exchange for the new media. Chances are they will just give you the new stuff anyway and while you're there it won't hurt to ask for a mature sponge in a bag of water for your inconvenience

 

[MBOU]

^^ MA dont have sponge in the filters. Will either be a sand bed or bubblebead Lacron filter (in which case the media can't be removed) or the new style static/moving bed with the kaldnes plastic biomedia.

 

[Aquascaper]

Well I think as a responsible LFS they should provide a mature fluidised sand bed for the OP to take home as an apology

 

[Tizer]

Depends which MA you use, quite a lot of them have large sumps with buckets full of large ceramics and the huge moving bed tanks are easy to scoop some media out of. really does depend what sort of relationship you have with the owners though.

 

[PaulHR]

I managed to get to MA today and came away with the EFX400. Unfortunately when I got home, the pipes were bigger than than EFX200 which I was told to leave plumbed as it would fit so I had a nightmare rushing around South Wales to get 1 3 mtr length of 16/22 for the outlet. I don't have a dedicate unit under the tank so the filter is off to the side so I need the extra length. Luckily I found a shop that had one, MA didn't have any.

I did politely ask about the mature media but it was a definite no and the other LFS I found wouldn't let me have any either. I even offered to pay for some but no, no, no, no and no. Oh well at least I've got it all set up now and I don't have to worry about it being underpowered any more.

I stored my old media at home so I've got some of that in the new filter so I guess it's now back to waiting for the tank to cycle again.

Thanks for everyones input and advice, much appreciated.

 

[Tizer]

no mature media? bah miserable gits!

 

[MBOU]

In all fairness, they probably had same problems we did... or specifically... I did I gave a customer some mature media as his ammonia was 0 and had been for weeks but his Nitrites were off the scale and ever starting over again, it stopped converting to nitrates... already had fish in the tank... not happy fish but they were hardy and tolerating it... added new media and whoosh... massive ammonia spike and killed fish >.< we had to foot the cost for water conditioners etc after him having to start again and keep water changing and also replace his fish.

Certainly not something we would ever do again. Not sure what was up with it but... the company thinks along the lines of "if it could possibly go wrong or cost us money, its not worth it"