Eheim External Filter Question?

[gh74]

I bought a second hand eheim 250 external,do i need to clean the whole thing before i use it and how would i get the algae out of the tubing etc?....also how do i go about connecting the uv sterilizer to it etc.

 

[star4]

Yes clean the whole thing including the media as you dont know what bacteria has built up in it. As for cleaning the pipes you can get a cleaning kit off fleabay, or buy a baby bottle brush with a metal handle all the way to the end (dont get a plastic end they pull off) and secure some wire to it so you can pull it through the pipe. Wash the pipes thoroughly first to loosen any dried on algea, gunk etc.
 
Hope this helps

 

[gh74]

Thanks star so is it ok to use ordinary tap water to was it all,the tank is going to running while am away in turkey  so will it have its on bacteria built up by then,,,do you anything about connecting the uv sterilizer

 

[DrRob]

You can wash kit in tap water. I've also taken to something TTA (I think) suggested recently for cleaning, which was along the lines of running the filter on a bucket of weak bleach solution (can't remember exactly what he suggested, but that's what I ended up doing, but I also buy dechlorinator in bulk crystal form).
 
UV sterilisers are odd bits of kit, they rely on a balance between power and flow rate. The options are to size the pump perfectly, or the power correctly, so that the flow through the kit is correct for it's power, or to run it on a separate loop with a valve to control it's flow rate. My personal approach has always been to run them on a separate loop, as it avoids issues with mulm in the filter slowing the flow and messing up the uv, but then I haven't run one in a long time.

 

[gh74]

Cheers Rob,there is 3 clips also missing can you buy them anywhere?,etc wish i had just bought a new one,so what ya mean running it from a loop,remember this is all mumbo jumbo to me as its that long since i did tanks lol

 

[DrRob]

You can get spare fittings for eheims from many places, google will find you several quite quickly.
 
By a separate system I meant a separate system with it's own pump and pipes. For more reliable for flow and you can adjust it for the UV without messing with the biofilter.
 
If you run it off the external then they often need some taps and elbows to create flow options. Generally UV's want slower flow than the filters do, so you need to split the flow into two outlets, and control how much goes to the UV with a valve, the rest going straight to the tank.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

The effectiveness of any UV unit is a function of two things, flow rate through the unit which is referred to as dwell time. The slower the flow the longer the water is in contact with the UV. The second feature is turnover rate. This refers to the number of times per hour the total volume of a tank will pass through the unit.
 
Almost no filter will provide proper raters for these two specs. The result is we run our UV units using its own pump or powerhead. Have a read here: http/americanaquariumproducts.com/AquariumUVSterilization.htm
Scroll down to the section entitled "FACTORS DETERMINING THE BEST UV STERILIZER FOR LEVEL 1 STERILIZATION:" pay particular attention to the section on "Flow Rate & Turnover Rate Table:"
 
Good luck with it.
 
And yes, I use a lot of bleach for cleaning. Two things to bear in mind- rinse well and allow stuff to dry out 100% and things are fine. You can also use dechlor. I use about a 10% bleach to water ration to kill nasties. On live plants that would be reduced to 5% and limited to a 60-90 second dip. Hardware can handle longer exposure times. Bleaching will trash sponge media based on strength/time of exposure as well as repeating the process over time. Bleach breaks down organics.

 

[gh74]

omg i would never of thought of using bleach,its  getting all the green mess out of the tubes ive tried a couple of different things but no good,cleaned it with milton and boiling water,even though there is green mess still in the tubes it will be ok to use???