External Filter Query - Advice Appreciated

[snazy]

Yeah, lovely clown loaches, sucked up my baby corys from a plastic breeder box that has tiny holes on the bottom and made lovely symmetrical holes on my plants Only the pleco is still holding his own.


P.S: Can't wait to see your tank

 

[tobywoof]

Thanks, I'm really excited about getting it all too. Is it true I need to let it cycle for 4 weeks without any fish in it?

I knew it was going to be expensive for the initial set up, but it's getting scary now. I do a little design work in my spare time so hopefully somebody will want some business cards or flyers doing soon!!! So far, I've ordered the 3D background - this one here: http/www.aqua-maniac.com/12-3d-rock-background
Once it is all back in stock on warehouse-aquatics.co.uk, I'm going to order 50kg ocean rock, 30kg white sand and a 'Hydor Koralia Evolution 2800' - ordering the tank and filter will have to wait until pay day

 

[snazy]

It may take longer than 4 weeks to cycle but my tank took about that. You need to do a fishless cycle, with ammonia if you don't want dead or sick fish. I bought the Kleen-off brand which is 9% ammonia and rest water. It's all explained on the link below but if you have any questions, just ask.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/277264-beginners-resource-center/

 

[dbanner]

The APS filters are the worst iv seen when it comes to a drop in flow rate. There are many threads on here of people that have tested them. The APS2000 model drops from the stated 2000LPH to a disappointing 950LPH!!! Shocking, but you get what you pay for.

I used to have an APS EF2000+ on my jewel vision 180 (so 3foot 180 litres) and it just about coped on its own. More expensive filters like tetratec, fluval and ehiem still have a drop in flow rate but nowhere as bad as APS. They tend to drop around 200LPH not a staggering 1000+

Iv also had a fluval fx5 which had awesome performance by my god it's an ugly looking thing. It soon had to go as it kind of depressed me having to look at it from time to time. I know stick to tetratecs as I find them the best all rounders. My fluval 405 and 406 wasn't too bad... But only when they weren't leaking.

I know have 2 tetratec ex1200's and a fluval 4 plus (just to add flow) on my 5 foot Rio. This gives me 3400LPH which drops to 2600LPH when you take the media into account. I don't use any spray bars as again it reduces the flow further.

When I had my vision 260 (which was 4ft) I used 25kg of black Limpopo sand... Then in my rio 400 (which is 5ft x a little under 2ft front to back) I used a little over 35kgs and my sand is a little under an inch deep which is more than enough for my plants to root (less sand = more water lol)... So you will need something like 30kg

 

[snazy]

Yeah, hearing good things about the tetratec filters and I don't have experience in both to comment on the performance and I haven't tested the APS filter the proper way, but as far as flow in the tank from it, it is really strong, shaking the plants throughout the tank and I also I can't have to trim them before they reach the higher parts because the leaves get damaged from the stronger flow there. Maybe they improved the filters since the last time you used one? I purchased floating plants(amazon frogbit and salvinia minima) to block a bit of light for the slow growing plants like anubias and I don't know how to make the floaters not bunch into the corner of the tank where the intake tubes are. Basically everything on the surface, fish, plants, just fly to the other side in seconds when they get caught. I've got the APS tank as well, it's a really deep tank and that filter provided enough oxygen and water flow for a tank full of bottom dwellers to withstand a 29-30 degree heat for more than 3 months in the summer. And I am considering reducing the flow somehow now to help my plants grow
I am really curious how you set up stronger filters than that without having the same issue?

 

[dbanner]

If I remember correctly the APS 2000+ I had, I did use that with the spray bar provided with it. This was for 2 reasons...

1. I didn't know at the time that using spray bars reduced flow

2. With the APS I had to use the spray bar as the elbow didn't sit onto the outlet pipe properly so if you didn't connect the elbow to the spray bar then the elbow would just fall off into the tank all the time and then the flow ended up pointed straight down into the tank causing sand to go everywhere lol

With the tetratecs and even the fluvals you don't get this problem as the elbows fit on (and stay on) very well so the flow is just pushed along the top of the water causing no problems for your fish (unless they stay at the top of the tank lol) or your plants (again unless their floating plants)

If on the other hand you like the spray bars then you can keep them and just drill bigger holes as this will also increase flow

You may well be correct in saying that maybe APS has changed their filters slightly since I bought 1. I bought mine around 6-8 months ago. It was sold not long after... Not so much because of the flow but because of the UV bulb I had with it... It was useless and when I did happen to use it, it just broke it had to be replaced several times in a matter of weeks. It was also a right pain to prime after filter maintenance/cleaning... Always took ages to prime from what I think was always trapped air in the filter.

 

[snazy]

I don't use the spray bar, just the one of the elbows provided to direct the flow horizontally and it hasn't fallen in 10 months yet. As for the spray bar, I'd say that's the cause of the slowed flow because the holes are tiny!!!! They clog super easily. But once you take that off it becomes a storm. You actually don't need the spray bar because it blows down to the end of my 4F tank with no problem. When I purchased mine I was reading someone recommending to change the spray bar and other plastic parts with Eheim parts that actually fit but can't remember the part numbers, or just take it off.

And reading about the rest, I'd say you were very unlucky or I am very lucky
Don't know if the UV light needs replacing but it's still lighting up and I prime the filter in a few seconds. You just need to make sure the water is not all the way up to the top.

 

[dbanner]

I tested mine without the spray bar... As did a few other members on here and we all got around 950LPH... Some had slightly more, say 970 some slightly less 940 or so...I'm not sure what the rate is with the bar.

My ex1200's are 1200LPH without media and around 950 with, again, no spray bars. For £89 each, new and delivered I really can't rate them highly enough. I use 1 of mine with a 300 watt external hydor heater so I got no heaters inside the tank to take up any space or burn the fish... I keep large cichlids that used to think it was funny to smash into the heaters in the tank so you'd be surprised how many heaters iv been through lol

And it sounds like you are very lucky lol I did later try an APS 1400+ as I too thought I was just unlucky but after the same problems I have up on them and went for a better filter (which was the fluval 406). I had the fx5 as it came with my tank and then swapped to the tetratecs after wanting another change and reading reviews and I'm so glad I did now

 

[snazy]

OK. Thanks. I'll keep in mind in the future to try one of the tetratec ones. You are saying that one tetratec 1200EX will perform as an APS 2000L/H so that looks a good value I guess.

 

[dbanner]

Yeah give it a try or have a look at some other threads about them on here.. Trust me there are loads here that use them and rate them very highly. You'll also notice that many people that do use them also run (or are thinking of running) the external heaters as I do. Makes the tank look so much neater IMO and they are so easy to fit

 

[snazy]

Just found this video on youtube. I am presuming this particular one isn't performing as per specifications because the flow looks really slow?

http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9p_WTXU3o0&feature=autoplay&list=ULJ-pqTRhXwtY&playnext=3

I have come across on this forum many people recommending it so it's worth a go one day. But the one on the video is really slow.

 

[dbanner]

The flow does look really slow on that video... Don't know what up with that. Even when I only had 1 ex1200 on my 450 litre (which is. 5ft long x 2ft high x a little under 2ft front to back) it was coping very well... But, the more filtration the better and it's better to have 2 just in case 1 ever fails... So I bought a 2nd 1

 

[dbanner]

Have a look at this thread... This is 1 of many favouring the superior EX1200 over the APS 2000..

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/384330-aps-external-2000lph-or-tetratec-ex1200/page__st__20

 

[dbanner]

Have a look at this thread... This is 1 of many favouring the superior EX1200 over the APS 2000..

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/384330-aps-external-2000lph-or-tetratec-ex1200/page__st__20

I also know of another thread on here of a member "coldcazzie" (which I don't think is an active member anymore??) tested her APS 2000 and was only getting 900LPH!! On that same thread another member was getting 910. Again on that same thread i was advised that an APS 2000 wouldn't be enough for 4 juvenile red belly piranhas in a 4 foot 260 litre tank and to go for an fx5 or ex1200.

Most people on here are running (or were running) the APS 2000's on tanks of around 3ft - 180 litres... This would give you a flow of around 5x your tanks water volume (if the tank was 180 litres) which isn't too good, especially with planted tanks. A planted tank needs around 10x turn over per hour

 

[snazy]

I understand that, but there are other forum posts with different opinions so it's hard to put the two ends togehter.
I found a couple of more videos of the tetratec alone and it is nowhere near visually wise what the APS outputs in my tank so just wondering It doesn't matter really at the moment as I am in no hurry, but if that's really the flow, I don't think one 1200Ex filter will be enough for my tank. Is your experience the same or the flow is stronger than this? Obviously 2 tetratec 1200 are better than 1 APS 2000, even in terms of flow and the flexibility to position them in different places.

http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGNdmRWbFaQ

http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=upHlA3-MpII