Filter Queries

[lock77]

The best way to have the media is the bottom up... The flow goes down the tube/holes thru the media trays then filters upwards thru the baskets.
So course blue on bottom with fine floss ontop in the bottom basket (then probably same again if you have the 4 basket version)
Then all the ceramic that you can fit into the next basket.
Then another fine floss with the black plastic bio balls ontop
 
Thats how I did mine anyway, always runs lovely and no particulate matter clogs the ceramic media.
 
Agreed the plastic fitments are a little flimsy. Heat the ends of the tubes up with hot tap water...

Sorry this reply is really late! Had a heavy one last night!

Any advice is appreciated wether its late or not, the instructions sent with the filter are as good as a chocolate tea pot.
Why am I so impatient? Waters in and filters running all be it slightly noisier than expected. What I forgot to do was trim the hosing. Inlets hose isn't too bad but there's a lot of spare hose running from the outlet. Should I go back and trim the hoses?

 

[Ruskull]

Yes, trim the hoses.  You want some bit of slack but not too much because the weight of the water in that hose can cause too much pressure on the connection causing the plastic to crack over time.

 

[lock77]

Consider it done, hopefully with a little less mess this time. Not long home from P@H, picked up 16kg of black sand and a 300w interpet heater.

 

[Ruskull]

Hey to post pics just sign up to Photobucket, Flickr, or some similar site & upload the pics from your device and the site gives you the code.  You click on it & it's "copies" that code.  Then you post here and use the 11th icon on the bottom bar which looks like a photo.  You Paste the copied code there and hit "post" job done.
 
Hint:  To paste the code hit "ctrl" and the letter "v" on your keyboard.  Try it out!

..........and I love the look of black sand.  Good show!

 

[lock77]

It was definately black in the bag and in the bucket whilst rinsing but as it went into the tank and under my lights it looked a little greyish. Also very clumpy but I'm hoping it will seperate through time.

 

[lock77]

Nothing better to do on a saturday night so I've been sitting watching a bit of fluff floating round my tank. I was expecting this to go whoosh, straight into the filter but half an hour later its still floating there caught in the spray bar. At the moment the spraybar is on the back glass with the jets pointing straight at the front glass. Would it do any harm repositioning the spray bar to the side wall, I'm guessing if I shorten the spraybar the power output will be greater. Is there any truth in faster waterflow detering hair algae? I'm still reading up on the kind of currents my fish prefer. Definately need to look into pics, I'm sure I've a photobucket account.

 

[lock77]

Does my cycle require heat? I'm planning on a fishless cycle with plants dosing filter start every 2 days and trace elements every day. I want my plants in o hopefully get any melting out of the way before adding fish. Plants are java fern, java moss, anubis, crypts, vallis and a big leafed plant that I can't remember the name of. Also any advice on black hair algae would be great, I'm guessing it will transfer from my old setup to new, can this be avoided?
Having a bit of a creative disputed with my wife, I want all natural and she would like to stick a sunken ship and cannon in it.
On the subject of heaters. The instructions with the heater say that I shouldn't position it vertically but its a bit of an eye sore when diagonal. Ive run all my heaters vertically with no trouble, what's the theory behind vertical v diagonal?

 

[lock77]

Looks like I expecting too much from 16kgs of sand. It about an inche and a half deep, would this be okay for the plants listed above to survive?

 

[lock77]

One bit of advice I can give is there's no such thing as a cheap tank. We picked this up for handy money but when we add in the cost of filter, heater, subtrate, backround and decor the price doesn't look that great. I've already spent more on the tank than my wife paid for the tank. At least at the end of it all I can say "I did that".
Another bit of advice would be to avoid the KFC in Lisburn. I had a wicked zinger meal. I now know why its called Lis-BURN, enough said. 0

 

[Ch4rlie]

Cycling a tank does require heat, 75- 85 F is recommend.
 
I have had my heater first in vertical position for a few months then decided wanted it horizontal, no problems at all in either position. Maybe it depends on your heater (I use a 300w Fluval E Heater)
 
Think an inch and half deep of substrate is fine for a planted tank.
 
An yeas, no such thing as cheap tank, I had a budget for my tank and set up, I have spent way more than twice the budget by now 

 

[lock77]

Cycling a tank does require heat, 75- 85 F is recommend.
 
I have had my heater first in vertical position for a few months then decided wanted it horizontal, no problems at all in either position. Maybe it depends on your heater (I use a 300w Fluval E Heater)
 
Think an inch and half deep of substrate is fine for a planted tank.
 
An yeas, no such thing as cheap tank, I had a budget for my tank and set up, I have spent way more than twice the budget by now 

I didn't notice your vertical heater in your signature pic until you mentioned it!

 

[KirkyArcher]

Is there such a thing as the best way to arrange the media?

Have the cannister out of the box and have to say the build quality and materials are impressive. It feels firmer and more sound than my fluval. Sounds daft but it looks and feels like I can trust it. Came with 4 trays, with of which are stuffed with carbon, rings and bio balls and 4 cotton pads. Any advice on how to arrange these would be great or is it just personal preference? Diagrams for builting inlet and spray bar look a tad daunting.

The very best way to set up media is to have the plastic bio balls at the bottom to disrupt the initial water flow this will allow any heavy debris to fall to the bottom of the canister and prevent the next tray that will contain your foams from clogging up as fast, second tray as previously indicated will have your foam in, blue coarse sponge topped with two poly filter pads, this will ensure very clear water will flow over your ceramic media and not block the pores in which will become home to your nitrifying bacteria, Ideally you should have bio media in the remaining two trays of your 2000ef with the option of (though not really essential) having either activated carbon topping it off for removing medication and tannins released from new bogwood for example, or a final poly wool polishing pad. (also must point out that better ceramic media than the stuff supplied with your APS 2000ef with a coarser more porous surface is available to do the job of topping up your top two trays)

The theory behind having heaters diagonally is that it allows more water to flow over it and so allegedly uses less power, however after trying both positions with fluval "M" heaters I noticed no difference with the frequency the indicator light would be on for, I now have the "E" heaters positioned vertically and hidden by plants.

 

[Ch4rlie]

lol yeah, plants help to hide heater a bit.
 
Really would like to try a inline heater to take heater out of tank altogether but have heard mixed reviews about these.

 

[lock77]

Is there such a thing as the best way to arrange the media?Have the cannister out of the box and have to say the build quality and materials are impressive. It feels firmer and more sound than my fluval. Sounds daft but it looks and feels like I can trust it. Came with 4 trays, with of which are stuffed with carbon, rings and bio balls and 4 cotton pads. Any advice on how to arrange these would be great or is it just personal preference? Diagrams for builting inlet and spray bar look a tad daunting.

The very best way to set up media is to have the plastic bio balls at the bottom to disrupt the initial water flow this will allow any heavy debris to fall to the bottom of the canister and prevent the next tray that will contain your foams from clogging up as fast, second tray as previously indicated will have your foam in, blue coarse sponge topped with two poly filter pads, this will ensure very clear water will flow over your ceramic media and not block the pores in which will become home to your nitrifying bacteria, Ideally you should have bio media in the remaining two trays of your 2000ef with the option of (though not really essential) having either activated carbon topping it off for removing medication and tannins released from new bogwood for example, or a final poly wool polishing pad.

Cheers Kirky, makes sense when you put it like that. I've never liked the scum around the hoops.

lol yeah, plants help to hide heater a bit.
 
Really would like to try a inline heater to take heater out of tank altogether but have heard mixed reviews about these.

I've read a lot this week and wouldn't recommend inline heating based on internet reviews alone. On saying that, the fluval E series didn't do too well either. I suppose its all down to personal preference, I've always used interpet, reviews for them wouldn't be great but they have never let me down.

 

[Ch4rlie]

I got my E Heater free.....would have agreed with you and probably would have not bought one as read mixed reviews about E heaters as well but having said that, have not had any issues whatsoever, had it about 4 months so far.