Oase biomaster mark 2 thermo filter

[Country joe]

Hi,
I'm going to buy the new Oase biomaster mark 2 thermo filter, I have a 200 litre aquarium that is well stocked, I was going to go for the 350, but I've been looking at the stats, which read.
Biomaster 250 for tanks up to 250 litres and the 350 for tanks up to 350 litres.
Which one would you go for, I have mainly Tetras,Harlequin Rasboras, ottos and corys and one Bolivian Ram.

 

[GaryE]

I've never seen that brand, and just took a long look at their website. It appears to be an excellent design in some aspects - sturdy and well made. It has some flaws from looking at it - integrated heaters are nice, but heaters don't last nearly as long as good filters do, by many years. If only their heater fits, there's no guarantee they'll stick with these models in years to come. Even if it works well, they'll have to make changes to satisfy buyers and make it necessary for the unit to be replaced.

As well,carbon infused sponges are totally unneeded, but will you be able to replace them with clean sponges? Good sponges should be good for an easy 10-15 years, but the addition of unnecessary carbon makes these sponges short lived. They aren't cheap, and every replacement hits your biofiltation.

It's an expensive filter that has some built in marketing flaws. They aren't huge ones though.

The Biomaster 250 looks good. I don't know which tetras you have, but harlequins and Mikrogeophagus like a quiet tank, and ottos, and Corys like more water movement. I like to overfilter with the fish I have, but I'd look at price and probably consider the slower unit. They look durable and well made onscreen.

 

[Country joe]

Gary I don't use carbon, I will use sponges on the bottom tray the rest will be established ceramics, and the top tray which is a finer sponge I will put in the bottom tray, I might use the top tray for floss. I don't know if you watch you tube videos but I like pimp my filter.I have 8 neon tetras and 12 rummy nose tetras

 

[Country joe]

Gary I don't use carbon, I will use sponges on the bottom tray the rest will be established ceramics, and the top tray which is a finer sponge I will put in the bottom tray, I might use the top tray for floss. I don't know if you watch you tube videos but I like pimp my filter.I have 8 neon tetras and 12 rummy nose tetras

The problem with the 250, is it comes with a 150 w heater, I much prefer the 200 w wich is I the 350, it would have a stronger flow but you can turn it down. So I may go for for the 350.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I started using canisters in about 2003 or 04 when I set up my first pressurized CO2 tank. I chose Eheim as I planned to push the CO2 through the filter to break up the bubbles and to disperse them. I felt I needed the best to do this. I bought their Pro II line. Both models were available with or without heaters.

I would never get a heater in a filter for a few reasons besides what GaryE mentioned. I get my filters to filter and having a heater inside means less room for media. It is also why I never used an internal filter in any tank. Also, I like to be able to choose my brand and wattage when it comes to heaters. I normally use two in most tanks as I tend to do with filters. Instead, I use inline heaters with canisters so they are not even inside the tank. Over they years the inlines have outlasted almost all of the normal heaters I have purchased. I consider heaters to be the least reliable piece of equipment for tanks.

I chose Hydor inlines and still have two canisters with them running for a long time. Back when I was buying this stuff Hydor was a good brand. I cannot comment on them today. However, I had 3 going at my peak and I had one spare NIB on the shelf which I finally had to put into use after one finally failed after almost 20 years in continuous use.

The original canisster through which i ran the CO2 for almost 10 years I still have on a tank and it is still as quiet as the day I got it. That line has long been supplanted by several generations. Now they have digital features and that is about the mast thing I want on my tanks for the most part. I want mechanical everything if possible, The only exception has been my digital temperature controllers.

I also still have my very first AquaCLear 150 (now 30) which I bought used in 2004.

 

[MaloK]

Oases have the same model without heater if you don't mind. But if you buy one for the hidden heater especially. Go with the bigger one.

 

[Country joe]

I started using canisters in about 2003 or 04 when I set up my first pressurized CO2 tank. I chose Eheim as I planned to push the CO2 through the filter to break up the bubbles and to disperse them. I felt I needed the best to do this. I bought their Pro II line. Both models were available with or without heaters.

I would never get a heater in a filter for a few reasons besides what GaryE mentioned. I get my filters to filter and having a heater inside means less room for media. It is also why I never used an internal filter in any tank. Also, I like to be able to choose my brand and wattage when it comes to heaters. I normally use two in most tanks as I tend to do with filters. Instead, I use inline heaters with canisters so they are not even inside the tank. Over they years the inlines have outlasted almost all of the normal heaters I have purchased. I consider heaters to be the least reliable piece of equipment for tanks.

I chose Hydor inlines and still have two canisters with them running for a long time. Back when I was buying this stuff Hydor was a good brand. I cannot comment on them today. However, I had 3 going at my peak and I had one spare NIB on the shelf which I finally had to put into use after one finally failed after almost 20 years in continuous use.

The original canisster through which i ran the CO2 for almost 10 years I still have on a tank and it is still as quiet as the day I got it. That line has long been supplanted by several generations. Now they have digital features and that is about the mast thing I want on my tanks for the most part. I want mechanical everything if possible, The only exception has been my digital temperature controllers.

I also still have my very first AquaCLear 150 (now 30) which I bought used in 2004.

The biomasters come with a plug which enables you to have no heater in the filter, I run my filters on a inkspot, good bit of kit.

 

[MaloK]

So why look at filter with integrated heater then ?

Except if it's 5$ I wouldn't buy it. The space used by the heater is space wasted for filtering media.

 

[Country joe]

The filter comes with 5 decent trays, enough to hold plenty of media,

 

[MaloK]

It really depends how you use it.

You can fill it initially with media and have very different real life output results. Pending on the density the water has to go trough involved. Understanding silk deposit is also a very interesting part of it and how to manage is an intricate challenge.

And using well placed small channels at the right place can bring a mechanical filter 10x more efficient.

But in a canister filter it means 10x more maintenance for just that.

But why not 2 canisters in series one mechanical and one biological.

Why there is no really viable HOB sump filter existing ? For the home hobby ?

Oh ! Yeah the silk deposit would take years to block the system. And they would never ear of you again...

Simply designed as a river that flows trough and overflows over obstacles. Water at the bottom moves slowly forward and the surface is going fast.

In between can live all the bacteria you need. from near anaerobic to over oxygenated.

It could add easily 10% more water and hidden gears with wonderful larger area of gazes exchanges. and protected micro fauna...

You could even light it up and have algae... Or plants going out...

But nobody will do it for a reasonable price

Cartridges thou shall buy.