Upgrading Filter

[cheesemaker]

Hello, I've got myself a Juwel Rio 180, with an intank filter (600l/hour).

I've been checking Juwel's web site, in a Rio 240, the filter capacity is 1000l/hour.

I've checked, and the pump base and pump adaptor, and even the impellers for both filter systems are the same. But the the out put are different. (the pump itself is twice the price)

I know that the filter media and the housing are of different size, I am wondering if you could get the pump from the Rio240 and fit it in the Rio180, hence incresing the output by nearly twice?

anyone tried that?

 

[fraservet]

I'm fairly sure that any Juwel pump fits any of the tanks.

the question is why would you want to?

they are supplied with the pumps they have for good reason.
it will still clog up just as quickly - if not quicker.
the flow rate will be too high for a lot of setups - particularly if you have a lot of plants.

 

[Bloo]

I don't actually know, but it would make sense if everything else (filter housing etc.) is the same size.

Though for the horrendous price of parts, you might as well buy an external filter and just rip out the internal.

I'm sorely tempted to do mine - the only thing that's stopping me is the fact that I'll have to empty the tank in order to do so - not a job I'm keen on

 

[Bloo]

the flow rate will be too high for a lot of setups - particularly if you have a lot of plants.

The powerhead it comes with doesn't even create any kind of noticable flow or current in my tank whatsover - and mine is quite heavily planted.

 

[cheesemaker]

yes, i've noticed that the current powerhead is a little lame.....

in theory, if more water went through the filter media, more filtration takes place, i.e. cleaner water, just have to clean them more frequently....

that's my reasoning

and ditto to bloozoo2, dont fancy ripping out the current filter housing, or maybe just add another filter......?

 

[fraservet]

The problem with the extra flow in a heavily planted tank is that it lowers the co2 levels and therefore plant growth suffers.

You would be much better off taking the filter out - which is really easy to do - and getting an external. Or even leave the filter housing to keep the heater in, and place the inlet/outlet of the external in that.
This will provide better filtration, and won't clog up anything like as quickly.

The filter in my Trigon 190 gets gunked up very quickly - reducing the flow, and this would happen even with a more powerful pump, and probably even faster, so your increased flow wouldn't last very long, and you would have to clean the filter an awful lot.

I think the supplied pumps give a pretty reasonable flow when the filter is clean.

 

[Bloo]

Well I clean mine on a weekly basis - I siphon out all the gunk from the bottom of the canister (check the 3 compartments on the far back as well) and I give the power head a good scrub with a (dedicated to fish only) kitchen pot cleaning brush with soft bristles. I take the impeller out and give all that a good rinse too.

That usually does the trick in keeping everything running smoothly.
I am sorely tempted to rip it out though and replace it with external Eheim as they are soooooo much easier to maintain - less hassle, fuss and far better filtration.

But by all means, you can have external and the internal running at the same time - lots of people do it.