New filter question. TopFin 20. Should be easy to answer for anyone with a filter :)

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itswoodie

itswoodie

AMMAGAD IMA NEWB
Jan 31, 2005
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I am a brand new member to this forum, and hope to spend much time learning from you guys.

Now onto my situation:

I am in the process of setting up my new fish tank, I bought a 20gal "starter kit" from my local pet store.

The filter that came with this was the Top Fin 20 model. Unfortunatly, the directions accompanying this were quite insufficient. There were no pictures, and very little instructions on what pieces went where. :rant:

There were a few main pieces for the filter, and I guessed where just about everything went, but I'm still not certain about one piece...

Its a black mesh-like screen. I inserted the carbon filter (white) into the slot designated for it, and the only available room for this black screen was behind the filter (when I say behind, I mean the side furthest away from where the clean water spills back into the tank).

The filter seems to be working fine...and I didnt think twice about it. That is until I went to my friends house. He was letting me look through a box of old fish tank stuff, and I came across his old filter, which had both the white carbon filter and the black mesh, but his black one was placed IN FRONT of the white one (meaning the water traveled from the tank, through the white, then through the black screen, and back into the tank). :confused:

So my question is, have I set up the filter correctly?

Any help/advice you guys + gals could provide would be GREATLY appreciated. :bowing:

Thanks a lot!

-Alex
 
R

ricester61

Fish Newbie
Jan 9, 2005
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We just started out @ Christmas time with a 29g kit. Same basic filter. I wasn't really sure where that sponge went either - I put it behind (towards back of filter) the white carbon pouch. I'm fairly certain that's where the beneficial bacteria are supposed to be growing.

I've already replaced the topfin filter that came with the kit with a millenium. Much better quality, IMHO, and better instructions. In this one, the bio-media thing goes behind (towards back of filter) the carbon pouch. Pretty sure we had both guessed right where the sponge goes in the topfin.
 
Y

yzakj

AC Members
Jan 10, 2005
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I am pretty sure the black sponge goes in front of the filter so beause the filter is there to do the mechanical filtering. If you put it in the back the black sponge will trap all the crud from your tank and start to get dirty till the point where you have to replace it. If you put it in front then the white filter will trap most everything for you and do most of the filtering, but the water will still get through to the black sponge. Yeah it is for the biological filtration and you want to keep it that way for as long as you can, so don't get stuff trapped in it.
I think you can see how this is done by looking at some of the newer Whisper power filter models, they come with the same black sponge I think and it is in front.
 
itswoodie

itswoodie

AMMAGAD IMA NEWB
Jan 31, 2005
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AHHH! You guys are telling me two different things!

I assumed it goes towards the back of the filter because this is the only place w/ adequate space. I'd really have to JAM it in front of the white filter if thats where it is supposed to go.

Can anyone help me out?
 
A7ESF

A7ESF

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Jan 18, 2005
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Be careful of what we are calling front and back. I have the exact same tank and filter. The way mine is fitting is the water goes through the white filter then through the black filter/sponge.

The idea of two "filters" is this: The white filter media is intended to do the mechanical filtering and remove particles from the water. When you replace this filter once a month, you are doing away with quite a bit of the beneficial bacteria that has grown on the filter and this can lead to a mini spike. The black filter/sponge is meant to be a growing place for the good bacteria and is intended to help minimize the occurrence of a mini spike. How well it works, I cant say, but it seems to make sense.

Just make sure the white filter is in toward the back of its slots. It is a snug fit, but it will work. If I remember correctly the black filter/sponge may also have a specific direction it' supposed to go in.

Either way your right, the directions were severely lacking.
 
itswoodie

itswoodie

AMMAGAD IMA NEWB
Jan 31, 2005
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Okay so I guess I have mine backwards. :( I set this tank up about 60 hours ago, and was planning on buying the first 2 or 3 fish this evening.

Will this mistake set me back at all :sad , or will I be okay to go ahead with the purchase of my fish tonight?
 
Harlock

Harlock

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Dec 15, 2004
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itswoodie said:
Okay so I guess I have mine backwards. :( I set this tank up about 60 hours ago, and was planning on buying the first 2 or 3 fish this evening.

Will this mistake set me back at all :sad , or will I be okay to go ahead with the purchase of my fish tonight?
Click to expand...
Oh dear. Well, Woodie, let me start by saying, I do not know if that particular mistake will set you back at all. However, your tank is likely uncycled if you've only just set it up. I you are unfamiliar with cycling, there is a great sticky post about it in the Freshwater Newbie Forums or you can simply click here.

To sum it up; Cycling is the process by which a tank aquires the beneficial bacteria it needs to change very toxic things into less toxic things. Cycling will save your fishes lives and probably save you heartache and hair pulling as you watch fish die.

Tom Griffin has some great articles on this and you can learn more about it by searching fishless+cycling on Google. Tom's site appears to be down right now. Plantbrain? Is there anything wrong? Anyway, I realllllllly hope you check into fishless cycling. It's a very good way to go. Also, if you plant heavily, I have heard that you can pretty much avoid a cycle as well. If you were going to go with a planted tank, that is certainly an option.
 
G

gsk177

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Feb 12, 2003
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Yes Woodie, you are set back....not from your filter standpoint, but from your cycling standpoint.

Your tank IS NO WHERE NEAR CYCLED. Read up on it at this site.

But, no!! Your filter being setup wrong has not set you back any at all.
The water and bacteria are still in contact with the filters and all you need to do is reverse them.

WHile you are at it, consider ditching that filter now. IMHO, and Ive tried nearly all of them, get an Aquaclear (THey move a lot of water and they are very easy to maintaine...plus they are cheap). THey are a sinch to set up....one foam block and one carbon pack. If and when you order it, order another foam block and use it instead of the the carbon. I have had mine set up that way for over a year and it makes maintenance a breeze. I clean one each week in a bucket of old tank water.

God, for all the advertising I do for Aquaclear on this board I should get a commision check.
 
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