Extra filter/Modifying current filter

[fishorama]

I like 2 filters on most tanks 20g+. Then you can clean the heck out of 1 without damaging you beneficial bacteria much if at all. The BB should double in 24 hours. You alternate filter cleaning every 2-3 weeks. So even if you damage even 50% of bb in 1 filter there's more than enough in the other filter & on a tank surfaces (substrate, decor, glass, it's every where!)

Unless you tank is very overstocked, there will be no issues. I've done this for 30+ years

 

[Adler]

I like 2 filters on most tanks 20g+. Then you can clean the heck out of 1 without damaging you beneficial bacteria much if at all. The BB should double in 24 hours. You alternate filter cleaning every 2-3 weeks. So even if you damage even 50% of bb in 1 filter there's more than enough in the other filter & on a tank surfaces (substrate, decor, glass, it's every where!)

Unless you tank is very overstocked, there will be no issues. I've done this for 30+ years

thanks! you have no idea how happy that makes me, i can then finally thoroughly clean my current filter to cleanse it of detritus worms. Now, should me second filter be of the same GPH as my main one or can i get one of less capacity?

 

[fishorama]

Size doesn't matter too much. You don't want it so big the return flow blows the fish around but not so small it doesn't suck up the debris well enough. I find that manufacturers' tank size recommendations seems like not enough flow. If it's based on gallons or liters/hour keep in mind that using their clean media is different than after it gets used & dirty. Adding a prefilter or more media slows it too. It sounds like you need to clean your prefilter more often. & maybe try holding a small cup over it before removing it to keep (some) debris from washing back into the tank.

I'm wondering why you have an oily film all the time. Overfeeding? Feeding high protein foods? The filter return should help break that up, maybe just too weak of flow? I've never used a skimmer. The few times I've had a film I've used paper towels laid on the water surface to blot or lift it off. Detritus worms can be a sign of overfeeding & not cleaning often or well enough...just saying

 

[Kaskade10729]

I have had Aqueon QuietFlows on my tanks for awhile, first starting with the 55 model and then moving on to an LED PRO 75 (after I discovered the pump clip assembly was somehow broken on the old 55...something that appears to be an issue with these Aqueons), which I have now on a 60 gallon fancy goldfish tank (with just two fish at the moment). While they move a lot of water, I supplement it with an AquaClear 110 on the other side of the tank, so I'm turning over some 900 or so gallons per hour (going by the inflated ratings on these things).

There isn't such a thing as too much filtration, IMO, but there can be too much flow turbulence or disturbance, depending on the tank inhabitants.

All of this being said, I actually have a question that relates to the media layering in AquaClear filters....

I know that the foam block piece should always be the first layer of media in something like an AquaClear to catch all the larger debris, but I've been running the foam, a folded layer of floss and then the Bio Max bags in my AC110 since I started my fancy goldfish tank back up over a month ago, and it seems whenever I remove the pieces to rinse off in removed tank water, the floss is exceptionally dirty...to the point it doesn't really rinse that clean.

A Seachem rep told me that, should I run Purigen in the filter (which I plan on doing soon based on success I've had with the product in the past), I should place the two 100ml bags on top of the Bio Max rings and then place the layer of floss on top of THAT...so that the polishing material is the last thing the water goes through and the bio rings are hit with a direct line of "raw water" (as he called it) from the foam beneath it...

Is there any logic to this, and does it matter if the polishing material is the very last layer of media? Can the Purigen or floss be kept BENEATH the bio rings?

 

[fishorama]

Floss does clog quickly, that's why I don't use it regularly. Unless I'm trying to remove very fine debris I skip it. In Aqua Clears I use sponge, ceramics (in a bag) then another sponge. Or just 3 sponges stacked. Floss needs something to weight it down a little. Yes, bio ceramics can go on top of sponges or floss. Purigen I only use on an as needed basis, a few times ever. It rechargeable, so while it's expensive it lasts quite a while if you need it.

I should have said I like AC filters, maybe an AC 20 or even 30 with the Aqueon for Adler's 20g tank. The Aqueon return is more straight down I think, the AC's more angled toward the middle of the tank. You can use that difference to help move detritus into the filter(s) intakes & around decor to flush out detritus (ie "crap"). You'll have to play around with placement to get optimum performance in your layout. Conversely you can have a more still flow, lower substrate area to collect detritus for ease of vacuuming... if you do it often enough & it's not so visible to be ugly.

 

[Adler]

Size doesn't matter too much. You don't want it so big the return flow blows the fish around but not so small it doesn't suck up the debris well enough. I find that manufacturers' tank size recommendations seems like not enough flow. If it's based on gallons or liters/hour keep in mind that using their clean media is different than after it gets used & dirty. Adding a prefilter or more media slows it too. It sounds like you need to clean your prefilter more often. & maybe try holding a small cup over it before removing it to keep (some) debris from washing back into the tank.

I'm wondering why you have an oily film all the time. Overfeeding? Feeding high protein foods? The filter return should help break that up, maybe just too weak of flow? I've never used a skimmer. The few times I've had a film I've used paper towels laid on the water surface to blot or lift it off. Detritus worms can be a sign of overfeeding & not cleaning often or well enough...just saying

well i usually feed 2 times per day and fast on wednesday. i used to feed once per day but all my fish (just 3 gouramis) spent most of their time pecking the substrate i assume searching for food.

also, i used to vacuum gravel because of d. worms but ever since i noticed they live (a lot) in the filter i stopped vacuuming gravel and started doing plain water changes every 2 weeks. Prefilter, however, always wash it weekly.

 

[fishorama]

I think your filter is rated by the manufacturer for a 10g. So even if it worked as well as they say, it's undersized for your tank. I would suggest you get an Aqua Clear 20 or 30 & use the Aqueon for mechanical filtering without the prefilter. It will need cleaning more often that way but it's just a secondary filter. The pads should be fast & easy to clean every 2 weeks when you don't need to worry about the beneficial bacteria. Just don't clean both filters the same week. You can wait until the flow slows a little or do it regularly.

Run both filters, don't worry about "seeding" the new filter, it'll occur naturally. Wait a couple weeks for really cleaning the Aqueon. You might use the prefilter on the AC. I "think" ACs come with 2 sponges & a bag of "bio bits" (it's been a long time since I had a new 1). I would do sponge, bits, sponge. IF you need floss for fine particulates, I would do 2 sponges, floss then bag'o'bits to hold it. Use enough floss so it's 1/4 inch after its wet & running in the filter. More doesn't help, it's the bottom part that gets gunked up. It can be rinsed in running tap water & reused several times. Just buy a bagful & you'll be set for quite a while...I think I may be on my second bag floss in 40 years, lol, but I rarely find a need for it.

I'm a strong believer in vacuuming substrate anywhere there aren't plant roots. Pick up the decor to vac under it once in a while, or alternate vacs if you have lots. If you have piles of rocks, well, much less often than a hunk of wood.

Your fish may think they're always hungry, they don't have much else to do, lol. 2 very small feedings/day is ok for juvenile fish but adults need less. The old saying is feed the size of their eye, say 3 or 4 bites of food. Fasting 1 or 2 days/week is fine. Keep in mind the more you feed, the more they poo or the more you need to vac out uneaten food. & obese fish are no more heathy than obese people, they don't burn off too many calories in a small tank. Some fish will overeat, others will strike food but they don't really eat it or spit it out. It's just a survival in the wild behavior, eat while you can...

 

[Adler]

guess i'll have to get 2 filters now. was just doing filter maintenance and the thing now just won't turn on

i would like to give marineland a try, it will be my secondary filter to replace my defunct aqueon filter.

things i will be doing before buying a secondary filter:
1. research on how to fix my filter
2. check if LFSs have replacement pumps

 

[fishorama]

Did you clean the impeller? Biofilm can gunk them up. I use Q tips to clean inside the housing. Be gentle on the plastic fins & metal rod. The end caps on the rod may stay in the base, nothing to worry about but it can sometimes make it trickier to get the impeller in the correct spot.

If you decide it isn't fixable, get the next size larger filter, it's likely only a couple $$ more. Don't get 1 rated for less than 20g.

 

[Adler]

Did you clean the impeller? Biofilm can gunk them up. I use Q tips to clean inside the housing. Be gentle on the plastic fins & metal rod. The end caps on the rod may stay in the base, nothing to worry about but it can sometimes make it trickier to get the impeller in the correct spot.

If you decide it isn't fixable, get the next size larger filter, it's likely only a couple $$ more. Don't get 1 rated for less than 20g.

just cleaned it and it work! thanks for your advice

the video tutorial on how to disassemble the pump helped, too bad that i actually wanted it to not work just so i could dismantle the whole thing.

one thing that neither you or the video said that i did is to rinse with tap water after i was done cleaning, but before putting it back together i put all pieces in dechlorinated water.

anyway, filter is running smoothly and wow did it have a lot of gunk