Rotifers etc & diatom filters

[Matak]

Originally posted by F.sparverius
Is there any great harm in letting one of these things run nonstop. Also would it eliminate brown algea. I seem to be getting quite a bit of the stuff lately.

These things can actually filter out parasites which a good thing in the short term, but can make your fishes immune system 'lazy'. Also, it will filter out good bacteria as well as bad.

I only use the filter to 'polish' my water from time to time. There are naturally occurring oganisms that will control algae. It takes a few months before these become properly established in a tank.

 

[F.sparverius]

My tank has been set up for roughly 4 months. It does get a good bit of sunlight in the morning though,which does not help with the algea.

 

[Matak]

Hang in there. I think it was a full half year before my tank was fully estabished. I went through a few boughts with different types of algae, some requiring radical treatment, but I have not had any kind of an algae outbreak in over six months.

 

[F.sparverius]

The water stays crystal clear, there is just green a brown film covering everything 4 days after I clean the tank. The fish seem to think it's rather tasty, it just gets on my nerves because it covers the sidewalls of the tank.

 

[chefkeith]

Would a diatom filter still get clogged easily if it had a prefilter on the intake or if it were set-up in a sump tank?

 

[Cearbhaill]

Would a diatom filter still get clogged easily if it had a prefilter on the intake or if it were set-up in a sump tank?

They are simply not designed for continuous usage.
They filter to such a fine degree that yes- they will still clog up.

 

[125gJoe]

Oiling the Vortex XL is easy - once you see the small hole to put the oil in...... It's located of the side.

I'm not sure about the Freedom Vortex.

 

[Matak]

Originally posted by 80gJoe
Oiling the Vortex XL is easy - once you see the small hole to put the oil in...... It's located of the side.

I'm not sure about the Freedom Vortex.

*Big Homer Simpson Doh* I looked and saw the 'oil here' holes after I posted.

Yes, a diatom filter can get clogged up, but that is the beauty of it. The more junk that gets pressed up against the earth, the smaller the spaces between pores becomes and the finer the particle it will filter out. The downside is that less water will be filtered over a given time period.

I really get a kick out of seeing how much crud gets squished against the white powder. Watching the powder settle after the pump gets turned off is kinda neat too.