×
Retirement and forum shutdown (17 Jan 2022)

Hi,

John Howell who has managed the forum for years is getting on and wishes to retire from the role of managing it.
Over the years, he has managed the forum through good days and bad days and he has always been fair.
He has managed to bring his passion for fish keeping to the forum and keep it going for so long.

I wish to thank John for his hard work in keeping the forum going.

With John wishing to "retire" from the role of managing the forum and the forum receiving very little traffic, I think we must agree that forum has come to a natural conclusion and it's time to put it to rest.

I am proposing that the forum be made read-only from March 2022 onwards and that no new users or content be created. The website is still registered for several more years, so the content will still be accessible but no new topics or replies will be allowed.

If there is interest from the ITFS or other fish keeping clubs, we may redirect traffic to them or to a Facebook group but will not actively manage it.

I'd like to thank everyone over the years who helped with forum, posted a reply, started a new topic, ask a question and helped a newbie in fish keeping. And thank you to the sponsors who helped us along the away. Hopefully it made the hobby stronger.

I'd especially like to thank John Howell and Valerie Rousseau for all of their contributions, without them the forum would have never been has successful.

Thank you
Darragh Sherwin

Another filter recommendation thread - with a twist!

More
07 May 2017 20:33 - 07 May 2017 20:34 #1 by BenEadir (John Murray)
Hi,

I've been running a 6ft 500L African Cichlid tank (image attached) on Organic Aqua for about seven years during which time I haven't done any water quality tests and I've relied exclusively on the following equipment to keep things regulated in the tank:-

1 X EHEIM PowerLIne XL -2252 Internal Filter
1 X Eheim Aquaball 180 internal filter
1 X Eheim air pump
1 X Arcadia i-Bar (2 x 54w standard T5 tubes) 1 x Actinic Blue and 1 x Standard White.

The Powerline XL is beginning to "spit" a little so I'm thinking it will need replacing soon and I'm looking for some recommendations.

I used to have a Tetra Tec External 1200 filter which had a recognised leak problem Tetra Tec issued replacement parts to fix but since then I've really been put off external filters due to the risk of them leaking and consequently flooding the entire house (I'm worried about destroying a hardwood floor) which internal filters cannot do.

Can anyone recommend the most powerful internal filter for a 500L tank or an external filter which I can have confidence will never (or effectively never) leak??

I look forward to your input.

Cheers.
Attachments:
Last edit: 07 May 2017 20:34 by BenEadir (John Murray).

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
07 May 2017 21:11 #2 by robert (robert carter)
What about the fluval fx6 or jbl crystal profti 1900 , both external filters , i run a jbl crystal profti 1500 , great filter 4yr warrenty and easy parts availabity should you ever need them , mines two year old and never given a problem

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
07 May 2017 21:52 - 07 May 2017 21:52 #3 by BenEadir (John Murray)
Thanks Robert,

Don't know anything about the JBL but the Fluval looks impressive.

Is there any internal which comes close to the flow of either of the above?

I really like the idea of keeping the filtration system(s) inside the tank.

Cheers,

Ben
Last edit: 07 May 2017 21:52 by BenEadir (John Murray).

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
08 May 2017 01:47 #4 by robert (robert carter)
Wouldnt think there is anything that powerful as an internal , but maybe omeone on here knows of something .

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
08 May 2017 13:28 #5 by Jonlate (Jon Late)
Why not get a FX6 and put it into a container under the tank. Setting up a alarm to go off any water is in there is fairly easy, e.g. Leak water.
Of setting up a sort f reverse topup system so if any water was to be in there it just pumps it back to the main tank.
This way you have a great external, with the safety of a internal.

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
02 Jun 2017 18:22 #6 by Jim (Jim Lawlor)
another option is to combine Jonlate's recommendation (put the filter into a larger container) with drilling a pinhole at the top of the inlet pipe on the external - just below the waterline.
If the filter leaks, the pinhole will pull air in and break the syphon - so no more water goes towards the leaking filter. The only water which leaks will be a few litres, which the additional container should be able to hold.

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
02 Jun 2017 20:49 #7 by robert (robert carter)
Surely if the filter is set up correctly and all pipe work connected nice and tight the chances of anything leaking is very small , i always clean my cannisters during the day so they run for a few hours before i go to bed . If one took this to the extreme why not put your tank inside a sighly bigger tank just incase it starts leaking , life is a game of chance . Plesae dont take this the wrong way

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
02 Jun 2017 22:52 #8 by BenEadir (John Murray)
Thanks Jim, thanks Robert.

The reason i don't use external filters is that despite the fact there is only a small chance they will leak it's actually happened to me (an acknowledged design flaw) which i was fortunate enough to catch early but i really can't afford to happen again as I spent a lot of money putting solid wood floors down throughout the ground floor of my house so if an external filter gave way during the night or whilst we're away for a weekend the cost to rip up and replace the floor would be serious.

I've been using internal filters for over 5 years and don't see any reduction in the clarity of water etc. The only minor downside is that the filter is visible but that's a small price to pay in exchange for the comfort of knowing the only possible way for a leak to happen is if the tank itself fails.

I've gone from having two risks of a leak (external filter and tank failure) to just one.

BTW, do you clean your canisters every day???

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
03 Jun 2017 00:38 #9 by robert (robert carter)
My canisters only get cleaned about every three months ,have two on my 350 tropical tank , would clean one and then a month later clean the other . Always put a little sticker on the canister with the date it was cleaned . Have a sump on the coldwater tank as advised my forum members when getting the tank made , it certainly was the way to go , less maintainance and much easier

Please Log in to join the conversation.

Time to create page: 0.054 seconds
Powered by Kunena Forum