journal Neo's Journal

[neo-2FX]

Wow - fantastic support here guys, thankyou!

 

OK have got a pic of the filter.

 

So basically it needs to be, from bottom up, Blue pad (coarse) > Substrat pro or mech > White pad (medium) > Marine Pure > Wool (need to buy some?)

 

OR

 

Blue pad (coarse) > Marine Pure > White pad (medium) > Marine Pure > Wool

 

with the latter being the preferred?

 

Thanks everyone for their input, it's helped me a lot!

 

 

 

[jayc]

Blue pad (coarse) > White pad (medium) > Wool > Marine Pure 

if you still have space after the Marine pure you can add substrat pro above it.

[neo-2FX]

Blue pad (coarse) > White pad (medium) > Wool > Marine Pure 

if you still have space after the Marine pure you can add substrat pro above it.

 

Thanks jayc!!!

 

Will set it up as you suggested above.

 

Thanks again.

Edited February 13, 2015 by neo-2FX

[kizshrimp]

Well the noodles (mech) are not intended as bio media, but as coarse mechanical.  I can tell you all for a fact that the blue sponge will clog faster than the noodles. Set it up as you wish neo-2fx, the mechanical load from a shrimp tank should never clog it anyway. But the supplied media with an eheim classic is intended to be set up as I described, and as the picture on the box shows. 

[neo-2FX]

Well the noodles (mech) are not intended as bio media, but as coarse mechanical. I can tell you all for a fact that the blue sponge will clog faster than the noodles. Set it up as you wish neo-2fx, the mechanical load from a shrimp tank should never clog it anyway. But the supplied media with an eheim classic is intended to be set up as I described, and as the picture on the box shows.

OK so maybe I need to take the best of both worlds and leave as is and remove some of the top spheres and replace with some marine pure?

[Disciple]

OK so maybe I need to take the best of both worlds and leave as is and remove some of the top spheres and replace with some marine pure?

 

You will find that everyone has their own way of doing things. I only explained how I set up my filters which happen to be almost the same way Jayc does his but it not the only way you must do it

 

As Kizshrimp points out the waste from a shrimp tank is quite low compared to a fish tank. Also I am sure thousand of ppl set up their filters as per the picture on the box so I don't think you can go wrong following that method. I am sure as you try different things you will figure out what works for you.

[kizshrimp]

Spot on Disciple. There's so many choices of media to use and different ways to stack it - and they'd all work. We aim for long service intervals and to that end we want coarse mechanical first in line. We also aim for optimum conditions for nitrification and that means keeping the bio media clean, somewhere near the end of the line. The most important thing is that it all keeps flowing well to supply oxygen to that biomedia.

 

Neo, stack it how it works out best for you - you can change it later if you're not happy. I have presumed you've got only the supplied media and some marinepure handy but perhaps you have more. I don't disagree with JayC or Disciple's advice, I just don't consider it to be making the most of what you have. While I don't use it I fully accept that marinepure is awesome media, but substrat pro is being underrated here. It's awesome stuff too. So is siporax, biomax, matrix and a bunch of other excellent media with other brand names. 

[Ronskitz]

Wow - fantastic support here guys, thankyou!

OK have got a pic of the filter.

So basically it needs to be, from bottom up, Blue pad (coarse) > Substrat pro or mech > White pad (medium) > Marine Pure > Wool (need to buy some?)

OR

Blue pad (coarse) > Marine Pure > White pad (medium) > Marine Pure > Wool

with the latter being the preferred?

Thanks everyone for their input, it's helped me a lot!

This is how mine is setup also

[revolutionhope]

im a noob compared to these guys and there may be a good reason not to do this but I got the idea from somewhere on the web - I remove the basket from my eheim canisters and add some sponge at the bottom wedged along with the blue coarse one. then I have a wool and above that I use biomedia all the way to the top - I also use the internal otto PF sponges wrapped around the intake with wool to cover the bottom part which has meant that I havent had to service my filters for a long time now because most of the solids get caught by the sponge inside the aquarium. (imo its easier to remove the sponge and wring it out than it is to disconnect canister take it to sink then take all the bio-media out from the canister and store in a bucket of tank.water in order to get to the bottom sponge in canister to clean it!) id be interested to know what the more experienced shrimpies here think of this method and whether there is some drawback i havent realised yet?

love n peace

will

[jayc]

All good suggestions everybody.

My suggestion was based on the assumption Neo will be using a mesh pre filter, like we are all doing mostly. This is a shrimp tank filter, right?

The mesh prefix filter not only stops shrimp being sucked into the filter, it also minimises large debris clogging the coarse sponge.

The blue coarse sponge should stay unclogged for a long time.

And Substrate pro is a good bio media. I didn't dismiss it completely, I suggested using it after the marine pure, to close the gaps.

Neo, in case you didn't know, your filter intake NEEDS a prefilter. Mesh or sponge. To stop shrimps being sucked in. But it will also stop large debris.

If it was a fish tank with no prefilter, I'd set it up differently, with the rings first > blue sponge > white sponge > fine sponge > marine pure

Edited February 13, 2015 by jayc

[neo-2FX]

Totally understand guys! Yes, definitely looking at prefilter of either mesh or sponge.

OK so based on what jayc is saying, if I have the mesh prefilter then there is no real need for the rings at the bottom?

I'll have pre filter mesh > blue sponge > marine pure > white sponge > substrate pro > wool > carbon (temporarily)?

Edited February 13, 2015 by neo-2FX

[jayc]

No real need for the rings. The more space for marine pure spheres the better.

[kizshrimp]

Neo, in case you didn't know, your filter intake NEEDS a prefilter. Mesh or sponge. To stop shrimps being sucked in. But it will also stop large debris.

 

Good one JayC, the intake has been ignored until now I think. Critical info. With an intake sponge or mesh there's no chance of the coarse media blocking up. 

 

Will, your setup sounds fine to me. I would still look in the cannister occasionally just to make sure. 

 

Neo, use the marinepure and substrat how JayC suggested, with the substrat directly on the marinepure to close the gaps. You want to force the flow path through the balls, not around them. So don't separate them with a white pad. 

[neo-2FX]

How's that look?

Should I just be putting the substrat pro on top or do I put them in all the gaps between the marine pure?

Also, where can I get a *real* stainless steel intake guard from? Ones at the local LFS look dodgy. Was advise by one of the guys there to search online for a "316" stainless steel one that won't rust?

[kizshrimp]

There's a recent thread about even 316 stainless rusting in acidic shrimp water, and a follow-up of sorts by fishmosy on DIY guards made from nylon aquaculture mesh. There's good information there about the mesh aperture sizes required to keep shrimplets in. The easiest, cheapest and possibly best option may be as Will described above, using a sponge on the intake. A drawback is that it's sure to block up quicker than a mesh strainer. 

 

If I was doing what you're doing with the cannister I'd put the white pad up top so you can get to it easily when it needs cleaning. I'd possibly put a thin layer of sub below the marinepure and then load sub into the gaps around each layer of marine. When you're done load the rest of the sub on top, then finish with the white pad. BUT, I also recommend waiting for JayC to reply so you can get his opinion too. 

[neo-2FX]

There's a recent thread about even 316 stainless rusting in acidic shrimp water, and a follow-up of sorts by fishmosy on DIY guards made from nylon aquaculture mesh. There's good information there about the mesh aperture sizes required to keep shrimplets in. The easiest, cheapest and possibly best option may be as Will described above, using a sponge on the intake. A drawback is that it's sure to block up quicker than a mesh strainer.

If I was doing what you're doing with the cannister I'd put the white pad up top so you can get to it easily when it needs cleaning. I'd possibly put a thin layer of sub below the marinepure and then load sub into the gaps around each layer of marine. When you're done load the rest of the sub on top, then finish with the white pad. BUT, I also recommend waiting for JayC to reply so you can get his opinion too.

I will need something at the top to stop anything getting sucked up into the impeller.

Interesting about the stainless steel. Have you got a link, can't seem to find it.

Edited February 14, 2015 by neo-2FX

[buck]

http://shrimpkeepersforum.com/forum/index.php/topic/3041-diy-filter-guard/

http://shrimpkeepersforum.com/forum/index.php/topic/8168-rusty-ss-bulkhead-filters

 

 

Edited February 14, 2015 by buck

[kizshrimp]

Thanks Buck

[neo-2FX]

Thanks buck!

Jayc, what's the verdict on the sponge? On top of marine pure or below? Or leave the one where it is now and get another and put on top?

Also, with the Eheim should I go spraybar or normal outlet?

I'm thinking spraybar to give it an even flow?

Edited February 15, 2015 by neo-2FX

[jayc]

Thanks buck!

Jayc, what's the verdict on the sponge? On top of marine pure or below? Or leave the one where it is now and get another and put on top?

Also, with the Eheim should I go spraybar or normal outlet?

I'm thinking spraybar to give it an even flow?

 

How you had it in the last picture is fine. Top it off with Substrat pro on top of the marine pure. You don't need another sponge above all the biological media. The basket should have a lid that will stop large media getting into the impeller.

 

 

Spraybar or normal outlet is a personal choice and what you are trying to achieve.

 

Spraybar, depending on placement, can allow you a more even flow across the whole tank. If placed under the water level, it will create a current down to your plants to avoid dead spots. If you face the bar down for more current to the plants, then surface agitation is reduced to nothing. 

 

Normal outlet gives you more surface agitation = more oxygen exchange at the surface. Possibly also less surface scum.

It moves the water in a circular pattern but only near the surface, but you can get dead spots in the tank.

 

Ideally, you'd want a bit of both.

 

I use the spraybar, but drill extra holes in it.  I drill new holes, that when installed, the original holes will point down into the tank to create water flow to the plants. And the new holes will point up, so the surface of the water is agitated and reduces surface scum while increasing oxygen exchange.

The spraybar is positioned, just under the surface of the water in the tank. Hopefully you can visualise what I'd describing here. 

 

Edit - here is my super excellent drawing skills for you to visualise the additional holes on the spraybar.

 

Edited February 15, 2015 by jayc

[kizshrimp]

Thats a great spraybar mod JayC. They should be like that out of the box. 

[neo-2FX]

Thanks jayc! I'll give both types a go and see which works best. Thanks for attaching the illustration.

[inverted]

Sweet ....got the drill out ;)

[jayc]

Sweet ....got the drill out ;)

 

Did that help you too?

[neo-2FX]

Look what I found!