Hi all!

My first post so be kind.
I'm not really new to the hobby, been doing it for years, but this is my first external filter.
Is there a best/worst way of setting up a new filter?
Does anyone have any tips for the Rena's with priming and such?
I've got a internal filter at the moment, so is it best to keep the sponges and stick them in this new external? or should I keep both going?

By the way I keep cichlids, heavily stocked tank. (hence new, more powerful filter!)

Thanks for any help

Chris

Hey, theres no real good or bad day to change, just the sooner the better Externals out compete internals by far!

Priming, either it'll have a self prime function or you'll just have to suck the hose to start the flow

Its your choice how you intergrate the new filter, personly id chuck the mature media into the new filter and get it all done straight away, others will run the 2 side by side for a few weeks

Nothing special to note about primeing, just follow the instructions and it will do it's thing. The priming is actualy supprisingly simple I will point out that the media isn't great for most people, as they have a bio-chem zorb pad included that will suck out ammonia, thus killing the benificial bacteria and making you reliant on the pad To keep the fish alive, it will need replacing regularly and this is expencive Do yourself a favor and ditch it before you start to use the filter. It would be best to put your mature filter media from the filter into it's place to instantly cycle the new filter, as you surgested

to TFF BTW

All the best, and good choice of filter
Rabbut

Cool thanks for all your help!

I got it today in the post so looking forward to getting it fired up and working.
One thing i did notice however is that it doesn't come with any ceramic rings or anything to house cultures. Only the carbon (which is coming out straight away) and foam. Does anyone know where i can get some really cheap ones because i cant imagine that the Rena ones are that much different than any others out there.
Also on this same line does anyone know if the Rena star things are any good? They seam to do the same job as the ceramic rings but are stars instead...?

Thanks for your help once again

Chris

This post has been edited by chrisrutter: May 20 2008, 01:23 PM

Which country are you in?

The stars are fine. Ebay is good for bits and bats like that, but can sting with postage. Rena don't supply bacteria culturing sites, as they do not intend for you to use bacteria here. They want you to use the chemi-zorb pad instead, as you have to replace it monthly. It's a nice little source of income for them if they can get you to use it Send the pad to the bin like the carbon, and replace it with whatever bio-media you like.
Bio-balls, Bio-ceramic and all other media should be available at your LFS. They will be a bit more expencive than on Ebay, but you may save money anyway due to postage costs Take a look on Ebay, and get an idea as to what the media will cost you there. Then compair the prices to those at the LFS, and see if you mind paying any difference at the LFS, if they postage kills any saving taken by purchasing online.

HTH
Rabbut

Cheers Think ill go down the LFS afterwork or maybe tomorrow then.

Thanks all

p.s I'm in England Bloo

I use Ehfimech & Ehfisubstrat Pro in my Rena XP3 (Eheim Media). I just happen to have it lying around and filled the baskets with that. My top basket I've filled with filter floss - again it will be cheaper if you just buy a large bag of filter floss and stuff it with pieces you break off by hand.

I clean my filter approx once every 6 months but run 2 filters for double filtration on my 120 gallon tank.

Priming is a dream on the XP3 and filtration fab - but it's not the most silent of filters. I don't use the spray bar - my outlet just points straight down (vertical) in to the tank and my plecs love haning out under the strong outflow.

If you are just after some good biological media, get a few cheap plastic pot scrubbers. I'm talking about the ones that look sort of like a ball of curly plastic. Stuff a few in one or two of the baskets and you have some of the biggest surface area per volume available. All biomedia are the same in that they are a large surface that will fit into a small place and give the bacteria a surface to grow on so stars or bioballs or ceramic noodles are all about the same as far as biologicals. In mine I used the coarse sponges on the bottom followed by the finer sponges then the biomedia and finally the small polishing filter to keep any particles out of the impeller. Once you run the tubing and get everything in place, you fill the suction one time with the funnel they give you, cap the opening and open the valve on the top of the filter. It will fill itself the first time in about a minute and then you plug it in and its going.

This post has been edited by OldMan47: May 21 2008, 01:43 AM

Awesome!
I had a good play with it last night, had to drill my cover to fit the output pipes, but apart from this all went smoothly.
Thanks for all your help and tips with the media.

One last question for now though... how do you all get around the problem of the supports on the aquarium getting in the way of the input and output pipes?
My tank had two pieces of glass on the front and back and then two strengthening pieces that cross it and i had a hard time getting the pipes in around these. Any last tips cause i really don't want to go messing around re-sticking them back on in different places.

p.s yeah ive also gone the same way with the output nozzle and noticed my plec hanging around near there.

The stress bars don't realy want to be moved without careful consideration... In my tank, there are chunks cut out of the stress bars, cut by the builder for the porpose of fitting an exturnal filter It won't be simple to add these, and drilling also isn't an option. Moving the holes in the hood may be a good work around, but if it is the stress bar running the length of the back of the tank, this may not help the issue...I don't realy know what to surgest here.

All the best
Rabbut