Juwel Internal Filter - Poor Design

[danb]

I just thought i'd put my piece in about this filter incase anybody else has the same problem or has had. I think its a design that needs changing.

I woke up this morning to find 1 of my zebra danios completely wedged between the glass and the filter, poor guy was practically dead, could barely move and was struggling breathing. I had to really force the filter off the tank as it was siliconed on, to release the trapped fish. When pulling the filter from the back glass i found a fish rotting away back there.

This would be my glowlight tetra i lost about a month or so ago.

I think its a really poor design they have and needs addressing....

 

[raptorrex]

I just thought i'd put my piece in about this filter incase anybody else has the same problem or has had. I think its a design that needs changing.

I woke up this morning to find 1 of my zebra danios completely wedged between the glass and the filter, poor guy was practically dead, could barely move and was struggling breathing. I had to really force the filter off the tank as it was siliconed on, to release the trapped fish. When pulling the filter from the back glass i found a fish rotting away back there.

This would be my glowlight tetra i lost about a month or so ago.

I think its a really poor design they have and needs addressing....

it just, one, of the things wrong with these filters. all in all, they are worth removing. as soon as any owner can.

 

[minxfishy]

Yep they are a problem, not only do fish get trapped behind them, but Ive found fish inside them too, as above, remove it (its easy enough to do, sharp long knife behind the silicone blobs and they come away) and replace with an external (put the current media inside an external).

 

[ian]

underated filter. People should give them more of a chance.

 

[danb]

indeed. But still if a manufacture is producing a filter, it should be all in all, safe for what the tank is made for.

I have 2 x ex1200's ready for the tank, but im waiting on another tank cycling first.

 

[danb]

I have given the filter a chance, filtration wise, its fine. Nothing to write home about, just . . . okay.

Its the design, if they want it welded to the tank like it is then silicone the sides so fish can't get trapped. Terrible, awful design.

 

[ian]

I have given the filter a chance, filtration wise, its fine. Nothing to write home about, just . . . okay.

how can filtration be OK? its either good or bad, your either getting rubbish water stats or normal water stats.

 

[danb]

Not really, its doing the job to a standard, not a good one. It works, thats all it has going for it.

It is seriously underated for the size of tank. Water stats are normal, it doesnt make it good, nor does it make it right.

The flow is terrible, intake poor etc

 

[VickiandKev]

I, too, had problems with the Juwel filter box on my old tank, wouldn't use one again.
Fish can and do get into them as well as behind them!

Much better to use a safer internal or an external!

 

[meguro]

how can filtration be OK? its either good or bad, your either getting rubbish water stats or normal water stats.

adequate, over engineered, insufficient?

 

[EllieW]

I found a dead neon in my jewel filter the other day, How the hell do they get in I dont understand?

Soon as I can i want to swap it for an external filter

 

[ian]

IMO it's still an underated filter.

 

[raptorrex]

I have given the filter a chance, filtration wise, its fine. Nothing to write home about, just . . . okay.

how can filtration be OK? its either good or bad, your either getting rubbish water stats or normal water stats.

that's how it seems, but not how it works. imo. a filter can process the waste, but slowly. which leads to higher, than ideal, ammonia and nitrite levels in a tank. the readings will still be in the "safe" zone. but improving "efficiency", should ensure levels are kept at 0 (ish). also, as the juwel hasn't any, mechanical filtration, can capture more waste, keeping it in the filter, as it degrades.
it is, perfectly, possible to have, "adequate" filtration. but it can always be improved.

IMO it's still an underated filter.

juwel filters have a "pathetic" flow rate. and thats just the pump power. if you add in media, a 600lph juwel filter flows, roughly 250lph. if its in a 180l tank, you get less than 1.5x turnover. it does not take much research to find that not nearly enough. in defence of juwel, they do warn buyers. they state their filters are for "planted" "lightly stocked" tanks.

I think there is a reason the Juwel item is, I.Y.O., "underrated". it's because many, who used it, in the past, found it wanting. and a little math, makes the problems, even clearer.

 

[Big_eyes]

Been planning on taking mine out for a while, just waiting to find the right replacement first. I have mine running with a smaller internal as sort of a bit of help for it. Thought about getting a 1000lph pump for it but can't decide wether it would be any use on it's own still.

Plenty of my fish swim and sleep in the little gap around the bottom of it and occasionally the clown loach all go inside through a hole in the bottom of it. Never get hurt although one went missing for a few days and turned up in the top of it on top of the sponges

They do have a terrible flow and I have thought about taking some sponges out to see if it would help, they do seem to have quite a few in there!

 

[danb]

well im just hoping my danio recovers, poor guy was stuck there all night. I too have found a different danio stuck in the filter, how it got there, i dont know.

I wouldnt bother upgrading the pump, save up and buy an external.