Aquaone Trickle Filter

[Silverlady]

Hi, i have just bought a Aquaone 980. If any one else has one can you tell me if you change the Filter media around at all, IE do you leave the carbon pads in all the time, if not what do you use in it's place. And any other tips please as this is my first Trickle Filter.

 

[BlueRam]

My daughter has a 380 which is a much smaller version of the same thing. Shes keeps 2 fancy gold fish in there. I have kept the trickle filter as standard apart from 2 changes.

Change 1
I have trebled the amount of ceramic filter media as the amount they ship is not sufficient.

Change 2
I have kept the carbon in but instead of buying new carbon cartridges each time, I ripped off the filter wool, through away the old carbon (after using it for 2 weeks) and added my own carbon and filter wool to the catridge. This just saves money as it works out a lot cheaper.

Not sure if you will find the same but her tank took an age to cycle (8 weeks) but now it has, it works very well.

The tanks ammonia and nitrite are 0 and we can keep the nitrate readings below 5 with weekly water changes so the filter seems to be working and is efficient.

 

[mike_nofx]

I have the 4" aqua one tank.

I dont use the carbon it comes with, i replaced it with more ceramic noodles.

 

[Silverlady]

Thanks BlueRam and mike nofx, I was thinking more Ceramics, perhaps lose the top part with the Carbon and padding, and add my own padding.
How does that sound. I have also put a thin bit of padding over the outlet tube ,to stop the noise of the water going back into the tank. I prefer it quiet .Does this sound OK.

 

[mike_nofx]

Did your outlet tube come with an extenstion tube?

If yes, extend it all the way out, and fill the tank with enough water to cover the outlet spout, that'll make it quiet. OR, face the outlet at the glass, if its close enough it would be quiet.

When you talk about the padding, do you mean the Black, and the white filter pads? If yes, why do you want to change them? they seem to be ok to me. The black one isnt carbon as far as i know, its just a coarse sponge.

 

[Silverlady]

Did your outlet tube come with an extenstion tube?

If yes, extend it all the way out, and fill the tank with enough water to cover the outlet spout, that'll make it quiet. OR, face the outlet at the glass, if its close enough it would be quiet.

When you talk about the padding, do you mean the Black, and the white filter pads? If yes, why do you want to change them? they seem to be ok to me. The black one isnt carbon as far as i know, its just a coarse sponge.

Yes there is an extention tube ,it is about 3 inches long.No i didn't mean the Black pad,it seems to me that if you dont want the carbon you have to tear the white pading to get it out of the unit .
I supose you could tuck more white padding inside it.

 

[Silverlady]

Does anyone else have any hints about this.

 

[moeldner]

I have the 980 also.

I have replaced the white pads with normal filter floss - much cheaper to replace. I haveleft the carbon in mine - but only because I have a large piece of driftwood that is still leaching tannins into the tank - the carbon helps remove the discolouration.

I have added bio-balls (plastic versins of the ceramic noodles) as well as the noodles to increase bacteria growing surface area.

As for the extension tube on the outlet, I have not used it. I found that you get better surface agitation (for oxygen exchange) if you finish the drop at around the water surface level. I fill my tank to just a few mm above the top of the filter pump. (i also run an additional filter - the fluval 4+ internal filter).

Another note - my 980 doesn't have "cartridges" as such - the filter media is in 4 parts - white filter wool, ceramic noodles, black course pads, 2 small bags of carbon.

I have them as follows:

1. white filter wool in bottom of each of the three "buckets" i nthe filter.
2. ceramic noodles in two outer larger buckets, and carbon bags in smaller bucket on top of the filter wool.
3. black pads on top under the spray bar.

I did it this way so that the black pds remove the course material (and requirethemost frequent cleaning) are first, then the benficial bacteria, then the fine filter wool to polish the water.

Hope this helps (and is correct).

 

[Silverlady]

Thanks moeldner,in mine the Carbon and white pads are all in one unit and to get the carbon out i would have to cut through the white padding.I have just added some extra Eheim noodles ,the insctuyions say noodles,black sponge, carbon and white pad unit, this does seem to me to be the wrong way around ,still my other Filter is a canister and this seems a bit unfamiliar at the moment.
What fish have you got in yours.

 

[moeldner]

The fish are in my sig (well - it needs a little updating):

6 x McCulloch Rainbow, 1 x Neon Rainbow, 16 x Cardinal Tetra, 1 x Bristlenose (Ugly Bobette), 8 x Harlequin Rasbora, 3 x Otos, 2 x Bolivian Butterfly (Rams), 3 Siamese Algae Eaters

My internal filter just has the white sponges it came with (none of the added layers - -i.e. the thin black foam). It is more of a backup/over filtering option for me as I am technically a little overstocked.

 

[Silverlady]

Thanks moeldner, just curious how many fish could go in ,my other tank is about 28 uk gallons.
Cardinals are great little fish ,i have eight in the other tank.I am thinking about Dwarf neon rainbows for the new tank, the ones i have seen for sale are about an inch long 3 cm ,will they grow much more then that, and do they get more colourful as they grow.

 

[johnatkin]

I have the Aquaone 980 also and have left it set up as suggested but replaced the carbon bags with Algarde Biohome and all water parameters are spot on. Does anyone know where you can buy a spare impellor for the powerhead in the uk as all the websites that say they stock Aquaone spares are out of stock?