Drat It All! I've Been Given The Wrong Filter :(

[PaulHR]

Hi everyone, I really need your advice.

I purchased the following tank from maidenhead a few weeks ago:

http/fishkeeper.co.uk/site/product/aquamanta-eco-120-aquarium-cabinet-external-set

It's a 240ltr tank and for the past week I've been reading on how important flow is within the tank. I've looked at the tank description online (link above) and they have given me the wrong filter.

The filter is was given with the tank is a EFX 200 and NOT the EFX 300 which I should have had and I'm wondering if this is the reason I'm not having much luck with cycling it. I can't get a nitrite reading at all!!

The EFX200 is advertised as "Suitable for aquariums up to 200 litres (max. flow rate- 800 lph)" while the filter they should have given me is advertised as "Suitable for aquariums up to 300 litres (max. flow rate- 1100 lph)"

I've spoken to them and they asked me to bring the filter back and they will swap it over which is fine but what I desperately need to know is what do I do now? Simply swapping it sounds like an easy option for them but what about all the media in the current filter? I have to start cycling again?

I'm not a happy bunny at all I feel like the last few weeks of my life has been in vein and lost, a complete waste of time, expense and effort

Is it worth getting the filter changed, is it going to make that much of a difference if I do? I've read about using some of the media from other filters when people have upgraded theirs but how long will the bacteria (if I have any) last if I have to go to the effort of swapping things over?

 

[Aquascaper]

Could you ask them if you can leave the new filter media with them and keep the stuff you already have, in other words just swap the filters over?

If you can swap quick enough you should be able to retain some of the bacterial colony already established. Just keep the old filter media in the tank, preferably with water flowing through it using a powerhead or at a push just swirling it around periodically.

 

[PaulHR]

Could you ask them if you can leave the new filter media with them and keep the stuff you already have, in other words just swap the filters over?

If you can swap quick enough you should be able to retain some of the bacterial colony already established. Just keep the old filter media in the tank, preferably with water flowing through it using a powerhead or at a push just swirling it around periodically.

I do have a little spare tank that I could fill with existing tank water and power up it's internal filter to get the flow around them. I can do that!! Thanks for that advice, feeling a little better about it now.

I'm not sure on the size of the new filter, if it's the same size and only has larger pump. If the casing is bigger, would smaller media that is too small affect anything?

Would the current "low" flow have affected or delayed my cycling?

 

[Aquascaper]

If the media is smaller then you would just need to fill the gaps with new media, this will not adversely affect your cycling process.

I personally would push for them to give you the new media as well seeing as they made the error, they cannot sell the old media anyway and it would only be thrown out.

 

[PaulHR]

I'll ask them and see what they say.

What I would really like to know now is what detrimental impacts would running an underpowered filter be in a tank compared to advantages of a filter with more suitable flow.

Also, the filter that I'll now be getting, is this filter ok for my tank volume or should I be looking to get something else more powerful? I think now is the perfect time to do it if I need to.

 

[PaulHR]

Looking at this article: http/www.ehow.com/info_12081554_size-water-pump-needed-55gallon-aquarium.html it suggests that for a 55 gallon tank, the water needs to move at x10 per gallon so I'll need a pump capable of moving 550 gph?

Is that right? Seems a bit excessive!

If I get the new pump which maidenhead are going to swap for me which is rated at 1100 gph based on above, it's way underpowered.

#confused

 

[Aquascaper]

The filter rating is calculated more to do with the bioload of the amount of fish that can live in a given volume of water. A larger filter on a smaller volume will still only filter the bioload in the tank as without a 'food' source the extra bacteria will not survive. In other words if your fish produce enough waste to feed 100 bacteria (just for example) but your filter can house 1000 bacteria there will only ever be 100 bacteria living in it as there's not enough 'food' to support any more.

If a tank of 'x' volume can house 'y' number of fish then a filter of 'z' capacity will handle that bioload. Putting a filter of 'z+1' onto a tank of 'x' volume will not filter more waste, just filter the waste more efficiently due to the faster turnover and therefore give 'cleaner' water both chemically and visually.

Depending on what fish you want to keep, a larger filter may be a good idea, 'overfiltering' certainly has no drawbacks (apart from increased flow rates which could upset slow moving fish).

HTH

 

[PaulHR]

The filter rating is calculated more to do with the bioload of the amount of fish that can live in a given volume of water. A larger filter on a smaller volume will still only filter the bioload in the tank as without a 'food' source the extra bacteria will not survive. In other words if your fish produce enough waste to feed 100 bacteria (just for example) but your filter can house 1000 bacteria there will only ever be 100 bacteria living in it as there's not enough 'food' to support any more.

If a tank of 'x' volume can house 'y' number of fish then a filter of 'z' capacity will handle that bioload. Putting a filter of 'z+1' onto a tank of 'x' volume will not filter more waste, just filter the waste more efficiently due to the faster turnover and therefore give 'cleaner' water both chemically and visually.

Depending on what fish you want to keep, a larger filter may be a good idea, 'overfiltering' certainly has no drawbacks (apart from increased flow rates which could upset slow moving fish).

HTH

That helps a huge amount, thank you for taking the time to explain. The fish that will be going in there eventually will be angels. They are small at the moment, two around the size of a 50p piece and two are a bit bigger. I know they prefer more peaceful waters but how would I know what too much flow is?

Is there some sort of measurement I can make, some test I can perform which gives me a statistic against what the flow should be?

Is there recommended or optimal positioning for the filter inlet and outlet in the tank? Currently I have the inlet far left corner and the outlet far right side so spray bar is facing the opposite end. The spray bar is about 1 inch under the surface so it doesn't disturb the surface too much as I have plants in there and trying out co2.

Apologies for all the questions, I'm eager to learn.

 

[Aquascaper]

You will require some surface movement otherwise you may get a protein film start to occur, you don't need to break the surface just enough for it to be disturbed.

As for flow, you can turn down the fliw in some filters or slow the flow by using longer spraybars, etc. but the only way to increase it is buying a bigger filter.

As for layout, as long as the inlet and outlet are at opposite ends of the tank it will be fine.

 

[PaulHR]

Brilliant, thanks again for the help. The spray arm is low enough not to break the water but enough keep things moving around. At least I have got that one right

Looking forward to getting the bigger filter now.

 

[Tizer]

just take your filter in full of water, tell them you cant afford to lose the mature media in it, so someone will have to get wet hands. no need to fanny around with power heads and putting your media in the tank. job done.

I have the EFX 200 on my Eco 80, so you do have the wrong filter. 100% certain.

 

[PaulHR]

just take your filter in full of water, tell them you cant afford to lose the mature media in it, so someone will have to get wet hands. no need to fanny around with power heads and putting your media in the tank. job done.

I have the EFX 200 on my Eco 80, so you do have the wrong filter. 100% certain.

It's an option but travelling time is a concern for me and don't mind temporarily setting up a spare tank to keep them wet for a bit. I know they will be safer in the house than carrying them around.

They have been very apologetic so looking forward to getting it swapped over and I'm very glad I had noticed now rather than later.

 

[Tizer]

travel time? what, is it a 24 hour drive there and back?

The media will be fine for the time its going to take you in the car, as long as you pour the water into the new filter along with your media. no reason for them to be safer in the house, the filter is a sealed unit.

Also, if you are going at a local MA, ask them for some mature media from their tanks to fill up the bottom tray. That way they can cover your costs of driving around to fix a problem they created and hopefully give you and insta cycled filter to hook up when you get home Since you will have a filter full of water (even if you have to top it up with some of their tank water) you wont have any problems, its a win win all around.

 

[PaulHR]

travel time? what, is it a 24 hour drive there and back?

The media will be fine for the time its going to take you in the car, as long as you pour the water into the new filter along with your media. no reason for them to be safer in the house, the filter is a sealed unit.

Also, if you are going at a local MA, ask them for some mature media from their tanks to fill up the bottom tray. That way they can cover your costs of driving around to fix a problem they created and hopefully give you and insta cycled filter to hook up when you get home Since you will have a filter full of water (even if you have to top it up with some of their tank water) you wont have any problems, its a win win all around.

I thought the media would only be safe for an hour or so?

I'm always too cautious, what happens if the car breaks down, car gets hijacked, aliens abduct my filter on the way there and steal my media

Ok you've sold me the idea of asking them to put some of their mature media in, I could really do with the boost anyway and that would be ideal. I want to see if I can upgrade to one of the newer filters with UV anyway but no harm in asking about the media etc.

I'll be interested to see how this all goes on Saturday or hopefully before if I get a chance. I need to phone them today anyway and I'll ask them then. I'll let you know what they say.

 

[MBOU]

I had massive problems doing that Tizer! dont know why, maybe it was a mssive overkill or the type of biomedia but kaldnes biobedia is a pain in external filters! it slips through the baskets and into the pipework because its so small and it floats.

Plus always found that adding it to considerably smaller tanks caused an ammonia spike... but then again... if there is no fish yet it wouldnt be a problem.

The EFX filters are good, the do what it says on the box unlike other filters that quote you a flow rate on an empty canister which is incredibly pointless.

I doubt the MA will mind if you are polite and explain that you need the media as its already cycled, they wont be able to sell the filter if its been used anyway, it will either get returned to the manufacturer or used in the shop... by which point they can put their own media in it.

Tizer's reaction is enough to get anyone's back up if people just asked nicely... it would be a flipping miracle and would get you a lot further. Hurts no one to be polite and ask. Even if it is your 'right'... if you are polite and ask nicely, they are still more likely to be more helpful whenever you go to the shop than dreading seeing you.