External Filter Broke Last Night

[Mcbenthy]

Hey everyone!

My large external filter (APS 1000EF) has started making some wierd noises and the flow has dropped off. I checked the impeller and the setting for the shaft seems warped. It's under a year old, so e-mails gone to APS already for them to deal with it.

The tank is only 20G, and I have an internal which will easily deal with the volume, but my concern is that I'm going to be losing a lot of media etc if(when) I swap the filters over. The tank is very heavily stocked (bloody Endlers ) but I am trying to reduce that tonight (checking to see if my LFS is open and if they'll take a large lot of Endlers off me early). My major concern in doing that is that I currently have some very ill looking rummynose tetras (look like they have white spots, not ich, spots like you get on your nose!). 1 of them had it first, and passed, the other have it now. They are unfortunately going to be euthanised because I saw this process on the other rummynose and I believe that it'll be for the best.

So I now have a conundrum, if I go to the smaller filter, I really need to try and reduce the bioload to try and help stave off an ammonia spike and mini-cycle. The illness effecting the rummynose has shown no signs of crossing onto the endlers, and it first appeared aprx 2 months ago. However, I don't want to release stock into the general populus that may be a carrier.

GAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

 

[snazy]

What is the water flow of the remaining filter?
When you have 2 filters it doesn't necessarily mean that they work on full capacity in regards to bacteria. They rather divide this between themselves. When one is taken out, the other one will try to cope with the increase of ammonia if enough water flow and filter media is big enough. A few water changes by the time it picks up to full strenght may help in the mean time.
But it's no good to be overstocked either way, so donate/sell a few endlers I guess is a brilliant idea in long term anyway.

 

[Mcbenthy]

What is the water flow of the remaining filter?
When you have 2 filters it doesn't necessarily mean that they work on full capacity in regards to bacteria. They rather divide this between themselves. When one is taken out, the other one will try to cope with the increase of ammonia if enough water flow and filter media is big enough. A few water changes by the time it picks up to full strenght may help in the mean time.
But it's no good to be overstocked either way, so donate/sell a few endlers I guess is a brilliant idea in long term anyway.

The waterflow is probably still functional (just), but it is very noisey, in my bedroom, and I'm about to go away for 4 days, so I'm not having a dodgy filter running that time in case the motor is shot and I come back to a charred shell of a flat(!)

The other filter has a much much smaller media volume, so I would be taking out ~ 80% of the media surface area, which is my fear. The endlers are on a constant supply to my LFS in return for credit, but I get home from work after they are closed so that makes it tougher, can only take them in on saturdays. I do get home earlier tonight due to it being the last day and all.

My concern in selling them is I don't want to release some wierd pathogen that the rummynose have, another reason why I havent shifted any Endlers for a couple of weeks.

 

[snazy]

Well, it is a hard call then. You don't want to jeopardize your reputation with the LFS or kill the remaining fish from ammonia poisoning. Add an airpump driven filter then temporary?

 

[Mcbenthy]

Well, it is a hard call then. You don't want to jeopardize your reputation with the LFS or kill the remaining fish from ammonia poisoning. Add an airpump driven filter then temporary?

If I can get my hands on one, I will.

I'm 98% certain that the illness effecting the Rummynose is specific to them, they are the only fish showing any signs of illness and like I said, it originally presented itself months ago.

I will euthanise the rummynose as a matter of urgency to reduce the loading. I wish I could give them the time to see if it is possible to recover, but that was a long shot at best

My current media is 3 trays, all with pads, bottom 2 have ceramic rings etc in them, top had bioballs. I think I could put the bioballs in the tank just on the surface as a tempory measure, but my interanl will only hold about 1 tray worth of pads, and about 6 ceramic rings. This could literally not come at a worse time!

Also worth noting is my tank is fairly well planted, along with a large amount of frogbit covering ~30% of the surface, so that will help reduce the impact.

GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

 

[snazy]

Hate euthanising fish, but if that's going to help the rest for sure, I guess it's worth the sacrifice.
You never know where the bacteria exactly has settled the most, especially in a heavily planted tank, as it happens that a good amount of the bio function is done by the plants, but is hard to risk if you won't be around. Maybe get a temp cheap filter and stuck all the old media from the broken filter into it?

 

[Mcbenthy]

Hate euthanising fish, but if that's going to help the rest for sure, I guess it's worth the sacrifice.
You never know where the bacteria exactly has settled the most, especially in a heavily planted tank, as it happens that a good amount of the bio function is done by the plants, but is hard to risk if you won't be around. Maybe get a temp cheap filter and stuck all the old media from the broken filter into it?

I know it's harsh, but they are ill fish, so I'm just playing a numbers game, an ammonia spike would kill them off anyways

That's the point, I do have a replacement, but it has a significantly smaller media volume... I may pull out a tray of media tonight to give the bacteria a headstart on upping the numbers elsewhere in the tank. Change over filters tomorrow.

The hardest decision I'm facing is whether I should cull my Endler's down as any deaths from ammonia will screw the whole tank, at least this way I can ensure that the weakest are removed and humanely culled w/o damaging the other tank members. There are a lot of fry growing through in the tank and I'm worried that they will die easily and rapidly pollute the water... fml

 

[snazy]

How many fish in the tank then? It sounds that you are well overstocked. I meant buy a second cheap filter to the small internal you have and use the media from the broken one in it. This way you have two filters, well if financially possible.

 

[Mcbenthy]

How many fish in the tank then? It sounds that you are well overstocked. I meant buy a second cheap filter to the small internal you have and use the media from the broken one in it. This way you have two filters, well if financially possible.

I have too many to reasonably count with regards to the endlers.all was fine until this outbreak of whatever. I was taking 5-10 to the LFS per 10 days. since then I have suffered a mild population boom (easily 10 females all going through their birthing cycles, 7-8 males, along with a slew of fry). Others in the tank are 2 cories (had a die off when I got them, they will be moving to the new 250L when I set it up next month, along with 10 other cories ), 6 Harlequinns, 5 Rummynose and 4 Otos. My aim is to keep the Endlers at 2 males, 4 females. I realise that is still slightly overstocked, it works fine with the level of filtration and the volume of plants.

This tank is going to be subject to some serious TLC in the new year, no doubt about that.

EDIT: with regards to the cheap replacement filter, I am considering my options there. I do have a decommisioned fluval 305 that has potential, but it needs a plug and piping (unsure if the piping I have will fit it). Otherwise I am looking into getting another external to run on my 250L which I could stretch and buy early, but I was hoping to buy that online due to the much reduced costs. I was looking at the APS 2000EF+ for its UV as well, but that purchase will very heavily depend on how they deal with this issue.

 

[snazy]

I was looking at the APS 2000EF+ for its UV as well, but that purchase will very heavily depend on how they deal with this issue.

Well, let me know how it goes, as that's exactly what I was intending to purchase for my new tank(I am cheap )

 

[Mcbenthy]

I was looking at the APS 2000EF+ for its UV as well, but that purchase will very heavily depend on how they deal with this issue.

Well, let me know how it goes, as that's exactly what I was intending to purchase for my new tank(I am cheap )

Well, for what it's worth, this filter has been brilliant. Cheap as chips, and that is reflected in the spray bar and inlet. Really quiet running! (the timer for my lights is louder than the filter... was), extradinary media volume, mildly disappointing drop off for filter flow, although since covering the inlet with a filter sponge (which I clean weekly in tap water) just to catch large debris, the output has maintained a much better volume. Really cannot fault it for the cost.

From what I have read the 2000EF is just the same but bigger, and don't bother getting it w/o the UV kit, for the extra £8 it's a waste not too.

However, I am now also looking into the tetratec Ex1200 for my 250L as it comes with filtration in the hood (is one of the sunsun tanks from APS as well)

I wouldn't say I am cheap, but I like value for money. If i had the need for it, I would get a FX5, as in my mind they are great value for what they offer, but the fluvel 306 is just very expensive and I don't see a benefit worth the cost... ... ... unless they don't bollock up 2 days before Christmas!

 

[snazy]

However, I am now also looking into the tetratec Ex1200 for my 250L as it comes with filtration in the hood (is one of the sunsun tanks from APS as well)

Ha, ha. I bought the 4ft APS tank myself. And thinking of running the hood filter and an external. You should also be able to get a second power head for the hood one if you want it.

Just wondering, can the UV be switched off if you want it on these filters?

 

[Mcbenthy]

However, I am now also looking into the tetratec Ex1200 for my 250L as it comes with filtration in the hood (is one of the sunsun tanks from APS as well)

Ha, ha. I bought the 4ft APS tank myself. And thinking of running the hood filter and an external. You should also be able to get a second power head for the hood one if you want it.

Just wondering, can the UV be switched off if you want it on these filters?

No idea if the UV is on a seperate switch, but I have read something about it, just can't remember what I read!

yeah, I have a second powerhead for the filter already (it was spare form the other 50G tank i bought 2nd hand, days before the sale started at APS making it cheaper to buy that tank lol)

 

[snazy]

When did the sale start? I must have missed it. There was one last January, but I was about 11 months late

 

[Mcbenthy]

When did the sale start? I must have missed it. There was one last January, but I was about 11 months late

All of november, 15% off with a code. I saw it mentioned in the hardware section here...