# How would you filter this tank?



## BjÃƒÂ¸rgvin (Feb 18, 2010)

Hi all. 
I have this setup going. But I dont think it does it for me.

Here is the specs.
180l tank. Is that 55g?
eheim prof3 2075 filter. Think its aprox the size of a fx5.
6 saulosi and 5 brichardi

I have located the intake tube and heater inside an empty juwel filter box.
Here are the two issues I have.
1. Fish poop not going to the filter. All is gathering at the spot I have circled red. Been vacuming this everyday.
2. Lots of dust and particles in the water. Makes it look kinda milky. Special from side view. This is my view from the couch.

Do you have any input on this? The filter should be plenty good enough for BIO filtration, but why does it not clear my water up? Should I add another inside filter for mechanical purposes?
The spraybar is located at the top spraying the surface.
I have mounted 5 intakes on the juwel box. Should be good concidered some people have 1 or 2 in their btn background..


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## LSBoost (Jan 21, 2010)

How often do you feed your fish? How often do you water change?


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## BjÃƒÂ¸rgvin (Feb 18, 2010)

try to do 30% every week. Feed small amounts two times a day. All food is gone within a minute or so.


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## LSBoost (Jan 21, 2010)

I think you need more filtration, or at least a powerhead. I'm not too sure, wait a little for more help.


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## mlancaster (Jul 24, 2009)

Hi *BjÃƒÂ¸rgvin*,

I first wanted to say great looking tank.

If you do not have filter pads, pillow batting, pot scrubbers, and/or any other mechanical filtration media in your filter you should add it and it will help with the particles in the water. As for the "dead spot" where waste is collecting, you will have to try moving you intake/ outtake around and/or add a power head to increase water movement. I have a similar problem on one of my tanks but it actually makes weekly water changes easier as i only really have to clean one general area of the tank.

Thanks,
Matt


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## moto_master (Jun 23, 2006)

mlancaster said:


> If you do not have filter pads, pillow batting, pot scrubbers, and/or any other mechanical filtration media in your filter you should add it and it will help with the particles in the water. As for the "dead spot" where waste is collecting, you will have to try moving you intake/ outtake around and/or add a power head to increase water movement. I have a similar problem on one of my tanks but it actually makes weekly water changes easier as i only really have to clean one general area of the tank.


I agree with mlancaster. Bio filtration will take care of the Ammonia and Nitrites, but it doesn't filter the small particles. The only way to get the milky water to be clear is mechanical filtration. I use poly fill that I bought from the craft department in walmart. As for the dead spot, it gathers there because there's no water flow there, so you either have to move the decorations, or change the water flow some way. It does make vacuuming easier though...


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## Bkeen (Mar 13, 2009)

Add some PolyFil and a small Koralia


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## BjÃƒÂ¸rgvin (Feb 18, 2010)

Edit:
Answered before I saw answer above

Thanx for input. I tried a small powerhead I had laying around. Lets say I am comfortable vacuming more often the same spot than trying to remove decor for getting it in the filter. It went all over the place.
But my eheim 2075. I took a pic showing the buildup of this filter. I see that there is some sort of prefilter. But it says it stops larger particles. Not small.
Anything I could change?


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## mlancaster (Jul 24, 2009)

Hi *BjÃƒÂ¸rgvin*,

Like *Bkeen* suggested you can use poly fill, which is the same as pillow batting and is cheap from big box stores. Place a layer on top of your pre-filter pad, or create a mesh bag the correct size for you filter and put some in the mesh bag and place it on top of your prefilter. The mesh bag might be a better idea so some of pillow batting dose not get sucket through your filter.

Adding the pillow batting may reduce your gph flow, however it should remove the fine particles in your water. Keep in mind the pillow batting will collect debri quite quickly, therefore it should be replaced and/or washed regulary. I simply throw it out each time i do a water change (or every other time) since it is so cheap and easily replaced.

Please note I do not use canister filters but do use pillow batting in my HOBs.

Thanks,
Matt


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## phorty (Oct 30, 2009)

mlancaster said:


> Please note I do not use canister filters but do use pillow batting in my HOBs.


Do you use it instead of the foam blocks most people use?


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## mlancaster (Jul 24, 2009)

Hi *phorty*,

No i still use my foam blocks in my ACs, i just put a layer of the pillow batting underneath the foam block, then put my bio rings on top, no carbon unless needed. The pillow batting really picks up a lot of debris. I have also herd of people using two foam blocks or cutting one in half and putting pillow batting in-between, I have not tried this though.

Thanks,
Matt


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## BjÃƒÂ¸rgvin (Feb 18, 2010)

Ok.

I think I will leave the canister filter to take care of the BIO filtration and buy an eheim aquaball that is currently on sale now. Think it will work great due to its large intake surface. Its also modular. 4 "blocks" So I can use the sections and size I want and stuff it with batting.


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## aaronjunited (Sep 29, 2009)

may i ask what is a powerhead. I'm a newb. What do they do?


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

what the heck is a jewel box?


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## 702Cichlid (Feb 28, 2010)

aaronjunited said:


> may i ask what is a powerhead. I'm a newb. What do they do?


A powerhead is really just a small submersible waterpump. Can be used in any number of applications (undergravel filter or jet, wave maker, internal filter etc). Usually just a little magnetic impeller in a plastic housing.


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## aaronjunited (Sep 29, 2009)

ahh rite basically a submersible pump. I need one of them for my UGJ. Is the aqauclear 50 any good for my UGJ. Does anyone know.

Sorry to the original poster if you dont mind me asking these questions in this thread. they seem to get answered faster.


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## BjÃƒÂ¸rgvin (Feb 18, 2010)

Totally fine.
As for the juwel box. Thats the housing of the original Juwel filter. Maybe Juwel aquariums are not sold "over there"?


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## phorty (Oct 30, 2009)

mlancaster said:


> Hi *phorty*,
> 
> No i still use my foam blocks in my ACs, i just put a layer of the pillow batting underneath the foam block, then put my bio rings on top, no carbon unless needed. The pillow batting really picks up a lot of debris. I have also herd of people using two foam blocks or cutting one in half and putting pillow batting in-between, I have not tried this though.
> 
> ...


Cool, thanks for the info.


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## JSwan (Nov 9, 2009)

BjÃƒÂ¸rgvin said:


> Totally fine.
> As for the juwel box. Thats the housing of the original Juwel filter. Maybe Juwel aquariums are not sold "over there"?


I havent seen them offerd anywhere in the states.

How is your problem now with the new filter? If I was you I would just put some fine Poret on the bottom of you're Eheim that should solve your partical problem. I dont like to use the floss because it colgs so fast and you throw it out so it is wastefull.


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## BjÃƒÂ¸rgvin (Feb 18, 2010)

I havent bought the new filter yet. Still debating on what to do.. What is poret? Do you have a link to this? The hole idea with the big eheim canister was the long cleaning interwals. So I dont want to shut it off for removing clogged floss or batting. That was were the idea of buying a smaller internal filter to use just as a particlefilter. 
But this filter has only been running for 2 months max with very little stock most of the time. Maybe its "too clean" still?


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## 96firebird (Apr 5, 2008)

http://www.swisstropicals.com/Poret%20F ... elist.html

There's a pricelist for poret foam.


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