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Post by murdock6701 on Apr 28, 2009 16:10:02 GMT -5
Tetra has just come out w/ a new product made for hob filters - it is a frameless cartidge that is not reusable - I tried them and find them grossly inferior! the do not fit in the slot made for the frame well and don't rinse well at all so they are not reusable so they don't last as long - also see they raised the price of the old biobags as well.....anyone else use these? if so, any comments?
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Post by babygeige on Apr 28, 2009 16:19:09 GMT -5
Is that the Whisper EX thingy? I was looking at those. I was considering trying those when I run out of regular old biobags. That won't be for a long time since I bought a big value pack, but I'll remember NOT to try them since you don't like them.
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Post by barbara on Apr 28, 2009 16:22:44 GMT -5
Um, not to sound stupid, but is this a carbon insert? I don't use carbon in any of my tanks. I have read that it wasn't necessary, and I started an experiiment with one tank, using no carbon. I found that my water tested fine after a couple of months, so I no longer use carbon, except for taking out medication.
I do use extra things, such as pot scrubbies, in my filters to add additional places for bio to grow, then I also have a ready made way to help cycle a tank.
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Post by murdock6701 on Apr 28, 2009 17:01:00 GMT -5
good point about the carbon - sorry not to have mentioned it - yes, they are pre-made and sealed - come w/ a time strip - made by tetra but says on the box "replaces Wisper" - I buy carbon and zeolite in bulk and use as necessary, don'yt care for the premade ones but without the frame, they bend and allow a lot of crap in and mulm seems to be on everything - rip off IMO!
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Post by brenda on Apr 28, 2009 20:22:12 GMT -5
I don't buy prefilled cartidges anymore...I just buy one of the aquaclear sponges and shove that puppy in the filter and we are off...These can be rinsed many times without replacing.
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Post by Carl on Apr 28, 2009 22:11:06 GMT -5
Thanks for the info John on these cartridges! I have not used them nor seen them, I have seen and have friends in the business using the new Whisper EX (which has its motor outside the filter). This filter has its pluses and minuses, but I prefer the similar and less gimmicky Aqueon Version of the same filter. As you noted the The Whisper EX version of this design has a “time strip tab” to indicate the exhaustion of carbon, however my opinion of this is it is a gimmick, as most persons over use carbon in healthy established aquariums and over rate its need To this point I agree with Barbara's point about carbon, I presently and in the past do not use carbon in healthy established aquariums except for medication removal, chemical removal (if a home or office has been treated in any way with chemicals), or for large water changes due to problems (like I did just this week for a local business that had there saltwater tank system back up during a power failure and I had to perform an emergency repair and mix saltwater in a hurry) As well I have found there is some misunderstanding what carbon can and cannot do See this article under carbon: Aquarium Answers; Aquarium Filter MediaI have more about the Whisper EX here: Aquarium Filtration; filtersCarl
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Post by murdock6701 on Apr 29, 2009 13:21:10 GMT -5
interesting question here....does carbon help in the neutralization of iron, lime and other minerals?
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Post by goldenpuon on Apr 29, 2009 13:51:01 GMT -5
I use carbon for all my HOB filters. I buy the Whisper cartridges you have to assemble yourslef and it is a major hassle. They don't give you new frames for every time you change the cartridge so when you take the frame out of the old fuzzy covering (don't know what it's called), charcoal gets stuck to the frame and easily spills out. Then when I open a new bag of charcoal to put in the cartridge, I have to make sure the frame goes all the way down to the bottom of the covering or it don' fit in and it can't be assembled properly.
I know a lot of you guys use other things to filter besides cartridges like I do. I was wondering if there is something else I could use to filter that isn't a hassle to change/maintain, filters efficiently, and fits in my size filters. So, what would you guys recommend?
Thanks!
Renee
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Post by Carl on Apr 29, 2009 14:12:57 GMT -5
interesting question here....does carbon help in the neutralization of iron, lime and other minerals? The best research I have from my Aquarium Answers media article is this: What Carbon CANNOT remove: Microbes, Sodium, Nitrates, nitrites, ammonia Fluoride, Hardness. Lead and other heavy metals are removed only by a very specific type of AC filter So my answer would be no Carl
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Post by barbara on Apr 29, 2009 14:33:58 GMT -5
I use carbon for all my HOB filters. I buy the Whisper cartridges you have to assemble yourslef and it is a major hassle. They don't give you new frames for every time you change the cartridge so when you take the frame out of the old fuzzy covering (don't know what it's called), charcoal gets stuck to the frame and easily spills out. Then when I open a new bag of charcoal to put in the cartridge, I have to make sure the frame goes all the way down to the bottom of the covering or it don' fit in and it can't be assembled properly. I know a lot of you guys use other things to filter besides cartridges like I do. I was wondering if there is something else I could use to filter that isn't a hassle to change/maintain, filters efficiently, and fits in my size filters. So, what would you guys recommend? Thanks! Renee Renee, you know the little plastic colorful pot scrubbies? Come in a 5 pack for about $1.00 at the dollar store? That's what I use for extra bio-media for my tanks. It has a fairly large surface area for bio to grow. I use the bio inserts that come with the Whisper for mechanical filtration, and add extra pot scrubbies to my tanks. You can use bio-stars, bio-balls, anything with a decent surface for bacteria to grow. Brenda uses sponges. That's a good idea too. There are many ideas for things you can add...pillow stuffing for microfiltration, and also allows bacteria to grow.
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Post by murdock6701 on Apr 29, 2009 15:18:41 GMT -5
Renee - always remove the biobag over a waste basket - rinse off frame, put on new biobag - cut corner off of new bag of charcoal - pour charcoal onto the 3 divided areas - do this over a waste basket as well - snap frame back together - eliminates the mess and the hassle of trying to put the frame in afterwards and tearing the new bag - the other members suggestions work very well also
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Post by eve on Apr 29, 2009 17:23:17 GMT -5
i actually bought one of those filters about 1 1/2 months ago for my 10 gallon tank, as my other filter died on me
i liked the design and the big chamber it has just as murdock noted, i also don't like the filter cartridge on it though i think the only way to replace carbon is to really cut it open i will most likely end up just cutting it open and removing the carbon once i have setup my tanks at my new place again
as for the timestrip, it's definitely a rip off i knew i have my own schedule anyway, but just for the heck of it, i wanted to know if it's accurate well hell no, way off the timestrip was red after only 2 weeks all the way up
so i wouldn't recommend this filter for a newbie at all as they will kill their established tanks every 2 weeks, because who will really start marking on teh calender when it was last changed?
like i said, i like the motor being outside, as well as the chamber being big also it has a good flow
but the filter media itself was not very well thought out
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Post by murdock6701 on Apr 29, 2009 17:52:38 GMT -5
you can still buy the plastic frames - they come w/ the biobags and independent packs of charcoal - save the frames! the biobag material is not a factor unless you add carbon or zeolite - what's more important w/ the hobs in cleaning the filter itself - mulm will prevent the water flow just as ineffectively as a dirty biobag
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Post by babygeige on Apr 29, 2009 18:18:20 GMT -5
My biobag frame is all bent. It's like it doesn't fit right in the filter or something.
I use carbon in my tanks. I went without it for a while, but then in my 10 gallon, I noticed a film on the surface of the water. As time went on, it really got on my nerves. I eventually figured out that the only thing different was the lack of carbon. I put it back in and the film is gone!
When this filter dies, I will probably try an Aqueon. They seem to have pretty decent stuff. BTW, how long does the average filter last?
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Post by murdock6701 on Apr 29, 2009 19:45:44 GMT -5
Top Fin I know comes w/ a lifetime guarantee - buy a new frame! or let me know what size you need - I have extras!
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Post by Carl on Apr 29, 2009 20:00:13 GMT -5
like i said, i like the motor being outside, as well as the chamber being big also it has a good flow The only problem with the motor on the outside is there are many incidences of the water level getting too low in an aquarium (especially with newbies) and then the pump burning out. This also goes for the cousin version, the Aqueon, which I think is the better choice of the two for price and less gimmicks. I note this potential issue in this article: Aquarium FiltrationAs for an excellent AND cheap bio media, I really like volcanic rock as it not only has copious amounts of surface area for aerobic nitrifying bacteria, but it is also deep enough to allow some de-nitrifying bacteria to form, but not go totally sulfur reducing thus making hydrogen sulfide. Carl
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Post by murdock6701 on Apr 29, 2009 21:29:44 GMT -5
good point - I have to add water every day to all my tanks
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Post by eve on Apr 29, 2009 21:41:08 GMT -5
very true as well like i said, it was a look at it like it purchase anyway, i usually prefer the submersible filters though i have 3 of them, unfortunately they're hard to get by now, as they seem not to be making them no more there was another filter i tried out, but brought back because it just didn't work for me funny wise, it was off the market 2 months later as well as for filling up water on evaporation, i had that problem first when my tank wheren't covered but since every single one of them is now covered, i fill up about an inch of water about once a week
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Post by murdock6701 on Apr 29, 2009 21:52:23 GMT -5
I have a lot of water movement in my tanks plus a lot of aeration plus you have to remeber I keep smaller tanks than most of you, mostly in the 20 gallon range so water loss is more noticeable
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Post by eve on Apr 29, 2009 22:51:31 GMT -5
yes, lot's of movement definitely makes a big difference actually i have 2 10 gallon tanks
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