I have looked for an Eheim Aquaball 2210 on eBay and there was only one! I did see some other models that had apparently superceeded the Eheim 2210.
As you rightly said Yo', there is in all probability, nothing wrong with the filter I have in there now, after all? I just tend to panic a lot if something doesn't look or act right, thats all. Of course, as soon as I saw this bacterial bloom thingy yesterday morning, thats when I started to panic as I thought that I had done something wrong and was going to lose the few fish I was given? But as I said, the fish seem to be enjoying every minute of being in a nice new tank with plenty of foliage cover etc. (if fish can actually feel pleasure - which I doubt)?
Again, even the WCMM I was positve was on it's was out, is all over the place now and instead of hiding as it was, it's out all the time and eats like a hog at chow time! I suppose there is a possibility that it might have been bullied a bit by it's tank mates once they had all settled in but if he was, he is cetainly making up for it now!
So roughly how long could this bacterial bloom thingy last for then? Does it go after a few days and the aquarium reverts back to it's crystal clear self or are we talking weeks and/or months here?
I did notice one thing with this Aqua-Flow 200 filter though - it is so very silent! When I had the spray bar on it, obviously as it was forcing water through a few small holes, the motor had to work harder and was thus very noticable but nothing really bad as I could watch the TV and the little bit of extra filter noise never ever bothered me. Now, because it is so silent, I keep checking it to make sure that is still actually working? LOL! Also, I am sure that I read somewhere, that activated charcoal is not good for aquaria? This filter has loads of it sitting in the bottom chamber! I always used to use it under the gravel substrate, to take up all the gases and crap. Maybe I am wrong though?
I can't wait for that API Master Test Kit to turn up, then I can get to work on rectifying anything that might need rectifying, as far as water clearances are concerned. I don't kow if I should still bother to even try getting a bottle of that Household Ammonia now? I wouldn't know if it can still be added to the water whilst there are fish in the aquaruim and I am not sure if would even be needed now that there are fish already insitu?
Vale!:
Yo Mike!
Well, fish can become stressed ; is a fishkeeper-engineered absence of stress in itself a form of pleasure? Discuss. *unsure*
I expect your bacterial bloom will go away in a couple of weeks or so. Your fish won't care, anyway.
Did we have a convo about activated carbon in a different thread? Anyroad (at the risk of repetition!): it'd be better to take the carbon out of your filter and to replace it with extra biological filter media - sponge (a bit of kitchen-scourer sponge is just the ticket), or whatever media your filter uses. Keeping carbon in your filter overlong, more than (say) 48 hours may be actually worse than useless ; in the lore it has a reputation of going into reverse after a while, dumping toxins back into the water column!
And no - you're right: there's no point in organising an ammonia hunt now!
Best
Yo' Man
mickelmass:
Yes, we did indeed have a conflabulation about activated charcoal before but I didn't realise that it was in my actual filter then? It makes me wonder why the manufacturers of these filters actually put the stuff in their filters in the first place, if it isn't going to help in the short run and in the long run, will do more harm than good?
I have just the stuff to put into the chamber where the charcoal is, if I can get the stuff out that is? I believe that like other filters on the market, this one has a cartridge system but I have a nasty feeling that the charcoal may well be actually sealed into the cartidge unit? I have just checked with the destruction manual and yes, it it. As far as I can see, there is no way of getting the charcoal out, hence yet another reason for geting another more modern filter that will allow me to use the filter medium that I want to use. LOL!
I just looked at a nice filter on eBay and it had four removable chambers, so that you could mix and match your filter medium, depending on the fish you are keeping. Damned good idea! I think it was a Tetra filter? I must say though, that these internal filters are nowhere near as expensive as I thought they would be? For under £30 you can get a really good, state of the art filter. I will stick with this one for now and do what you suggested. See how it is performaing after a few months and if it doesn't seem to be doing the job right, then I have the choice to buy a better one that will do the job.
Just as a matter of interest what happens when a person does decidet to change filters then? I mean, there is all the lovely bacteria in the old filter medium, just waiting to be put to good use. If you are going to use the bacteria culture from the old filter, then where the hell do you put it to activate the new filter medium? No, that's put me right off now! I am definately sticking with this filter ... for the forseeable future anyway! LOL! Damn, I just wish my aquarium would get back to the loveyl crystal clearnees it was yesteday morning! It's annoying me now, after spening so much money on it and all the time to get the plants just as I want them and now I can't see bugger all! Joking, it's nowhere near that bad. LOL!
Vale!:
Yo Mike!
--- Quote from: mickelmass on December 26, 2009, 09:58:16 pm ---Yes, we did indeed have a conflabulation about activated charcoal before... --- End quote ---
Phew! I was afraid I'd dropped a marble there!
Just to qualify: carbon is useful only in the short term, because it's ace at hoovering up (for example) medication remaining after a course of treatment is completed. LFSs and filter manufacturers want you to buy stuff, lots of stuff, hence their instruction to "change your carbon filter weekly". It's unnecessary expense except in specific - and hopefully rare - circumstances.
Just fill the void created by the removal of the carbon cartridge with whatever media you have discovered. Job's a good 'un!
--- Quote from: mickelmass on December 26, 2009, 09:58:16 pm ---Just as a matter of interest what happens when a person does decidet to change filters then? --- End quote ---
By an odd coincidence ... https://www.tropicalfishforums.co.uk/index.php?topic=12561.msg152682#msg152682 !!
Best
Yo' Man
mickelmass:
Brilliant!
Not only has that answered my question about using the old filter medium, but also the one about over-filtering, as that was going to be one of the other questions I was going to mention as well.
If I do, at a later date, decide to get another filter, I think this is what I shall do:
Get a new filter cartridge for the filter I already have. Break open the old cartridge and combine the filter medium from that, with the filter medium in the new filter. Put the new filter with both mediums in it, into the tank and start using it, constantly monitoring water clearances until all is tip-top. That way, I can keep the old filter, with the new cartridge in, just in case of emergencies. OK, it might not be big enough for a larger tank but will suffice until I can get a larger filter if an emergency does occur? I also have plenty of small air pumps and air stones to oxygenate a tank if I do have to temporarily use the smaller filter. This is not going to happen I know but I like to be prepared just in case of emergencies, which I don't think is a bad thing?