• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

Filter out of action for next week or so what would you do?

A

andyone

Member
Joined
29 Aug 2010
Messages
87
Ehiem P3 Termo not working (again) at present.

Set up EI dosing plus liquid cardon 210L tank plus CO2 3bpm Ehiem skimmer, in tank circulation pump and x4 T5s set for 7 hours full blast for 3 hours.

Heavy planting and about 20 tertras and 6 Altums and lots of shrimp.

Finally will the filter bacteria survive in the canester at room temp?

How do you think I should manage the situation?

So far I have;

1) Stopped the ferts
2) Put in heater/stat
3) Air stone running 24/7
4) Running x2 T5's only
5) Done 50% water change

Thanks
 
Try and get a powerhead to push flow through the filter, you don't want to leave the bacteria in it inside for a week not moving; when it comes back on it'll pump noxious chemicals back in
 
Thanks could run second air stone inside cannister, head is away for repair. Too much media to place in tank but I suppose I could put some in to act as a starter colony later. Live in Wakefield.
 
Actual filter media will be fine - just rinse with treated tap or tank water to remove debris, then store damp at cool room temperatures ... eg replace (rinsed) media into baskets, pour some treated tap water over, filling to a couple cm's in bottom of filter, then close over to maintain humidity - you want to maintain damp + oxygen/air, so don't seal air-tight.

When filter can be restarted, just return to tank as normal - there will be a delay of a few days as filter bacteria "wake up" but it's nothing like waiting for a tank to cycle from naught.
Do clean tubing etc, otherwise when you restart filter all that gunk will dump into tank.

For existing fish in tank, I'd go with daily water changes of ~50% IF this is what fish/you are accustomed to (if you normally do 25 - 30% weekly water changes, then change that volume - altums can be very sensitive to change).
If possible add in a Seachem Ammonia Alert - water change 25% (or more) if any ammonia is detected ... depending on bioload & feeding, you may need to do frequent water changes especially if fish are accustomed to only 25% water change (I'd do these morning & evening if needed)

While filter is offline, reduce feeding to smaller amounts & possibly alternate days BUT depending on altum size & tankmates, you may see "hunting" so you'll need to adjust feed amount & schedule to suit these fish ... if your group of altums are not presently "hunting", you don't want to trigger this behaviour.

I'd want to maintain plant growth as much as normal ie powerhead for circulation & usual CO2, fertilizers, lights etc - perhaps reduce lighting/CO2 etc by 20% or so, but active plant growth will help to maintain good water quality so I'm not sure why you want to alter that so drastically ... depends I suppose on how high you run CO2 levels & whether anyone is about to monitor fish.

Your "helpful" bacteria will be present on various surfaces in the tank, including plant leafs & wood & substrate etc, so I expect fish will be just fine 🙂

You don't mention running temperature of tank, you might reduce this by a couple/few degrees as that will increase dissolved oxygen levels present in water column.

As night, perhaps run an additional air pump or ensure good surface agitation (heavily planted tanks can consume significant oxygen during the "dark" cycle)
 
alto said:
Actual filter media will be fine - just rinse with treated tap or tank water to remove debris, then store damp at cool room temperatures ... eg replace (rinsed) media into baskets, pour some treated tap water over, filling to a couple cm's in bottom of filter, then close over to maintain humidity - you want to maintain damp + oxygen/air, so don't seal air-tight.

When filter can be restarted, just return to tank as normal - there will be a delay of a few days as filter bacteria "wake up" but it's nothing like waiting for a tank to cycle from naught.
Do clean tubing etc, otherwise when you restart filter all that gunk will dump into tank.

For existing fish in tank, I'd go with daily water changes of ~50% IF this is what fish/you are accustomed to (if you normally do 25 - 30% weekly water changes, then change that volume - altums can be very sensitive to change).
If possible add in a Seachem Ammonia Alert - water change 25% (or more) if any ammonia is detected ... depending on bioload & feeding, you may need to do frequent water changes especially if fish are accustomed to only 25% water change (I'd do these morning & evening if needed)

While filter is offline, reduce feeding to smaller amounts & possibly alternate days BUT depending on altum size & tankmates, you may see "hunting" so you'll need to adjust feed amount & schedule to suit these fish ... if your group of altums are not presently "hunting", you don't want to trigger this behaviour.

I'd want to maintain plant growth as much as normal ie powerhead for circulation & usual CO2, fertilizers, lights etc - perhaps reduce lighting/CO2 etc by 20% or so, but active plant growth will help to maintain good water quality so I'm not sure why you want to alter that so drastically ... depends I suppose on how high you run CO2 levels & whether anyone is about to monitor fish.

Your "helpful" bacteria will be present on various surfaces in the tank, including plant leafs & wood & substrate etc, so I expect fish will be just fine 🙂

You don't mention running temperature of tank, you might reduce this by a couple/few degrees as that will increase dissolved oxygen levels present in water column.

As night, perhaps run an additional air pump or ensure good surface agitation (heavily planted tanks can consume significant oxygen during the "dark" cycle)
Click to expand...
Thanks for the advice appreciatted. I take your point with regard to the altums they sometimes get a bit peckish and snack on a shrimp or two. I generally do 50% a week water change but think I will split it along with the feeding and reduce the ferts and light as suggested. I have an old power head I can place in the tank. the tank is heated at 24-25c.

Hopefully this will be enough while I get the filter fixed for a third time. Shame its been so unreliable for a premium product seriously thinking of ditching the Ehiem for another brand but I'm not sure anything will come close.

Thanks all for your help.
 
Check your local aquatic society,most will willingly loan lend something in a situation like this, Myself I keep spare internal for just such a filter failure whereby I could transfer part of the media.Even a couple of little box filters would do it and as Andy suggests placing media in tank is a good option,considering any hardscape will be carrying bacteria. Running a sponge filter alongside the main filter is another option to aviod any mishaps in future
 
Last edited:
New consumer legislation means a product as to be fit for purpose,regardless of guarantees/warranties etc so your filter should be expected to run trouble free for six years providing its used to instructions the same applies to washing machines,toasters,kettles and the like. A email or letter( as Alto says) to were you got the filter from to remind them and how they have a obligation to resolve this and to focus their attention on your situation tell them your a UKAPS member and discussing this on forum
 
i always always have a hospital tank, with two large sponges running. It means in emergencies I can transfer a sponge to a tank with a broken filter, or if i'm getting new fish; I can temp them in the hospital tank, and move the existing house guest fish (corydoras) to a large tub with sponge and filter, so they are unaffected too
 
PARAGUAY said:
New consumer legislation means a product as to be fit for purpose,regardless of guarantees/warranties etc so your filter should be expected to run trouble free for six years providing its used to instructions the same applies to washing machines,toasters,kettles and the like. A email or letter( as Alto says) to were you got the filter from to remind them and how they have a obligation to resolve this and to focus their attention on your situation tell them your a UKAPS member and discussing this on forum
Click to expand...
Fair point the filter is now with John Allen to look at so I'm waiting for feed back from them after which I will drop Ehiem head office an e mail as you suggest as if was me I'd want it back to undertake some tests to see what the problem is as it seems quite a few people have had issues with this model while others have had none so there is some inconsistency I would suggest.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top