Search results for query: *

When I bought my first canister filter, an Eheim 250, in the 1980’s I took the design for granted. It was housed in a home made cabinet that had a suitable hole in the back for the hoses. The angled outlet pipe and ability to angle the inlet on the Eheim made it easy to position the filter to...

My Biomaster 350 isn’t the quietest external I’ve ever had, that honour goes to a Tetratec EX400. It wasn’t too bad when I first installed it though. After a couple of months it did become noisy, with the usual “impeller hum”. I fitted a small piece of soft plastic (from a container that was...

I came across this picture on the net. An old Fluval 403. I had an Eheim 250 in the 1980’s but a friend of mine had a Fluval 303 or 403. Although cheaper than the equivalent Eheim at the time I never liked the look of the Fluvals, and it wasn’t just their strange choice of colours! 😆 Later...

I saw an Eheim Classic 350 for a good price online so I ordered one. It took five days to arrive from France and the outer box didn’t look too bad. When I took out the inner box containing the filter there was an ominous rattle of small parts. The box itself was also ok but when I took out the...

After reading how good this stuff is, even in an ordinary canister filter I thought I’d try it some time ago. https://www.zissaqua.eu/products/zm-1-1l-filter-media It’s been in a couple of my filters now and it seems to work ok, I’ve certainly not had any livestock or plant issues over the past...

Many external filters seem to come with two or even three different grades of foam, coarse, medium and fine. Is there really that much point in this? The coarse stuff doesn’t seem to collect anything from my Aquariums when I’ve used it although I suppose it’s working on a biological level to...

One of the things that’s really annoying is when manufacturers don’t make provision for lifting and carrying external filters. It won’t be as good as my Biomaster but I’ve just fitted this handle to an old classic 250 and it’s made handling it so much better. Plastic handle bought from Amazon.

I normally take water from a butt connected to the gutter from my shed roof. The Butt gets emptied and cleaned out once a year. The water from it normally reads about 30-35 ppm. The other day the rain was so heavy I was collecting overflow from the gutter and after passing it through some...

Anyone have any experience of these?

I bought some 3/4” bore reinforced hose for another job and was quite surprised how supple it is. It bends nicely but doesn’t seem any more susceptible to kinks than standard aquarium hose. I’m thinking I may get some next time I replumb one of my filters. Anyone on here tried it?

I bought these 16/12 adapters from Amazon. They are very nicely made and have a good bore size of 12mm. This makes them a bit large on the outside for 12mm hose but you can get the hose on ok if you put it in hot water first.

Well that didn’t go well. My Tetratec EX600 plus leaked again, in spite of fitting a new manifold supplied by Tetra. I wasn’t overly enamoured by the layout of the Fluval 207 but I thought I’d give one a try as some folks say they’re quite quiet. Sadly the one I’ve just bought isn’t. Maybe...

I’ve got two of these and they’ve proven to be very reliable so far. Now on sale. https://www.elitecheu.com/collections/heating-and-cooling-thermostat/products/elitech-atc-1550-digital-temperature-controller-thermostat

I’m wondering if a Microscope would be helpful in identifying House Plant pests. I’ve put it in the section as taking screen shots would be part of the process. I’d ideally like something that works with an iPad or an iMac. Anyone used anything like this? I’m not sure what level of...

The Good stuff. I usually collect rainwater from a water butt that’s fed from a large shed with a rubber roof. It rained so heavily yesterday though I decided to collect some from the overflowing gutter. I normally get a TDS reading of about 30ppm from the water butt. Direct from the gutter...

Another batch nearly ready to eat. I like the taste of these and they’re supposed to be very good for you. So easy to grow as well.

I’ve forgotten to water a couple of my plants recently and one of them didn’t recover from drying out. One of them in particular gets through a lot of water. I have been contemplating using either a wicking system or possibly a drip feed. Anyone else use anything other than standing the pot in a...

Before and after. I only have a few easy to grow plants in my two Nano’s and the little 37L was well overdue for a trim. No idea what the plant is on the left but it’s growing really well and is sending out lots of runners. Now it has a bit more light maybe it will grow even faster.

What do folks think of this? I’m thinking it could be the basis for a DIY canister filter. The only issue I can think of is impeller/shaft replacements. Anything similar out there at the price for which spares are readily available?

Anyone remember this magazine from Dupla? I used to get my copies from an Aquarium shop at Neal’s Yard near Covent Garden.

I’ve just seen this, no idea how good they are but might be handy for Aquarium glass work? https://musthaveideas.co.uk/products/super-scraper

Is there a less expensive alternative that’s good at removing tannins? I’m currently using AC to keep the water clear but it only lasts about a month.

After watching a YouTube where a guy modified his I wasn’t expecting it to work. Curiosity got the better of me though and I had some overflow pipe … I used the same 5mm diameter holes as the original but increased the number from 16 to 30. As far as I can tell it’s made no difference at...

I’ve been considering a new setup again and my thoughts turned to a suitable cabinet. I don’t like many off the shelf Aquarium cabinets and they are generally much too low for my liking at only 75 - 80cm high. After a quick Google I came across this site and thought it may be of interest to...

I’m wondering if this might be handy for monitoring my canister filter flow? I’m using 16/22 hose though so it may restrict the flow. It has four modes, one of which is litres per minute.

My Biomaster 350 came with 3 blue coarse sponges and 1 orange fine sponge. I don’t use the orange one as it seemed to be in the wrong place (it’s thinner and intended to go in the top tray) and I use carbon in a bag in there anyway. I taken out one of the blue sponges and use that tray for...

I was under the impression that with sand, gravel and stones etc that the small stuff always went to the bottom leaving the bigger stuff on top? Why is it then that all the small pebbles I’ve put in one of my tanks have all sunk into the silver sand?! 😕

Does anyone know the size of the O Rings on the Eheim 12/16 and 16/22 Double Taps, ID x Section in mm. Not needed at the moment but it’s handy to have spares just in case. I have a couple of O Ring kits but it’s quite possible they don’t contain the required sizes?! I can’t afford to remove one...

I’m finding it a bit tricky to adjust the amount of air going to my airstones. Have any of you found any particularly good ones for sale?

Any owners tried the different types, was there a noticeable change in the flow? The blue ones that came with mine don’t seem to get overly dirty so I’m wondering if I should try another type. I notice you can get Oase compatible copies as well.

The flow on one of my tanks was very low so I decided to clean the filter, a Tetratec EX400. After cleaning I hooked it back up and it made a funny noise and didn’t seem to be pumping. I unhooked it again and inspected the Impeller: Luckily I have three spare canisters so I transferred the...

I think I’ve mentioned before that I filter the rainwater from my shed. Either through coffee filters or even kitchen roll if I run out. I normally do this two or three times. I’m just wondering though if there’s any type of fish and shrimp safe chemical I can add to the water once it’s filtered...

Would sell Carbon filter foams for the trays. It would save me the bother of cutting them out.

I’ve read some good comments about using Silicone hose on canister filters. Anyone on here used it? The 16/22 PVC hose I’m using is not very flexible and I’m dreading removing it to clean it out.

I saw a Seachem Alert combo pack for £7.49 so thought I’d give it a try. Not sure what my PH is though, what do you reckon?! 😂

With talks of possible or even probable power cuts in the UK this coming winter, is anyone thinking of investing in something like this? https://www.t3.com/features/best-portable-power-station

I noticed some mould growing on my all in one solution. Will adding a little extra Potassium Sorbate help to stop this?

Anyone tried these on a canister filter?

When I see tanks like this I wonder what size/thickness glass can safely go braceless. It’s one of the things I like about my two Nano’s but I’m still thinking about replacing them with a bigger tank.

I don’t normally do much water testing but with Shrimps in one tank and Fish and Shrimps in the other perhaps I should. I’m wondering what test kits folks on here are using. Do the 6 or 7 in one types work well? Buying separate tests could work out expensive.

I’m in the process of upgrading filters so I’m switching from 12/16 to 16/22 hose. It’s not that easy to get on so hot water will definitely be needed to fit the hoses. I’m thinking of putting a very small smear of silicone grease on the fittings to make them easier to remove later on. Anyone...

I noticed some of these in my shrimp tank the other day. An unavoidable consequence I suppose of using rainwater from a butt. I do filter it as best I can but very small organisms will get through I suppose. They look a bit unsightly, is there any type of treatment I can add to the tank to kill...

I’ve ordered a new filter for my tank. I would normally just swap the existing Bio media over from the old unit and carry on. I want to change the type of media I’m using though. I have a couple of options. I could run the new filter alongside the old unit until it’s successfully seeded then...

What do you think of this idea using the K1?

After looking at this site I was wondering, if you had a Biomaster could you just take all the trays out, fit a pipe to the head (to take the water to the bottom of the canister) and then just fill it with K1 or similar? Provided it wasn’t over filled it should be possible to “wiggle” the feed...

If Hel-X is biological media why have they put it in the bottom?

Whatever happened to them? They’re still on the Fluval site. https://fluvalaquatics.com/us/g-series/

I use mostly rain water in my 60L and 37L Nanos. Before using it I filter it through some kitchen towel to get any of the larger particles out of it. I just checked it after filtering with a TDS meter and got a reading of 23ppm. Out of curiosity I checked both Nanos, the 60L read 280ppm and the...

Any thoughts from owners on here? I like the pre-filter idea and I’m thinking ahead for a new tank. Likely about 150-200L. I’m wondering though if I can use it in the meantime on a 60L or whether it’s a bit too much. I think I’ve seen mention somewhere of folks fitting a 600 head to get more...

Just in case this help anyone else. The flow on my Tetratec EX600 didn’t seem very good so I thought I’d carry out routine maintenance. It’s loaded with foam, Sera Siporax and a bag of activated carbon. After rinsing the media I decided to change the carbon. The old stuff was quite fine and I...

For cleaning this?! I hadn’t realised it was so bad as it was behind some bogwood and moss. I’ve tried Hydrogen Peroxide and some Citric acid so far …

Following on from another thread I thought I might try an airstone in my 60L Nano to reduce surface film. I’ve used an airstone in freshwater tanks before and found the Smallest air bubbles were produced by wooden diffusers but they don’t last long. Are there any others available in the UK that...

Some years ago we visited an Aquatic store in Romsey Hampshire. I understood at the time that the then current owners we giving up. I later read that someone else was taking it over. I can’t seem to find it on a Google search though. Anyone have any info? It was as often the case inside a garden...

Have any of you tried using Aquarium light units for growing sprouts like Broccoli, Radish and Cress etc?

How long does the power need to be off before the bacteria in a canister filter dies off? Assuming you reach that limit what’s the best thing to do, rinse all the biological media or something more drastic? We had power outages of a few hours many years ago and it didn’t seem to be a problem.

I didn’t know about these until yesterday. The Corydoras in my tank have laid eggs maybe five or six times but nothing has come of them. I’m thinking maybe I should get a tumbler? I don’t know anything about the topic though so I’m wondering if I’m wasting my money. Could they eggs laid to date...

It doesn’t seem to do much in my filters. I have coarse, then medium then fine then Bio Media like Siporax or Substrat Pro. The only things that catch the detritus is the fine foam and bio media. I’ve got to fill up the space in the new filter that’s on its way and I don’t need any more than a...

This just popped onto my home page.

I’ve ordered a new filter and apart from other media it comes with a couple of coarse filter foams. I took these out of one of my other filters as it didn’t seem to be doing very much. Fine foam acts like floss and traps solid waste. Coarse and Medium foams don’t seem to trap anything so are...

This just popped up on my feed.

Anyone bought from them? I’m not sure where they’re based so concerned about import duty etc. https://www.olibetta.uk/ Edit: The special offer I was looking at runs out tomorrow so I’ve taken a chance and placed an order.

Do any of you have experience of the Eheim Universal 600 pump? I’m wondering how much noise it makes. I’m getting fed up with the noise from one of my canister filters so I’m thinking of making something up myself using the Universal 600. It does I suppose lend itself to being enclosed in it’s...

I’ll need to mix up some all in one solution soon but my scales are broken. Is there a recipe that uses teaspoons or fractions thereof? My problem is that I don’t need to make up any more than a litre and that will last ages!

What happened to that stainless steel canister filter build? Did it fill up with CO2? 😆

I have six Corydoras in my 60L and I very rarely see them, they constantly hide. I’ve been thinking of scrapping this tank and getting a larger tank that is landscaped in such a way that they cannot hide. Would this be a bad idea? At the moment it’s pointless having them in my current tank as I...

Not having a filter like this I did wonder how the water is supposed to flow through the foams. This modification seems to make sense unless I’m missing something? What do you think?

This popped into my YouTube home page.

Due to bypass issues with my Eheim 2213 I want to remove the media basket that is supplied with the filter. I’ve bought two of the Lattice screens that used to be supplied with the 2213 and I’ve ordered some filter foam. I thought though it might be more convenient to have some kind of basket...

Anyone on here growing salad leaves or herbs indoors? Apparently any old fluorescent tube will do the job.

Good idea or not? I’m not suggesting buying it as you can cut your own foam up into cubes ...

I’ve read quite a bit about folks with leaking external filters, noisy filters etc and wondered what most folks experience of them are? Do they work as well as expected, are they easy to clean? As an example, I bought a sera 130UV a while back and it seemed pretty good. Not as quiet as my Tetra...

When I has a 50 gallon tank many years ago I always used to draw off a bucket of tank water in which to flush out the media at filter cleaning time. Having read on here some time ago that unless you’re unlucky to have high levels of chlorine in your tap water it’s fine for filter cleaning so...

What media are folks using in their canister filters these days and in what order? Just interested.

What height are most folks Aquarium Cabinets? In the past I’ve made cabinets using easily available doors or made use of existing furniture. Just wondered what folks think is a good height?

My Moss Balls are getting bigger. A bit tatty at times and very very slowly, but they’re definitely bigger than when I bought them. :)

The external filter on my 60L was overdue cleaning and when I took the lid off there were about 100 live cherries in there. I’ve managed to get them all back in the tank and cleaned the filter but what to do about the skimmer? From past experience these things are often pretty useless and I...

I bought some Amano’s quite some time ago and they’re still going strong. How long do they live? If I didn’t know better I’d think they’re breeding but I understand this isn’t possible. The Cherries in both tanks are certainly multiplying.

I don’t know what this stuff is, I bought it at Pets at Home, but it’s taken over the tank. I keep having to trim it. And I only put a shot of Tropica in every month or so! It’s the 60L on the left.

If I wanted an optiwhite tank with mitred corners is there anyone in the UK that makes them? Asking for a friend ...

I collect rainwater from a covered water butt. I line a funnel with kitchen paper to filter out any large particles but in practice it doesn’t get too dirty. The water is then stored in a couple of ten litre containers indoors to warm up closer to tank temp. It’s then mixed with a little tap...

I bought a Sera 130 UV+ filter a while ago and sadly it has never been as quiet as my Tera External. It’s been running for a few months now though and it’s become quite a bit quieter. I have cleaned it out once but left the impeller and shaft alone. I’m wondering if this is best left alone...

I’m not suggesting this is a scam but will admit to being a little disappointed in the packaging. Several folks have recommended Vitalis Catfish Pellets so I bought a tub online. I knew the amount I was buying by the sellers description, 60g. I only wanted a small tub to try and many of the...

I mentioned to my wife that I’d like to get some Kale to feed the shrimps. We aren’t growing any Kale at the moment but she did suggest the leaves of some Purple Brussels we have in the garden. Blanched and placed in the tank the shrimps went mad for it. I happened to leave the excess blanched...

I bought a few Corydoras a couple of weeks ago so I had to get some supplies. I haven’t seen them eat anything yet but I’m hoping they like at least one of these. Are there any other dried foods folks have found that Cory’s like?

What do folks think is the best to add to an external to reduce the brown tinge I’m getting from the bogwood? I’ve got activated carbon in there but it doesn’t seem to be doing much. I’ve got some Purigen somewhere, would that be better?

Isn’t it a pain picking this stuff out from the roots of plants! I just received a couple of Anubias and it’s taken me 20 minutes to pick all the bits out with tweezers. :(

I bought a few Corydoras Sterbai last week and in anticipation of this bought some Fish Science Corydoras Tablets. The shrimp in the tank seem to eat virtually anything but even they won’t touch it. Watching the Corys reaction on approaching this food I think they’d be saying “Yuk” if they...

How do these shake to start gravel cleaners work? I’ve got some materials so would like to make one for my Nano’s.

I transferred some juvenile shrimp over to a new 60L Nano a little while back and I’ve just noticed that three of them are Berried. They aren’t even fully grown yet, is this normal?

No, I haven’t lost my marbles just yet. :) The hygienist at my dental surgery recommended that I get an electric toothbrush a few months back. Being time to change the brush head I wondered what I could do with the old one. Aquarium cleaning brush obviously! I tried it out today and it worked...

I take quite a lot of pictures with my iPad ever since I bought my first one over eight years ago. The only problem with my current iPad Pro 10.5” is that it’s no good for very close objects due to focusing distance. I decided that I’d get my 16Mp DSLR out with 90mm macro lens and the results...

It seems that lockdown is going to be eased somewhat. I’m wondering/hoping if I’ll be able to go to my LFS about a mile away and buy some Corydoras? :) I’ve subscribed to the Maidenhead Aquatics newsletter but they’ve been very quiet. If it means specifically making an appointment to visit the...

I set up my new 60L Nano a while back and swapped the lights over. The 37L looks fine with the Eheim 7W light that came with it (I made a new stand for it some years back) but the 12W spot isn’t cutting it on the 60L. I did get a new 15W spot from China but it doesn’t seem any brighter than the...

Anyone tried one of these with a silver sand substrate? I know you can regulate the flow but still wondering if it will suck up any sand with the dirt? https://fluvalaquatics.com/uk/product/gravel-vac-multi-substrate-cleaner-s-m/

I filled a new tank a while back and just recently introduced a few shrimp from my other tank. I was a initially a little disappointed at only having bogwood to put in the new tank but in hindsight it’s been great for the shrimps. Whilst there are some plants in the tank that had some algae on...

Are they safe to put in an aquarium? I have an oak tree in my garden and a few years back I took some leaves off while they were still green and dried them to put into a hedgehog box. They remained green once dried and looked nice so wondering if I could do the same for my aquarium. I don’t...

Anyone have any experience of these...

I know I’m not the only person who’s had this problem in the past. I had this piece of bogwood in soak for over a month in a trug with a brick on it last year and it seemed pretty waterlogged but still wouldn’t sink. It’s all I’ve got now though for another tank so I’d like to use it if I can. I...