Oase - Not focused on Turnover - Why?!

[Bradders]

When you look at the Oase Biomaster specifications, you don't have to be a mathematician to see they are not focused on turnover!

Looking at the chart below, you can see that in the real world (i.e. your filter head height is 50%), a turnover of 4x is very hard to achieve based on the recommended aquarium sizes for each unit. (Screenshot below). For example. my Oase Biomaster is around 50% of Head Height, and my testing has shown that it peaks at around 500L/ph as a result. That is probably okay in my 100L aquarium but not so great (if you follow the 4x or 10x rules) if you have a 200L aquarium.

What strikes me is that Oase could easily have changed the specs. i.e. The Oase Biomaster 250 was only suitable for 100L (not up to 250L) aquariums and, therefore, pushed people to the next level of profit margin.

So I guess my question is around a) why are Oase not focused on turnover when we feel 4x and 10x are required, and b) why are they not pushing you up the profit scale?

Open to views on this little head scratcher!

 

[fredi]

My guess would be that for fish, turnover is not as essential as it is for a plant based aquarium

 

[fredi]

Personally I tend to ignore manufacturers suggested tank size
I always use two filters and use filters which I think will give enough water movement and filtering capacity
This works for me, having said that, for large tanks, i would use a pump, or pumps to give additional flow/movement

 

[Tankless]

It depends on which market is bigger. I assume there are more people that keep fish orientated than plant orientated tanks.

 

[fredi]

Exactly
For “planted” tanks water movement is king

 

[seedoubleyou]

When you look at the Oase Biomaster specifications, you don't have to be a mathematician to see they are not focused on turnover!

Looking at the chart below, you can see that in the real world (i.e. your filter head height is 50%), a turnover of 4x is very hard to achieve based on the recommended aquarium sizes for each unit. (Screenshot below). For example. my Oase Biomaster is around 50% of Head Height, and my testing has shown that it peaks at around 500L/ph as a result. That is probably okay in my 100L aquarium but not so great (if you follow the 4x or 10x rules) if you have a 200L aquarium.

What strikes me is that Oase could easily have changed the specs. i.e. The Oase Biomaster 250 was only suitable for 100L (not up to 250L) aquariums and, therefore, pushed people to the next level of profit margin.

So I guess my question is around a) why are Oase not focused on turnover when we feel 4x and 10x are required, and b) why are they not pushing you up the profit scale?

Open to views on this little head scratcher!
View attachment 214745

I don’t think they need to. As most people oversize anyway.
Typically people are using the 350 as a minimum I’d say (or from what I’ve seen). And that’s on a 60cm tank.

 

[Zeus.]

The head of water in most of our setups is low to zero, ie 'Max Head: 1m' means the pump will be able to push water flow up to 1 metres high from the water surface. So if the outlet is below the surface of the water as it is in in many cases the head of water is zero, if the outlet is a few cm above the tanks water level then thats low. the main resistance to flow in most cases is the pipes/hose/fittings or the outlet 'jet', in most cases it will be the outlet jet itself. The build up of detritus over time increases the resistance in the pipes and fittings also, hence cleaning the fitter media isnt enough by itself to keep flow optimum

 

[Aqua sobriquet]

My guess would be that for fish, turnover is not as essential as it is for a plant based aquarium

Many years ago I used an Eheim 250 on a 50 gallon community tank and I had no problems with the fish. Plants were impossible to grow but that may have been the hard London tap water.

 

[Aqua sobriquet]

When you look at the Oase Biomaster specifications, you don't have to be a mathematician to see they are not focused on turnover!

Looking at the chart below, you can see that in the real world (i.e. your filter head height is 50%), a turnover of 4x is very hard to achieve based on the recommended aquarium sizes for each unit. (Screenshot below). For example. my Oase Biomaster is around 50% of Head Height, and my testing has shown that it peaks at around 500L/ph as a result. That is probably okay in my 100L aquarium but not so great (if you follow the 4x or 10x rules) if you have a 200L aquarium.

What strikes me is that Oase could easily have changed the specs. i.e. The Oase Biomaster 250 was only suitable for 100L (not up to 250L) aquariums and, therefore, pushed people to the next level of profit margin.

So I guess my question is around a) why are Oase not focused on turnover when we feel 4x and 10x are required, and b) why are they not pushing you up the profit scale?

Open to views on this little head scratcher!
View attachment 214745

The last time I looked the part number for the impeller was the same for the 250 and the 350. I wonder if the head is really any different? I’d like to see a comparison test to see if there is a difference in flow between the two. The 600 impeller has bigger blades but still fits the 350. I know because I bought one. There wasn’t an obviously noticeable difference in flow but again maybe worth testing.

 

[Aqua sobriquet]

I’ve been led to believe the Biomaster heads and canisters are all interchangeable. If I ever get a bigger tank I’ll buy the 850 head and impeller as the canister is more than big enough for any tank I’m likely to buy.
I just don’t understand why the 850 head is currently cheaper?!

 

[Bradders]

The head of water in most of our setups is low to zero, ie 'Max Head: 1m' means the pump will be able to push water flow up to 1 metres high from the water surface. So if the outlet is below the surface of the water as it is in in many cases the head of water is zero, if the outlet is a few cm above the tanks water level then thats low. the main resistance to flow in most cases is the pipes/hose/fittings or the outlet 'jet', in most cases it will be the outlet jet itself. The build up of detritus over time increases the resistance in the pipes and fittings also, hence cleaning the fitter media isnt enough by itself to keep flow optimum

Interesting. So my canister is under my tank, and it has to push water 'up' to the outflow for about 85 cm's.

So are you saying that these 85cm do not mean anything in head height? I always thought that the reason I was only getting 500-550L/h was because it had to push more, creating more resistance etc?

 

[fredi]

It’s my understanding that head is defined as height above pump outlet, clearly the height above inlet will have some bearing on this, however the resistance to flow caused by media, turbulence and drag imparted by pipework and fittings, will negate some of this

 

[fredi]

Any turbulence or drag causing resistance to flow will increase as flow increases

 

[erwin123]

If you go to the official Europe Oase website as well as the US site, the aquarium size numbers are the 'max size'. Since they did not state any minimum size I presume Oase is saying that any size less than XXX is fine.

 

[MichaelJ]

Exactly
For “planted” tanks water movement is king

Yes - Nutrient distribution, that is. I’ve found that several smaller filters tend to work very well (and a much more cost effective solution ) as opposed to one large filter attempting to cover the whole tank - which to me seems almost impossible in a larger densely planted tank. Turnover is a weak determinant of the ultimate “flow” coverage. In my two 150 L densely planted tanks I have two Tidal 35 HOB’s (extremely reliable and likewise easy to maintain) and two pat mini’s (internal sponge filters) for a total turnover of 1600 l/h or 10 times my tank sizes - seems like a lot - yet my tanks develops occasional spots due to plant growth that appears underserved with respect to nutrient distribution.



Cheers,
Michael

 

[_Maq_]

So are you saying that these 85cm do not mean anything in head height?

In theory, i.e. not accounting for flow resistance (hoses, fittings, filter media), that's correct. If you disconnect the tank outflow from your filter, the water will flow quite quickly. That's a "help" for the impeller to push it back to tank.

 

[Bradders]

Yes - Nutrient distribution, that is. I’ve found that several smaller filters tend to work very well (and a much more cost effective solution ) as opposed to one large filter attempting to cover the whole tank - which to me seems almost impossible in a larger densely planted tank. Turnover is a weak determinant of the ultimate flow coverage. In my two 150 L densely planted tanks I have two Tidal 35 HOB’s (extremely reliable and likewise easy to maintain) and two pat mini’s (internal sponge filters) for a total turnover of 1600 l/h or 10 times my tank sizes - seems like a lot - yet my tanks develops occasional spots due to plant growth that appears underserved with respect to nutrient distribution.

Funny you should mention that. I did the same by adding two canisters as adding in a flow device in a small tank was just unsightly and something else in the tank!

 

[Bradders]

In theory, i.e. not accounting for flow resistance (hoses, fittings, filter media), that's correct. If you disconnect the tank outflow from your filter, the water will flow quite quickly. That's a "help" for the impeller to push it back to tank.

That would make some sense. There was an experiment on YouTube (which I can't find) where they took out all the media and run the device with nothing in it. Flow increased, but not by a lot.

 

[Aqua sobriquet]

That would make some sense. There was an experiment on YouTube (which I can't find) where they took out all the media and run the device with nothing in it. Flow increased, but not by a lot.

Yes I saw something like that. Much depends on the media used as well. I used to get good flow in one of my tanks years ago until the filter floss got dirty. I no longer use floss and like open bio media like Siporax.

 

[hypnogogia]

Interesting. So my canister is under my tank, and it has to push water 'up' to the outflow for about 85 cm's.

So are you saying that these 85cm do not mean anything in head height? I always thought that the reason I was only getting 500-550L/h was because it had to push more, creating more resistance etc?

Because without the pump, the water in your filter return pipe would eventually settle at the level of the water surface in the aquarium, the head height is anything above that level.