Vase's 720 litre journal

[TDI-line]

I need 2x 2080's for starters and that doesnt include media. New cabinet, external heaters, the list goes on. All I have at the moment is one filter, lighting and the tank!

Here you go, with media..

http://www.1st4aquatics.com/index.asp?f ... uctid=1309


I think i'lll start a journal soon, seeing as we both have the same tank (but you have better lights ), i find that there is soo much to learn, but i find the only way is to try different plants, and see what happens. I still have to install my pro 2 2028 at the other end, my pro 3e is doing a very good job though Vase. But i still have some BBA issues, but really need to get set up for water changes more efficiently.

What kind of discus are you after?

 

[Vase]

Thanks for the link mate, but its the 2080's I need. They're 2028's

Yeah, start a journal. Might be able to learn some stuff off each other along the way. My trouble is that I'm a perfectionist, so everything has to be just right



This was the tank last time, just before all the problems started. Now I know what I didnt do and what I should have done differently....

 

[StevenA]

If you don't mind me asking Vase, what problems did you have?

 

[sks]

that's a very nice looking tank, a lot better than the WormWoods one.

You might like to get 3 Eheim 2217 instead since that would be more than adequate and might save you a fair bit too, you don't need to go over crazy about turnover. It also gives you the option to spread the flow in 4 outputs.

 

[Vase]

Not at all mate....

Cold spots, dead spots, cyano (covered everything), stupidly high Gh/Kh, fluctuating ph and fish getting stuck behind the background where they were impossible to get out.

Apart from that it was alright

I removed the background tonight and thanks to this forum I wont be making the same mistakes I did before. Knowing me I'll make all new ones!

 

[Vase]

that's a very nice looking tank, a lot better than the WormWoods one.

You might like to get 3 Eheim 2217 instead since that would be more than adequate and might save you a fair bit too, you don't need to go over crazy about turnover. It also gives you the option to spread the flow in 4 outputs.

I was actually thinking about a couple of Tetratec 1200's as I have one on my 200 litre, but it was after talking with Ceg that I decided on the 2080's.

 

[ceg4048]

that's a very nice looking tank, a lot better than the WormWoods one.

You might like to get 3 Eheim 2217 instead since that would be more than adequate and might save you a fair bit too, you don't need to go over crazy about turnover. It also gives you the option to spread the flow in 4 outputs.

I was actually thinking about a couple of Tetratec 1200's as I have one on my 200 litre, but it was after talking with Ceg that I decided on the 2080's.

In actual fact, you do need to go crazy about turnover. The bigger the tank the more crazy you have to get. You can make a lot of mistakes in a 20G tank and sometimes get away with it. Those same mistakes in a big tank turns your tank into The Poseidon Adventure. Flow is your salvation. It delivers nutrients to the plants more effectively. High flow delivers CO2 to deeper regions and to the nooks and crannies in a big tank. This allows you to keep carpet plants happy for example. High flow erases dead spots and cold spots. High flow keeps particles in suspension longer so that particles tend not to simply settle onto the substrate. More importantly, high flow means bigger filters with higher capacity to more effectively consume ammonia. If you only intend to grow the hardiest or less demanding of plants then all these issues may be less important, but high flow gives you a fighting chance to grow some of the more difficult species.

Cheers,

 

[TDI-line]

Ok, i see now.

The 2080 is the Eheim Pro 3, covering upto 1200 litres. The only thing with this is i couldn't get the unit in any cabinet as it is huge. (Did actually try at Wildwoods in there ultimate dead tank).

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/fish/filt ... ters/37139


The 2078 Eheim Pro 3e, covering upto 700 litres just fits in, (which i bought) i can get pics if you require Vase.

http://www.eheim.de/eheim/inhalte/index ... 28383_ehen

 

[George Farmer]

In actual fact, you do need to go crazy about turnover.

I'm with Clive on this.

Almost all filters produce no way near their claimed outputs, some as low as a third actual flow i.e. a claimed 1200lph actually having 400lph.

For this reason I like to aim for around 10x claimed turnover, possibly even higher in large aquaria. My nano has a claimed 30x turnover!

The 2080 are great, there's also the thermo version with built-in 500w heater. I prefer the Hydor ETH300 external inline heater personally.

Have you considered a couple of FX5s, or are you decided on the 2080s? Are you having one or two?

 

[johnny70]

I have been considering putting one of these 208's on my Rio 180 or is that overkill?

JOHNNY

 

[ceg4048]

I have been considering putting one of these 208's on my Rio 180 or is that overkill?

JOHNNY

I'd go for it Johnny. It's difficult to over-filter a tank. Bigger is better and size matters in filtration.

Cheers,

 

[Dave Spencer]

I was actually thinking about a couple of Tetratec 1200's as I have one on my 200 litre, but it was after talking with Ceg that I decided on the 2080's.

I am planning a 240l that will have two tetratec 1200s. I will have an inline CO2 reactor that will affect the output of one of them, but I aim to compensate for this by leaving the media at a bare minimum in both filters. They will run with Purigen, Zeolite and a little sponge of varying grades for mechanical/biological filtration.


Get with the in crowd and over filter.

Dave.

 

[George Farmer]

I have been considering putting one of these 2080 on my Rio 180 or is that overkill?

JOHNNY

Go for it.

 

[gixer]

Dunno about the 208 Johhny, but i've got a 2060 and Hydo 200w in-line heater on my 120L.

At the moment i'm running both this and my crap internal filter, so the spray bar is mounted on the rear of the tank.
At half flow the tank becomes a whirlpool, my Rasboaras go mental they love it.

If i turn the spray bar so it's pointing towards the rear of the tank i can run it 100% flow without too much turbulence.

As soon as the 2060 is cycled i'll rip off the side filter and mount the spray bar on the side.



Worst case scenario though, 100% flow across 30cm tank width and if you turn the spray bar towards the glass it's fine



Cheers
Mark

 

[Vase]

So whats the general feeling about two Tetratec 1200's on my tank with my 2128?

I'd go for them if they will be sufficient :?

 

[sks]

I'm planning a 6'x2'x2' in a few years time since I've managed to get a lawn on my first. I'll be using nothing more than 3 or maybe 4 Eheim 2217s. I have a 2260 I can make up, that about 2000 litres and hour and 18 litre tub, but I'll probably not be using it. The 2260 and the 2080 are extremely awkward to service because they are so heavy.

The 2217 is rated at 1000 litres an hour, at zero head and of course no resistance with hose attached. I'm sure in normal use you probably be getting 800 litres an hour. In my experience resistance build up on canister filters also has a lot to do with how you layer the filter media because I've experimented on this in the past. In general the larger the cross section the water has to go through, the more difficult it is to choke a filter, because water following a path of least resistance have more options. Having fine filter foam at the bottom also does not help, nor does using a thick layer of it on top when you should be using just enough.

I'm not saying that the 2080 is overkill and baring in mind Clive and George have much more experience than me when it comes to flow in planted tanks, but for me I'll be just using 2217s.

 

[ceg4048]

Hi,
Well, yes, it's not that you can't be successful with lower flow. It's not what I meant to imply. You'll probably do fine with what you've got planned. It's that you margin of error is so much wider with higher flow. Eheim are the worst offenders of optimistic filter ratings. Their filters rarely if ever deliver more than 50-60% of their throughput rating - and that's using their media set with the base of the filter placed at typical locations such as a meter or so form the water's surface. It also doesn't matter how you arrange the media within the canister, whether the pads are at the top or bottom. It just seems like they use underpowered motors. I guess that contributes to their lower noise, lower vibration and to the lower power consumption ratings.

Cheers,

 

[Vase]

Apparently the Eheim does 1700lph for tanks up to 1200l and the Tetratec 1200 does 1200lph for tanks up to 500l.

I could get two Tetratecs with media for the price of one 2080 without media but would two of them do the job?

 

[sks]

Another option is if you want a lot of flow cheaply is to put in powerheads with sponge attachments. The powerheads will give you more flow for your money since they won't have to go through all the resistance of tubing etc. . . .

You could get your 2 tetratecs and if flow is not enough use one of these:

www.ultimateaquatics.co.uk/acatalog/copy_of_Hydor_Koralia_Pumps.html

I'd make sure it can't suck up shrimp and small fish etc . . .

 

[TDI-line]

I think as long as you have a decent filter each end you will be ok.