Newsgroups: rec.aquaria

In rec.aquaria, gt7969a@prism.gatech.EDU (DEPUY) writes:

    I am considering buying an Amirical SL250 wet/dry trickle filter from 
    Mail Order Pet Shop.  Is this a decent filter?

    I plan to use it with a 110 or 135 fresh water plant tank (hopefully for
    really low maintence and great water quality) and will probably change
    the tank over to salt water/reef in the future.

I have two Amiracle 150 trickle filters and have been very happy with
them.  They are set up for freshwater use. 

Some modifications that are useful:

If the prefilter uses DLS, you have an older model.  The newer ones 
come with a foam cylinder.  To keep the foam from clogging, get some
extra filter pad material (like white felt) and wrap the sponge in a 
single layer of it.  Have a couple of spare wrappers handy and change
it at least once a week.  You can soak the dirty ones in a 20% bleach 
solution to clean them.  This prevents detritus from collecting in the
foam and acting as an unnecessary source of nitrates.  It's also harder
to get the foam clean of leaves and gunk.

Get a piece of the black mesh used as DLS separator and put it under the
filter pad in the drip tray.  If the filter pad rests on the tray, the
water will only flow through the 3/16" area above each of the holes
and will clog immediately.  This also makes sure that the whole filter
plate gets an even flow of water.  Put a smaller piece of the mesh between 
the filter pad and the water inlet so that the inlet is not blocked.  

Don't get suckered into getting a submersible pump like an 802 powerhead
or a RS-500 powerhead.  They will cause trouble eventually.  Opt for 
an external pump.  You will have to drill the sump for a bulkhead fitting,
but it will be worth it.  All "real" trickle filters have outside pumps. 
{Boy, that ought to get a rise out of someone} 

If the filter comes with DLS, scrap it and get some kind of bio-ball 
type media.  DLS will clog in short order and become a major source of 
nitrates.  Even with prefilters and drip tray pads, some dirt gets to 
the biomedia and the bacteria grwoing in the biomedia die and slough off
eventually.  The other types of media will allow crud to flow through
to the bottom of the sump where they can be removed more easily. 

Don't forget to drill a hole in the water return tubes to the aquarium
just at water level.  This allows the siphon to break in that circuit
if the power goes out (by accident or for water changes) and then you
won't drain your tank back into the sump which will overflow onto your
carpet.  Make the hole at least 3/16" - algae may grow in it and "close"
it if it is too small. 

If you find that bubbles collect in the siphon tube from the skimmer to
the prefilter, you don't have enough water flow.  Our "150" requires about
350 gallons per hour to keep bubbles from "sticking".  If the "250" has
2 siphon tubes, you may need even more water flow.  BTW, powerhead type
pumps will have a difficult time generating this much flow. 

I made a wooden cover for the prefilter chamber to muffle the noise of
the water gurgling down the prefilter to filter hose.  Make sure it
is varnished so it is water proof or it will warp and/or collect mold. 

Since the sump level will change as water evaporates (the aquarium water
level will remain relatively constant), I made a little "guage" out of
white tape that goes on the outside of the sump and indicates the lowest
water level (where the pump starts sucking air - watch for the minature
whirlpools at the pump inlet) and 1 gallon increments up from there so I
now how much water to add.  Our 100 gallon covered tank loses 1/2 gal
per day; our 90 g open top tank loses 1 gal per day (low humidity area).

Good luck,

   George
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria