Ant Posted December 22, 2003 Share Posted December 22, 2003 Well ive decided to go for a cannister (small via aqua only $135) i dont know much about them. I want to know what is the best filter media and in what order in the canister?Anthony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted December 22, 2003 Share Posted December 22, 2003 The media that comes with the Via Aqua will be fine. I have used them a few times and they work very well. They will have an instruction card in the box telling you the best order in which to place the media. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ant Posted December 22, 2003 Author Share Posted December 22, 2003 Well is there anything i can use that is better i.e. Bioballs?Anthony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHL Posted December 23, 2003 Share Posted December 23, 2003 Bio Balls tend to be too big for all but the largest canister filters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mazimbwe Posted December 23, 2003 Share Posted December 23, 2003 hmmm...be very carefull about voiding your warranty by using media, other than that provided.Also, ensure that you wash the unit B4 you use it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHL Posted December 23, 2003 Share Posted December 23, 2003 hmmm...be very carefull about voiding your warranty by using media, other than that provided. I seriously doubt that is ever a problem; in fact I have had one shop substitue what they felt was superior to what was supplied, and they definitely stood behind the product. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mazimbwe Posted December 23, 2003 Share Posted December 23, 2003 in fact I have had one shop substitue what they felt was superior to what was supplied, and they definitely stood behind the product. Well, if you buy the Filter from a LFS and they sell/provide you with some other Media to use in that filter...they had better stand by it.However, if you are just putting your own Media into the Filter there is a good chance that you will void the warranty.Would you agree?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ant Posted December 23, 2003 Author Share Posted December 23, 2003 The care of my fish is more important than the warranty!!!!!! can someone please answer my question? i will probably use the media provided but perhaps this could provide ideas for others or even myself in the future.Anthony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mazimbwe Posted December 23, 2003 Share Posted December 23, 2003 Try reading the posts about AC's and the media for them.There are many good tips there that are just as usefull for any filter as they are for HOB.The real question Ant, is what job do you want the filter to do for you?Bio-FiltrationParticle-Filtrationor a combination of both.I would put the media that comes with the filter in the filter just like the instructions say. If you find it is not doing the job that you require of it...then think about changing it. Well that is my major suggestion.However, if ya really keen to spend your money?!Seacem(sp?) filter media are fantastic. And, IMO, you get what you pay for from their products. I have used the De-nitrite filter media(sort of like substrate-media) and their "Matrix Carbon" which is second-to-none...made the water coming out of my tanks, at water-change-time, look as fresh as the water going in.The way I used the media was to make a bag from some stockings and fill it enough to cover the area of the cannister I wanted to use for that media. Noodles, Substrate, Foam and Wool...in that order from bottom to top.Feel fed now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ant Posted December 23, 2003 Author Share Posted December 23, 2003 Tanks Maz that was in info i was after Anthony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noyd Posted December 24, 2003 Share Posted December 24, 2003 Hello allI've got a question also, what canister filter is best for a 3' tank? Preferably one of the ones at aquariumproducts.com.au, as they are good in price.Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHL Posted December 24, 2003 Share Posted December 24, 2003 The care of my fish is more important than the warranty!!!!!! can someone please answer my question? i will probably use the media provided but perhaps this could provide ideas for others or even myself in the future. I agree with what's been said; use the existing media. If you want more information, you need to provide more information, such as what media was supplied, what sort of tank, how much planting you have, is it the only filter and how 'dirty' is your fish, and what do you intend to do with your tank (eg show tank, breeding tank etc).If you have heavy planting, you don't want carbon in the filter, as it takes out trace elements vital for plant growth, and you'd probably end up with algae if you have enough light. Also you may not need as much biological filter if the fish isn't that dirty (goldfish are). There are also some balanced planted tanks that do not use particulate media; in fact the only purpose of the filter is to move water around for nutrient circulation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ant Posted December 24, 2003 Author Share Posted December 24, 2003 lol......just to quote myself to remind you all.....Well ive decided to go for a cannister (small via aqua only $135) i dont know much about them. Well what more information do you want? i have only been in the hobby for 6 months. I thaught that you need both (particle and Bio). It is a confusing issue as sponges were mentioned as particle filtration but they all build up good bacteria so whats the difference!!!! The difference as i see it is: Particle filtration- filters particles and takes care of the biological side of things & Bio Filtration- only takes care of the biological side of things only in a more efficient manner. Tell me if im wrong, right or other wise, this is the information that i would like Anthony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ant Posted December 25, 2003 Author Share Posted December 25, 2003 I do over react sometimes don't I Although 160 views and only 12 replies ...oops im doing it again Anthony : PS: I've eaten too much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHL Posted December 28, 2003 Share Posted December 28, 2003 Well what more information do you want? i have only been in the hobby for 6 months. I thaught that you need both (particle and Bio). It is a confusing issue as sponges were mentioned as particle filtration but they all build up good bacteria so whats the difference!!!! The difference as i see it is: Particle filtration- filters particles and takes care of the biological side of things & Bio Filtration- only takes care of the biological side of things only in a more efficient manner. Tell me if im wrong, right or other wise, this is the information that i would like As I said: such as what media was supplied, what sort of tank, how much planting you have, is it the only filter and how 'dirty' is your fish, and what do you intend to do with your tank (eg show tank, breeding tank etc). Sponges as you found out does both, but because they clog, and have to be either cleaned out or discarded, isn't very good long term biological media, as when you clean them, you lose some bacteria, and the finer particulate filters generally need to be discarded as it's too difficult to clean. Hence the need for biological media. But if you plant heavily, the plants take up ammonia (and nitrates), so they provide some filtration, so you may not need as much biological filtration, just water circulation, and perhaps particulate filtration. If you are just starting, don't worry too much about it, as long as it seems to be working; when you start getting into it, you'll know why I asked those questions, but they are more fine tuning rather than necessity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ant Posted December 28, 2003 Author Share Posted December 28, 2003 Thanks , i got the filter but i have to send it back. It is only running at about 1/4 compacity. I thaught it must be an air bubble or somthing in the canister, so i bled it, and it didn't solve the problem. I repeated it a couple of times but i've given up on it, i figure now that it must be the equipment and not me. Anthony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E4G13M4N Posted December 29, 2003 Share Posted December 29, 2003 What size tank were you trying to run it on Ant ?? Small via aquas are only suitable for tanks under 30" IMO not much flow rate anyway with the small ones.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ant Posted December 31, 2003 Author Share Posted December 31, 2003 Tank is ....5ftx18x18, i am running it with an internal filter as well so it should be ok i think. I got it working alot better now and im happy with it (still not shure what was wrong with it). Anthony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E4G13M4N Posted December 31, 2003 Share Posted December 31, 2003 Probably an air lock somewhere was slowing it down, i still personally would have gone 1 size larger mainly for the extra filter media.. Via aquas slow down a bit if you try and put too much media in them from my experience.. With the 2 filter combination you shouldnt have too many dramas though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHL Posted December 31, 2003 Share Posted December 31, 2003 For a 5' tank, I'd certainly go for a bigger canister than a "small Via Aqua" (or small anything for that matter). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ant Posted January 1, 2004 Author Share Posted January 1, 2004 ____Delete Please_____ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithy Posted January 2, 2004 Share Posted January 2, 2004 Hi fellas, I use a via aqua in a 20 gal back home in singapore. the smallest one too. I can't remember the model number. Its cheap and gets the job done, but it has a few shortcomings though. Thought i'd write them down here. 1. valves leak if not installed properly. the valve is held onto the cannister via "hook" like pieces of plastic and has an o-ring in it. if these "hook-like" pieces do not sit properly it will leak. Can't overtighten or undertighten. Overtightening will result in "hook-like" pieces coming loose. Fortunately, once installed properly, you won't have to worry about it leaking until you take the cannister apart again. Ran the filter for 1 half years. no problems with leaks so far. Once you get it up and running properly, that is. 2. pack filter media loosely or you will find that flow rates drop dramatically. 3. priming the filter is a real pain. 4. Immediately after priming, some air will get trapped in the cannister. shake the cannister a little. If there is air in there, you will hear a gurgling, followed by air bubbles in your tank. Hope my adventures with via aquas help in any way. cheers smithy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EcHo2134 Posted January 20, 2004 Share Posted January 20, 2004 I purchased my via aqua 750 (now aqua one cf1200) for an eheim pro 2026. Ended up buying three, then returned them all to get a trickle filter (for biological), and a eheim 2028 (for mechanical). the quality of the via wasn't up to my expectations (i've only ever used ehiem and fluval). the baskets didn't seal properly and the whole thing felt cheap (and it was) its good for the price u pay, can't complain. But i didn't expect it to last and have to buy 2-3 of them, considering i have had fluvals run for 15yrs (on its original impellor shaft), and ehiems for the last 6 with no problems. - Ernie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pipsqeek Posted January 20, 2004 Share Posted January 20, 2004 Just use the standard media. All you need is good surface area for a healthy promotion and a high count of bacteria. The more surface area, the better. Obviously bio balls would be great due to their large amount of surface area throughout the balls. But they are large and may take up a fair amount of space to be effective. I have used the standard media that has come with my Via Aqua 750, and haven't had any issues over the past two years with them. It's my Jagar heaters that are never going to be purchased again. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ant Posted January 20, 2004 Author Share Posted January 20, 2004 s'ok the filter came with miny bioballs, the medium seems to be sufficient and is working fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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