Path: utzoo!hoptoad!amdcad!decwrl!labrea!eos!ames!nrl-cmf!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!uwmcsd1!uwvax!speedy!farrens
From: farrens@speedy.cs.wisc.edu (Matthew Farrens)
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
Subject: Re: motor burnout on AquaClear filters?
Message-ID: <5558@spool.cs.wisc.edu>
Date: 11 Apr 88 22:48:07 GMT
References: <363@bacchus.DEC.COM> <26859@yale-celray.yale.UUCP>
Sender: news@spool.cs.wisc.edu
Reply-To: farrens@speedy.cs.wisc.edu (Matthew Farrens)
Organization: U of Wisconsin CS Dept
Lines: 48

In article <26859@yale-celray.yale.UUCP> Ram-Ashwin@cs.yale.edu (Ashwin Ram) writes:
>In article <363@bacchus.DEC.COM>, reid@decwrl (Brian Reid) writes:
>> I really like AquaClear power filters because they are so damn convenient and
>> I'm always in a hurry. But I get real tired of having the motors burn out
>> every time there is a 1-second power glitch. Has anybody else noticed this?
>
>It would be nice to have some discussion on good and bad power filters.  Could

We have two 39 gallon tanks, one with an undergravel filter with a power head
and the other one with two big AquaClear filters.  We have never had any
problem with motors burning out, although our oldest filter likes to stop
(sometimes 2-3 times daily, sometimes weeks without stopping).  Someone
mentioned them not doing as good a job of filtering, and this might be
possible - Originally we were only using one filter and we had a lot of fish
loss, but once we set up the second one our tank is absolutely crystal clear
and we have not lost a fish since (about 6 months now).  I don't know about the
filtering capabilities, but I like the sponge since it seems like it is a good
place for beneficial bacteria to grow.  It certainly does get brown and smelly
after a week or so!

	We also have some 10 gallon tanks, one with a (what the heck is it?
Not Whisper, nor AquaClear, RATS!  Drawn a blank) filter on it that I don't
like as well (there, that's really helpful, isn't it?).  This filter has an
insert (Maybe it's a PennPlax?) that is supposed to catch large stuff and a
carbon bag and a zeolite bag.  I am not convinced there is anywhere for the
bacteria to grow, and the insert is so porous that almost any and everything
gets through.  However, the fish in there have not expired, so something must
be working.  Anyway, I would very much like to hear about other setups.  I 
have only been doing this for about a year and would like to know if there are
better ways to do things.  We have our AquaClears in a tank with a sand bottom,
and it has become a fabulous tank since plants grow very well in the sand and
the combination of filters keeps the water so clean and clear.  The only
problem right now is with the sand washing due to all the water movement.  I
would like to hear more about these cannister filters - perhaps I should filter
both 39 gallon tanks with one filter?

	I really enjoy this news group and hope the content stays as friendly
and informative as it has been.

Matthew Farrens

P.S.  As for building ideas, we built a rack like at pet stores for our 6
10-gallon tanks.  Three tanks on each level with two levels, this allows a long
cheap 4-foot shop-light to be hung above each group of 3 tanks and one can play
with the lighting as one pleases.  We currently have one regular bulb and one
grow-light bulb in each of the two shop-lights.  Works really nicely - makes a
reasonably attractive wall.  (It winds up being about the size of a large
bookcase - about 6' by 6')