|
|
Post by marcusbacus on Dec 9, 2004 8:57:39 GMT -5
I think that my Whisper 20 filter is a bit too strong for the tank (19G), and it is messing up with the plants every few hours. I am trying to figure an effective way to reduce the filter flow without reducing the filter activity.
I was told to raise the water level until it almost reaches the filter output (some even recommended me to cover it with water), to minimize the effects and turbulence caused by the "waterfall" created by the filter. I did that until a level I think is safe (I don't want to fill my tank to the border!), and it has reduced a little of the flow but not enough.
I have a spare Whisper mini filter, and I was planning to use its biobag , it might help a bit if I can place it in there, plus I will have double filtering this way... Another thought was to use or bioballs or in a more simple way to use some moist towel paper on top of the output, enough to let the water come by but enough to reduce the flow.
Any more suggestions?
|
|
|
|
Post by twoluvcats on Dec 9, 2004 9:38:14 GMT -5
i use a big bushy fake plant right underneath the outflow to absorb some of the turbulence. It helps a bit...and with everything you've already done, it may help a lot.
|
|
|
|
Post by marcusbacus on Dec 9, 2004 11:43:23 GMT -5
I thought about adding something to the tube of the filter (inside it), but it could mess up its mechanical filtering. I added the other filter bag behind the original bag and it seems that it if not fixed at least helped a bit. The flow still seems a bit strong, the amount of water coming out of the filter seems to be the same but it is coming out more smoothly.
As the filter works and gets clogged with stuff, I think that the water flow will be smaller but it will still take some time, and this is what I need - time to make the roots of the plants to grow and get fixed properly.
|
|
|
|
Post by amanichen on Dec 9, 2004 12:55:57 GMT -5
The problem with reducing the flow rate in most filters it that the motors rely on a steady flow of water for cooling. In some filters you can reduce the flow, without adversely affecting the temperature of the coils in the motor.
Other than that, there's not much more mechanical stress on the parts -- they're dead simple with one moving part.
Hagen aquaclears have a nifty solution to this. To maintain the actual flow rate THROUGH the pump, the aquaclears recirculate some of the water that's still in the filter according to how you position the intake tube. You can go from no recirculation to (I think) 50% recirculation.
You could replicate this, by drilling a few holes in the intake tube of your filter, below the waterline inside the filter. Of course this would be a pretty permanent solution, but it would be one way to do it.
I'm not saying you should do this, but it's an option.
|
|
|
|
Post by Jenova on Dec 9, 2004 13:22:25 GMT -5
I found this link a while ago. It has details of how you can modify your filter without altering the flow. Maybe it can work for the Whisper too. |
|
|
|
Post by twoluvcats on Dec 9, 2004 13:59:41 GMT -5
that's a GREAT idea!
|
|
|
|
Post by marcusbacus on Dec 9, 2004 15:02:21 GMT -5
I think by adding the extra filter pad the intake of the filter is still the same (I have always tried to fix this in the outtake rather than the intake), but it has somehow decreased the output flow a bit. After 3 hours, plants are still in place. Visually, it seems that there is no significant change in the small waterfall coming from the filter but you can see how the plants near the in/out are more still, although with some movement. What puzzled me the most was the filter flow control, which has nearly no effect.
I thought about making some holes in the tube at first, but the Whisper has some kind of an "extension" in the intake tube (as they call it "the Wonder tube"), and it has lots of holes already, almost in its entire length.
|
|
:
