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Filter help


john1

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I have used one of these for the last 10yrs without any problems. The filter bags are getting harder to find but are still out there. Look for a white box / packet with Whisper Bio-Bag written on it. They come it 2 sizes: The Junior which would be too small for your tank, and Regular. You can get them as singles or in a box of 8 ($37.45 Jansens NZ).

The bags can be reused up to 10 times so buy a box of carbon since you only get a very small packet of carbon with each bag. Use the filter at full blast and when it starts to overflow near the inlet tube (normally after 2 weeks), rinse the muck off the bag and change the carbon.

They are quite, and most of the noise it creates is caused by vibrations. If this is a problem put some thin foam rubber under the places the filter contacts the tank.

Cheers Grant

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Thanks for the welcome Caryl

The box says that they are made by Tetra in the US so should be available across the ditch. The problem is that they are normally hidden away on some obscure shelf and apart from the faint red Whisper name there are no clues on the packaging. Look for the words Bio-Bag & Regular. The model I use is a Tiad 2000 but the packaging only lists it as a 2.

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Hi Pegasus & all,

You have a great site here.

I've been keeping fish on and off for most of my life but not very successfully. I have probably learnt more in the last couple of weeks scanning this forum then I had over all the previous years! The most luck I had was with a native tank which I kept going for 5yrs. Tropicals now though since we don't have enough streams to find natives here.

For the last couple of years I have had a lonely Pleco (or should it be Pl*co). Last weekend he was forced to make friends with 10 X-Ray Tetras, 2 Skunk Loaches (Botia horae), and 2 Siamese Algae Eaters. He took it remarkably well despite a 1.5cm Loach spending an hour trying to shift his 20 cm bulk. :D My tank now brings me images of a grumpy old man stuck in a kindergarten where the kids have had an overdose of Red Bull. It will do him good!

Anyway, thanks for the welcome and I hope I can help others as I have been helped over the last couple of weeks.

Cheers

Grant

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a belated welcome Grant as I rush out the door to work .... the fishes delayed me again :-)

Wow that was a lot of fish to introduce all at once. I suggest it may pay to moniter the ph and nitrate/nitrite levels for a wee while.

Good luck. Plecs are great aren't they????

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Hi Goldie.

Thanks for the welcome

Wow that was a lot of fish to introduce all at once. I suggest it may pay to moniter the ph and nitrate/nitrite levels for a wee while.

I know - scary. I have a smallish tank as well! I got 10 tetras since they were on special 10 for $18.95 and they need each others company. All the new fish are under 1.5cm so the total bulk isn't much. Its just that they are all over the place. At the moment the Skunk loaches are chasing and snapping at each others tail. Have to build a time out room :D

I plan to build a bigger tank for them in the next few months. Until this I am doing a 2x weekly 25% water changes and Ammonia and PH tests every 2nd day. Unfortunately forgot to pick up a Nitrate/Nitrite kit and can't get into town to buy one. Does anyone know of a good mail or online supplier?

The fish still look fine after a week and the water quality is good with the sight, feel, smell test. So I'm crossing my fingers

Cheers

Shilo

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Hi all

I asked here in oz at the boronia forum but still no answer. I try to put a photo of it on my site. Maybe someone will recognize it. But to begin with, it has a small compartment with the tube and the impeller. The bigger one seems to have a divider in it. Something is missing from that divider. Maybe someone who has this type of filter could explain how the thing should look like.

Many thanks

John

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Hi John,

First, take a look at http://www.petsmart.com/products/product_710.shtml to see if we are talking about the same filter.

The Whisper actually has 2 inserts in the large chamber. You should have a plastic frame with flaps on top of it. This is what the filter bag fits over. The flaps are held down over the bag opening by a clip. If you don't have this bit - don't worry since a spare is normally included in the box of filter bags. If you look at the sides of the large chamber you will see a slot down each side. This frame (with bag attached) fits into these slots.

The 2nd insert is like a hard plastic mesh with sides. This is for a sponge and slides down between the bio bag and the outlet ramp. The sponge isn't ment to be replaceable, and I haven't seen it sold in the shops yet.

If you are missing it, just use some filter wool instead since its purpose is for bacteria growth.

Hope this helps. The manufacturers site is not very informative but URL is: http://www.tetra-fish.com/aquarium/index.html

Cheers

Shilo

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Hi Shilo

Many thanks. You are the first person to give the right answer or at least point me in the right direction. Went to the first site (petsmart) and it looks like the Tetra Whisper Power Filter. The only thing is, I only have ONE slot. Now I can go to a LFS and ask for a Tetra cartridge or what ever it is called.

Thanks again, you are a marvel

John

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Hi again,

The only thing is, I only have ONE slot.

Yeap, thats right the sponge and mesh "cradle" doesn't slot into the chamber - just sits in front of the bio bag. Remember to just use normal filter wool (or nylon scouring pads) if you don't have the sponge and cradle.

Best to ask for Second Nature/Tetra Whisper Bio Bag in Regular size.

Cheers

Shilo

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