madcookie Posted June 5, 2005 Report Share Posted June 5, 2005 Hi there, have been browsing this forum for a while, just changing over from fishindex... Great to see so many people here in NZ who share my hobby!!! Oh yes, have noticed several people here take efforts to correct grammer-punctuation-spelling. Please, I am here to learn about fish, and hopefully impart whatever knowledge I have aquired to the newbies... I have just bought 14 tanks, 2 foot 78 litre and 3 foot 130 litre, from TradeMe. None of them have proper filter. (I Am of the belief that UGF's cause too many dramas when they become blocked - also prefer planter tanks....) I already have 6 biggish tanks with Cannister filters. I cannot afford 14 little cannister filters (funy that!), so figure next best thing is the older "Hang on Back" or external mounted power filters, aka Hagens Aquaclear or Tetra's Whisper filters. I have an Aquaclear 200 on a 60 liter guppy tank in my sons room, which has performed very well for a couple of years now - another tick in the book for Hagen as far as I am concerned. However, their Jansens and Hollywoodfishfarm prices are $54 to $56, they have a flowrate of 'upto' 757 L/hr. I was almost set to buy these untill I found the Whisper 40's on TradeMe at $40, they have a flowrate of 850 L/hr. Now to my question...if anyone can help out here it would be much appreciated.!! Has anyone heard of reliability problems with the Whispers? Impellors freeing or becoming noisy after just two weeks etc? And....can their chambers be filled with 'anything' just like the Aquaclears? ie, I prefer to use old cannister foam filter material wrapped around bioballs (etc) in the foilters I will be getting - value for money will be the name of the game here. Again, nice to be here - and if anyone can offer advice or answer my Q, then all the better. Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brianemone Posted June 6, 2005 Report Share Posted June 6, 2005 ive got a whisper filter that just wont start fullstop. its very annoying and i would like to blow it up but i dont have a back yard in which i can play with explosives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie extreme Posted June 6, 2005 Report Share Posted June 6, 2005 where do all these tanks going to be? in your house or garage? or in a seperate fish room? if so why don't you conect them all or at least most together and use one quality pump and filter. less breakdowns and cheaper in the longrun if not rightaway! ask some people like reef in the saltwater section as he has his import / quarantine setup this way. all the best. don't buy to cheap it will cost a lot more in the longrun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiverJohn Posted June 6, 2005 Report Share Posted June 6, 2005 Hi Mad I think cookie is right... If space layout etc... allows i woudl be inclined to look at setting up the whole lot on overflows ( search this forum or google for "Durso") from what i have read its pretty much the bee's-knees in how to get the water out of your tank! Run the whole lot into a large trickle filter , one (maybe two) good pumps you'll be sweet. For the trickle filter just use one of the tanks you have bought. Plenty of DIY plans on the net. I have the phone number of a guy who can drill tanks. Again as cookie said "cheaper in the longrun if not rightaway!" my $0.02. Good luck... John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve slack Posted June 6, 2005 Report Share Posted June 6, 2005 you could get alarge air pump and use air operated filters: sponge , box or u/g Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madcookie Posted June 8, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 Hey thanks everyone, all replies have been appreciated. the seller on TM has not bothered to respond to my request for a bulk buy of Whisper 40's, so I am off to get the tried-and-proven Aquaclears. They have new model numbers but the price hasnt changed...yipee. Am looking at just three filters this week - guess the other tanks will be growing plants huh. Yes I had considered running all tanks thru one water line, probably using one tank as a sump - not feasible due to the design of the stands, not having the equipment, and having a No Risk policy wrt leaking equipment. UGF's are a no-go for me - bad memories from the 80's incl Duran Duran, Wham, and Under Gravel Filters betting blocked. Rgds, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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