Kaz Posted February 5, 2006 Report Share Posted February 5, 2006 I recently purchased an Aqua One Windsor 88 all in one tank with the CF1200 filter. Since it was set up it's been drawing up sand, so I replaced the sand with gravel. My amonia and nitrite levels have been through the roof for a couple of months! The only thing keeping my fish alive lately is the water changes I've had to do every 2 days!!! I managed to get the telephone number of Aqua One and phoned them to see if I had set it up wrong, and this is how the guy told me it went: Bottom Tray - bio balls and course sponge Middle Tray - ceramic noodles and fine sponge Top Tray - anything that was left!!! The water being drawn through the filter doesn't seem to be getting filtered! The outlet tubes seem to be full of brown slime! I've cleaned them out but they end up the same after a few days. I've tried every combination on the filter, can anyone tell me where I'm going wrong???!!!!! PLEEEEEEASE! I have a wife with a hammer and she's not afraid to use it on my tank!!! lol Thanks in advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanksman Posted February 5, 2006 Report Share Posted February 5, 2006 So using the advice then what is left to go in the top tray. If its activated carbon chuck it out - it may be leaching posion into the water. Re sucking in sand - don't have the intake to close to the sand? Is it sucking in and pumping out of the correct connections? Is it pumping 1200 liters an hour (roughly) With these filters they have tubes / holes through each basket which should all line up with each other and also must line up with the connection from the inlet side of the motor housing. each basket tube / hole should have a rubber grommet on top of these tubes, to aid in ensuring the water is sucked into the bottom of the filter before rising back up through the media in the baskets. Definitely clean the hoses often - Curtain wire is useful with a small bit of rag used as a pullthrough. I have 4 CF700's and they are excellent - deathly silent and troublefree - unlike my fluval pita. EDIT: I also wonder what sponges you are using and if these are original. If they are new are they food grade and non toxic? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaz Posted February 5, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2006 So using the advice then what is left to go in the top tray. If its activated carbon chuck it out - it may be leaching posion into the water. The poypads are left to go in the top one! The black sponge was carbon (found out after 2 months! no instructions with the filter!) which was removed. I also have a blue coarser sponge which is still in the filter Re sucking in sand - don't have the intake to close to the sand? The hose was about 6 inches from the sand but the sand is now removed and I have gravel in the tank Is it sucking in and pumping out of the correct connections? Is it pumping 1200 liters an hour (roughly) Yes it's sucking in and pumping out of the correct connections! With these filters they have tubes / holes through each basket which should all line up with each other and also must line up with the connection from the inlet side of the motor housing. each basket tube / hole should have a rubber grommet on top of these tubes, to aid in ensuring the water is sucked into the bottom of the filter before rising back up through the media in the baskets. Everything is lined up as it should be! I have now resorted to putting a piece of hose down through the filter to see if this will help I also wonder what sponges you are using and if these are original. If they are new are they food grade and non toxic? The sponges that are in use are the ones I got with the filter. The polypads have been replaced about 4 times because they are going black within a day or two of being put into the filter. Anybody got any suggestions where I'm going wrong or IF I'm going wrong somewhere :-? My next step is to call the Company and try to get someone out to look at it incase it's a faulty unit..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monaro1 Posted February 5, 2006 Report Share Posted February 5, 2006 i also have a few of the via aqua with no probs at all(aqua one) in the 1200 i have bio balls on the bottom ceramic noodels in the middel and the sponges on the top do you have something else in the tank that could hold your levels up, have you removed all filter contance of your other filter if you dont have it running Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaz Posted February 5, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2006 Thanks I'll give that a try Do you put the blue AND the black sponges in the top or just the blue one with the polypad? I've been told the black sponge is a carbon one. How do you hold the bioballs down without emptying the filter or do you empty the filter first because I don't want to lose the water in it? The tank is brand new, just set up in October so there hasn't been any other filter in it. I have another 4' x 2' x 18" tank with an undergravel filter and power filter and haven't had any problems with that. That tank has been running for the past 3 years or so. I only need to do a water change on that one about once a week, but with the Windsor 88 it's every couple of days!! I've tried ammolock, filteraid, stress zyme, and any other potion that's on the market here in Britain!! The only thing I can think of now is that the filter is faulty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted February 5, 2006 Report Share Posted February 5, 2006 Ammolock will stuff up your test readings. I htink they will read higher if I remember correctly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaz Posted February 5, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2006 I know it does but I've left it for 2 weeks before taking another reading and they are just the same. I'm doing 1/3 water changes every couple of days and they are still sky high! I've tried real plants as well but it's just the same!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Discusguru Posted February 5, 2006 Report Share Posted February 5, 2006 What and how many fish have you got in there ? How often and what are you feeding them . What is the reading of the ammonia? ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaz Posted February 5, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2006 I have 6 discus around 3 inches shoal of neon tetras around 20 - 25 6 cory catfish 2 bristlenose plecs The amonia reading is at 2ppm (mg/L) and that's after doing a 1/3 water change I'm feeding between 2-4 bloodworm per day and a small pinch of flakes later in the evening. Everything is being eaten within about 2-3 minutes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Discusguru Posted February 6, 2006 Report Share Posted February 6, 2006 you probably load up your tank before it is fully cycled. I don't think it's the fault of the filter. It doesn't matter what you put in which tray it should still work. Not a lot you can do now apart from daily waterchange and wait for the tank to cycle. Make sure your PH is below 7 (slightly acidic) ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Discusguru Posted February 6, 2006 Report Share Posted February 6, 2006 or you can move the fish to your other tank and let this tank cycle that is depending on what fish you have in the other tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanksman Posted February 6, 2006 Report Share Posted February 6, 2006 Yes I agree with the guru. Probly too many fish in there before cycling complete. However I like the tank - is it like this http://www.aquariumsdelivered.co.uk/cat ... 042253fc9f Everything is lined up as it should be! I have now resorted to putting a piece of hose down through the filter to see if this will help This may work so long as it doesn't choke the flow too much. Re the poly pads in the top - chuck em out. You only need one big sponge right on the bottom to filter out the big particles so they don't clog the media (the prefilter) The more you have in the filter the less it will pump through it. Do you put the blue AND the black sponges in the top or just the blue one with the polypad? I've been told the black sponge is a carbon one. How do you hold the bioballs down without emptying the filter or do you empty the filter first because I don't want to lose the water in it? I doubt wether there is such a thing as a carbon sponge - If it is it will not be a sponge rather a rocky hard material. As I said above the main sponge needs to be on the bottom of the bottom basket - the prefilter - If you have other sponges you can use them to help hold the bioballs down but this is not essential. The main thing is the filter needs a chance to operate without constant cleaning / opening so that the bacteria can culture it - Maybe it just needs some peace and quiet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monaro1 Posted February 6, 2006 Report Share Posted February 6, 2006 tanksman the black sponge is a carbon one. most new filters come with one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanksman Posted February 6, 2006 Report Share Posted February 6, 2006 Re carbon sponge - thats news to me Monaro in the 1200 i have bio balls on the bottom ceramic noodels in the middel and the sponges on the top What stops all the crap in the water from clogging the bioballs and the noodles? The water is drawn in from the bottom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monaro1 Posted February 6, 2006 Report Share Posted February 6, 2006 re carbon sponge; go to your LFS and open a fluval 1,2,3,or 4 and have a look.you can also buy replacement ones. the flow on my filters never slowes and they only get cleaned out twice a year. once a month for the internals,have one on every tank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanksman Posted February 6, 2006 Report Share Posted February 6, 2006 Oh OK - Actually I have just bought two fluval 404's - no mention of carbon sponges in them - They have bags of activated carbon in the baskets but no carbon sponge - And the most important part of the Fluval's is the foam prefilter - it stops the media getting clogged and being less able to house biological filtering bacteria . Much the same as the aquaone CF series. EDIT: Thats a good point Monaro re having an internal Filter as well. It provides redundancy to the filtration system and gives more tank circulation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaz Posted February 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2006 you probably load up your tank before it is fully cycled. I don't think it's the fault of the filter. It doesn't matter what you put in which tray it should still work. Not a lot you can do now apart from daily waterchange and wait for the tank to cycle. Make sure your PH is below 7 (slightly acidic) ron I gave the tank 6 weeks to mature before putting any fish into it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaz Posted February 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2006 or you can move the fish to your other tank and let this tank cycle that is depending on what fish you have in the other tank. I have 7 silver sharks roughly 7 inches 3 clown loaches 4 albino catfish 2 cory catfish 2 redtail black sharks roughly 4 inches So there's no room in the other tank for them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Discusguru Posted February 6, 2006 Report Share Posted February 6, 2006 did you do a fishless cycle with pure ammonia. What did you put in the tankin the 6 wks to mature it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaz Posted February 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2006 However I like the tank - is it like this http://www.aquariumsdelivered.co.uk/cat ... 042253fc9f Yeah that's the tank, in beech. I'll enjoy it even better when the problems are sorted out. Thanks everyone for the advice, I'll work my way through them one by one and let you know when the problem is fixed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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