Eclipse 12 filter causeing high ammonia?

[RockinAR]

I have an Eclipse 12 and I have come to the conclusion that the mechanical filter builds up grime fast (seems to work good though) and causes my ammonia to shoot up. I am still testing this theory and will have my results in the AM. My question is, has anyone ever rigged their tank so it can have mechanical filtration without all the hoses and junk? My tank has a pretty clean look that I like and I don't want skimmers/pumps/hoses hanging on it or coming out of it. I have about 15# of LR and live sand bed. I can put carbon in the filter tray (with foam cut off) no problem but just am looking for a way to rig the mechanical filter tray so I can get mechanical filtration without having to buy new filters every week.

[OscarBeast]

Obviously you have not researched nano setups. Most of us don’t have any mechanical filtration at all. And there is no reason that it would create an ammonia spike, unless you are putting tons upon tons of food that is getting caught on it and you don’t have enough of a cycle. They are guilty of causing elevated nitrate levels in the tank though.

 

Many of those hoses and pumps are just for creating water flow, not really filtration. Many people only use water changes and LR and LS to filter/clean the water. Others have a skimmer added to the other things for filtration.

 

So to answer your question, most of us have just rigged out tanks to run without mechanical filtration. There is no need to run carbon either. People that do run carbon usually only do so occasionally.

 

Many people that use the eclipse systems just pull everything out and use it for current.

[RockinAR]

NEVEMIND! I am a mechanical genius and I think I made a solution. I just cut off all the blue filter material off of the plastic filter skeleton, dumped the old carbon out, then put the plastic skeleton back in place. Then I took a Bic pen cut it down to size where I could wedge it between the walls up near where the water enters the filter area(think of the trash compactor scene in the original Star Wars where Princess Leah wedged the metal pipe in the walls to keep from being compacted). I then took a wad of filter fiber and stuffed it in front of the pen (the pen keeps the fiber from being pushed backwards in the box and forces all water entering the filter box area to go through it). I then dropped some carbon in the tray where it originally goes.....and WHALA!!! Mechanical and chemical filtration at 1/50th the cost and much easier to replace.

 

Now it just cost about .10 for a new filter. I could probably find this floss at fabric stores even cheaper. It looks like the same stuff used to stuff cheap pillows and comforters.

[OscarBeast]

Actually none is cheaper.

[RockinAR]

Originally posted by OscarBeast

Obviously you have not researched nano setups.  Most of us don’t have any mechanical filtration at all

 

I do have a mechanical filter, and I do think they cause higher ammonia levels due to buildup of various kinds in small immature tanks like mine. I don't have but one shrimp in my tank that I don't even feed so overfeeding is not the problem. I think various floating particles and pods from the LR or whatever start to build up on the filter pads, and being the tank is so small and not matured it affects ammonia levels when all the water flows over this dead debris built up un the filter pads. This sounds completely logical to me. So I have two choices. I can get rid of the mechanical filtration and put up with any floating particles (maybe later after the tank matures), or I can can have mechanical filtration and keep it to a minimum. Untill my tank matures more I will chose to have mechanical filtration.

[chvynva916]

Here's a related question.

 

What do you think about removing the mechanical and chemical filtration after I have had them in for months (changed the filters every week, relax). I have been wanting to get rid of my whole penguin setup in my eclipse and replace it with a skimmer. What do you think? I have heard removing the bio-wheel could cause a small cycle. I have a large lr to gallon ratio (9 lbs for 5 gal), and I was hoping this might keep the cycle down.

[OscarBeast]

chvynva916,

You may not even notice if you remove your mechanical filtration at this point. LR does a much better job of biologically filtering your water, and you have plenty. There will be a small shift in the bacteria and it might cause somewhat of a cycle, but I really doubt it will me much of a problem. Your LR should be well colonized with bacteria and their population will increase very rapidly when the media and bio-wheel are removed. As long as you don't have any die-off still going on, there really should be no problems at all.

 

If you do it, just test your water and be ready to do water changes. It never hurts to be ready.

 

RockinAR,

I see that you have mechanical filtration...

And yes that happens, but you are supposed to have a large enough colony of bacteria to break down any ammonia produced into nitrite. Then you should have another colony of bacteria that breaks the nitrite down into nitrate. If you have a fully cycled aquarium with LR and LS, they will also break the nitrate down. The pads and bio-wheels leave a lot of the nitrate free floating in the water though. That is why they are not desired in a reef tank.

 

Untill my tank matures more I will chose to have mechanical filtration.

 

There really are no floating particles that would be detrimental to water clarity in a mature tank, even without mechanical filtration. I am a little lost as to why if you think that it increases ammonia, that you are still running it. I do hope you realize that having no ammonia and no nitrite and very little nitrate is ideal for a reef tank.

 

I will tell you that if you have any ammonia in the tank that it are way too soon to add any life. That poor shrimp is probably suffering. You need to do a lot more research before you continue.

 

Here are a few good sites related to reef aquariums:

www.nano-reef.com (of course)

www.reefaquariumguide.com

www.reefcentral.com

www.reefland.com

www.reefs.org

www.thereeftank.com

 

 

Good luck with your tank.

[leslr]

Theres another simple solution.

"CLEAN" your filter daily!!!

Just Take out the filter rince it in clean water and put it back in."SIMPLE". No matter what you put in for a filtering material you will still have to clean/change it. Do this daily till you tank is fully established and then use as you feel as required to keep the water clear. If you are so busy you can't spare a couple of minutes a day to do this ,then there is not to much more to be said. As for the pods etc that get caught up in the pad, I just used a knife and cut out the cornor of the pad so any pods have a way of getting back out to the tank. In my old eclipse6 every morning I would open the lid and chase them all out back to the tank. They used it as their personnal cafeteria.

leslr.

[BCOrchidGuy]

small immature tanks like mine

 

 

Did you just answer your own question/problem? Hove immature is this tank with the ammonia problem?

 

Even carbon and filter floss supply some bio filtration, unless you are changing your filter media so often as to not have a biological cycle established your filter wouldn't be a source of ammonia nitrate yes but ammonia no.

 

The other thing to consider is that your live rock was NOT cured or some more goodies died since you got it

[Catspa]

ok, don't mean to flog a dead horse here, but just wanted to add my 2 cents:

 

Mechanical filtration - is not needed, some don't like it, but in IMO its nice to have it as an option, as i find it comes in handy sometimes, for lots of reasons... by accident dump a load of food in, got some cat hair swimming about, want to remove some meds or phosphate..(coal or phospahte remover)..etc..

 

For Eclips systems - i just cut some regualr 1" thick filter foam to the size of the tray, and your all set... then i just through in a media filter bag on top of it (if you want) and filled with whatever i want - ie char. coal. phosphate remover...etc...

 

Reguarding the Skimmer - again for a nano, they are absolutely not necessary, and are a big waste of money (for a nano). If you are maintaining your system correctly ie regular water changes, there are no practical benefits from a skimmer. (p.s. there not a replacement for water changes) - There is one exceptions, where a skimmer on a nano can come in handy - and thats for use with, or getting rid of sertain medications - such as Kent's Rx*P Paracite med.

 

Lastly for a Eclips system - i'd leave well enough alone - i'd leave the wheel in, i'd replace the stock filter with simple peice of filter foam - and let it go - if you start experienceing Strange readings such as Amonia spikes..etc.. then this suggest that you are doing something else wrong, feeding to much at a time, adding fish to quickly, not do adequate water changes..etc.. you can remove the filter, and the wheel and be fine also - it just changes the dinamics of the resting state of the system... its just personal preference, and what works best for you.

 

ok, enough procrastination for me, back to my paper....

[Korbin]

I quit reading after like the 5th post. But I just wanted to add that I run the filter floss in my eclipse 12 with no nitrate problems.