Diatom filter for treating external parasites?

Brew12

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understood. Tank application specific.
I can't imagine the amount of work it would take to keep one of these running in a healthy aquarium continuously. I'll stick to having a beer next to the tank.
 

saltyfilmfolks

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I can't imagine the amount of work it would take to keep one of these running in a healthy aquarium continuously. I'll stick to having a beer next to the tank.
its like cleaning a canister filter I imagine.
folks complain about it but i'm usually done cleaning it before they're done complaining about it.
 

Brew12

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its like cleaning a canister filter I imagine.
folks complain about it but i'm usually done cleaning it before they're done complaining about it.
Nothing like it unless you pack your canister filter with mud.

There is nothing magic about these filters. You just run water (or oil or beer) through a very fine dirt that mechanically removes very small particles. When flow gets clogged enough to reduce flow below what you want, you have to scrape it out, hose it out, and refill it with new dirt. It's not the cleaning that is so bad, it is just how often you have to do it and how much dirt you burn through if not used on a very clean system.
If you have a lot of micro algae, plankton, or other floaties in your water it will clog very quickly since it will catch everything!
 

Paul B

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You can run them continuously but you would have to change the powder often. Every day or every hour depending on how much you are filtering. I would not run an old one continuously if I were not home unless you have your home insurance paid up as I would be afraid the thing would go on fire. They do have a thermal cut out but the thing can fry eggs before that cuts out. I would only use it while I was home and only for a few hours at a time. If you turn it off, don't restart it without changing the powder because while it is running the powder coats the bag. Before it coats the entire bag much of the powder goes through some of the pores in the bag and it takes a while for the filter to work 100%. Maybe 15 minutes or so. When you shut it off, the powder falls off the bag and again, a lot of it goes right through the bag and back into the tank so keep it running until you are ready to remove it. If you must stop and start it in your tank. Connect one hose into the other and you need to do that underwater. I have a smaller piece of ridged tubing that I use for the coupling. That is also how I start the filter. I fill it with powder and salt water, then connect the tubes together and let it run until the jar clears meaning all the powder is coating the bag. Then while working with my hands under water, I uncouple the hoses and put a strainer on the intake hose. I use spring clamps to keep the hoses under water while I do this. It takes a little practice but if you charge the filter like the instructions read, you will get powder in your tank (which is not the end of the world as the running filter will remove it)
 

Paul B

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This is an old school way of doing things and most people today won't like it because there are no electronics involved. It doesn't talk to you and you can't operate it from your phone, it doesn't text and you can't take a picture with it or get a wireless one. It just works and works well, although it rusts unlike I phones.
 

Brew12

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This is an old school way of doing things and most people today won't like it because there are no electronics involved. It doesn't talk to you and you can't operate it from your phone, it doesn't text and you can't take a picture with it or get a wireless one. It just works and works well, although it rusts unlike I phones.
Connect it to an Apex. Program the outlet to If Time = anything than OFF.
Now you have an automatic digitally controlled diatomic earth filter that will not cause any problems at all. ;)
 

Paul B

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If any of my fish saw that, they would croak. :eek:
 

saltyfilmfolks

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This is an old school way of doing things and most people today won't like it because there are no electronics involved.
and they'd have to work.or put down the phone.o_O

I wasn't implying I wanted to replace QT, which I would not, just an extra piece of preventive measure.
so its not a full time thing, just one part of good overall maintenance and husbandry.
 

Stylo328

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I am in the process of upgrading my tank. I have a decision to make on going fallow and keeping two tanks running for 75 days, or moving the fish over during the swap and adding a DE filter.

I had an ick/velvet/fluke outbreak over a year ago that took out 60-70% of my fish population. There were 7 survivors, including three tangs. I have since added a few wrasses, mystery, possum, melanurus, etc... with no sign of ick, but I'm sure it's still in the tank... I know I need to dose with prazipro for some internal parasites (white stringy poop) but I can do that in the "old" tank before moving the fish over.

I found a vendor who sells new Vortex XL filters shipped with the mag drive upgrade installed.

Would really appreciate your thoughts.
 

melypr1985

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I know I need to dose with prazipro for some internal parasites (white stringy poop)

Actually Metroplex in the food would be much better for intestinal worms (white stringy poop). So, Metroplex + Focus in the food, once a day. Make sure they all eat it as it spreads when they eat an infected fish's poop- yuk. This may take 2 weeks or so since some strains can be notoriously difficult to completely get rid of. It will work, but it can take time.
 

MickeyCT

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My opinion, if there is any doubt at all then run two tanks and go fallow for 75 days. You will always be better off with irradication rather than disease management.

What vendor did you find? I may be interested since I'm not sure the Nu-clear filter I bought will work for this. Though none of the participants in this thread have commented either way.
 

Stylo328

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My opinion, if there is any doubt at all then run two tanks and go fallow for 75 days. You will always be better off with irradication rather than disease management.

What vendor did you find? I may be interested since I'm not sure the Nu-clear filter I bought will work for this. Though none of the participants in this thread have commented either way.

Check out seller j_radue on eBay. It's a new Vortex XL with the retrofit for under $200.00 shipped. Seems like a smoking deal. Four available...
 

Stylo328

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Actually Metroplex in the food would be much better for intestinal worms (white stringy poop). So, Metroplex + Focus in the food, once a day. Make sure they all eat it as it spreads when they eat an infected fish's poop- yuk. This may take 2 weeks or so since some strains can be notoriously difficult to completely get rid of. It will work, but it can take time.

This has worked so well. Thank you very much! After two weeks, no more stringy white poop. I am going to keep feeding the medicated food as I have about a week or two's worth of prepared frozen left.

I'm also planning on ordering the Vortex XL from the eBay seller. I moved the fish over to the new tank (they didn't give me much choice). While I made some additions and they seem to be doing well, I want to give them every opportunity to be healthy.
 

melypr1985

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This has worked so well. Thank you very much! After two weeks, no more stringy white poop. I am going to keep feeding the medicated food as I have about a week or two's worth of prepared frozen left.

I'm also planning on ordering the Vortex XL from the eBay seller. I moved the fish over to the new tank (they didn't give me much choice). While I made some additions and they seem to be doing well, I want to give them every opportunity to be healthy.

I'm so glad!
 

Stylo328

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As planned, I ordered the filter from the eBay seller with the mag drive upgrade. The instructions are not great and any online videos don't really detail the "assembly" part. I had some leaking from the lid and it took a few tries before getting it seated properly. I've finally figured it out and now have it running in the stand with both the intake and return in the sump. I'm thinking it would better to run the intake and return in the display, but am looking for your thoughts.

Thanks in advance.
 

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I also ordered mine from the same eBay seller but through his website. Mine is connected to the display tank but I have problems with regular micro bubbles being spewed into the tank. When I used to use these back in the 80s and 90s, that meant that it was plugged. In the documentation it indicates an air leak. I am curious if other people have had this problem and what the solution was. This unit works under significant negative pressure and even mentions cavitation bubbles in the documentation. Coincidently, I lost two fish while running with regular micro bubble production and promptly took the unit offline until I get it to run bubble-free. They were stuck to pump intakes, breathing but almost in a drunken stupor. It reminded me of nitrogen narcosis in scuba diving.

My only concern about using this for ich, which is my motivation and current usage, is that the unit appears to becomes plugged far sooner than one might need to run continuously for any length of time. Still optimistic about its usage but need to resolve bubble production problem first. Any bubble help?
 

radicaltour

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I had the same issue and got a reply from Jeff (the eBay seller), who's very courteous and helpful.
"You will get powder in the tank occasionally when you charge the filter. It is not great for the fish, but it will not harm them.
I have used diatom filters for years. Apply some silicone lubricant to the jar o-ring the next time you change powder.
That should reduce the bubbles, or make sure your suction hose connections are tight."

I applied some silicone lubricant around the o-ring but I'm still seeing bubbles every few minutes.
The bubbles don't bother me since it's in the sump and the baffles reduce them dramatically by the time it reaches the return pump.
 
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