Filstar XP@

Just installed new Filstar XP2. Works great, so far.
They give you a choice on the spray bar attachment or power jet. Question is, which creates more (less) water movement?

 

My guess is the spray bar is less movement. I don't think I got a power jet with mine. I actually have removed the spray bar, and just let the water come out of the tube, with the tube set high enough that it creates agitation at the water's surface. You will really like that filter. I've had mine at least 2 years, and am completely satisfied with their performance.

 

Gunnie
Great thought about removing the spray bar. Am going to try it this AM.
One of the reasons I got the canister, is get clearer water. My semI cloudy water has now escalated into full blown green water. Apparently Rena doesn't have media to get rid of my green water. What media do you use in your XP?

 

Green water sounds like an algae bloom.  Once your filter is running and is full of bacteria, you may have to do a blackout with the tank for a few days.  I use the stars, bio balls and ceramic rings for bio media.  The bio balls are pretty cheap (I think I got 20 of them for $1.00) and they work just as good.  You can buy any ceramic rings for your filter.  Your media doesn't have to be the filstar brand.

Also, the foam pads are pricey and washable. I bought extras, and when I clean one of my filters, I replace the pads with clean ones, and simply throw the dirty ones in the washer and wash in hot water with no detergent. My washer is a front loader though, so this might make a difference. I also wash whites with bleach as the next load in the washer, as the pads leave a certain smell in the washer.

 

Gunnie
Just took a sample of my water, and it isn’t green in the test tube. Just looks green because of the plants in the tank, I guess. Just plain old cloudy water. I did a 10% water change and gravel cleaning day before yesterday. (it was cloudy then, worse today).
Just did my weekly tests, pH 6.4, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, and Nitrate 80. I suppose I better do another water change today. Any suggestions on how much of a change? Gravel cleaning too?
The instruction manual on the XP is a little abbreviated, confusing. My XP2 came with 2-20 ppI foams & 2-30 ppI foams in the bottom compartment.
Second compartment for the Bio Chem Zorb.
Above that, Micro Filtration Pad.
You use Stars, Rings, and Bio Balls (what are they?). What compartments do you put these in?
I read in another post to put the plants into another tank. Also suggested using Diatom Powder. What do you think?
Sorry for all the questions. I have three LPS in the area. Get different answers everywhere I go. I’ve been fighting this cloudy tank for 9 months. Not overstocked nor overfed. 42 gal tall hex that refuses to completely “un-cloud”. I’ll give you a **** of a deal on a 42 gal hex!

 

Are you also still runnin your HOB filter along with the canister? If not, you may need to. Also what substrate are you using? Did you rinse it well before adding it to the tank? Your nitrate is high. Test your water straight out of the tap for nitrates. You may have use a dechlor that also helps with the nitrates like amquel plus (make sure you get the +) kind but don't buy any until you know if this is where your nitrates are coming from. We need to find out if you have something in the tank causing the high nitrates, or if it is in the tap water first.

For the XP, put the 30 ppI foams in the bottom of the bottom compartment, then the divider, then the 20 ppI foams on top of that. This is all 1 basket. In the second basket, I'd just fill it all up with bio media.

This sounds interesting, and the price is right

Another interesting item and very inexpensive

Cheap ceramic rings, and they even come in a media bag!

Bio Chem Stars made for the filstars. Keep in mind you will need 2 boxes to fill your basket.

Rena's ceramic rings. I think they are the same as the cheap ones.

The bio balls. I think the solid ones would be fine.

Coralife's bio balls. Interesting.

Nano balls. I've not seen these before.

Eheim Ehfisubstrat. More than enough for your filter.

This will give you an idea of what's available. There are a lot more out there, but they were more expensive. My recommendation would be to fill your second basket with 1 or a combination of media listed above. Save the BioChem Zorb for when your parameters get out of whack, and put your divider over the media. Then place your microfiltration pad on top of that, and put the basket in the filter.

I don't understand why they would suggest moving the plants. I would not move them. I would not buy any diatom powder either. Just keep in mind that they need sales to stay open, but IMO, less additives to the tank the better. I will doublecheck with Butterfly on that.

With angels and discus in the tank, you must be doing a great job keeping the water quality perfect, so don't give up! We'll get it straightened out!

 

Gunnie
Still running my hob (emporor 280). Have gravel which was rinsed/soaked/ to the point it almost lost it's color. Not a dust problem, I am sure. Nitrates spiked within the last couple of weeks. Had it down to 40, then jumped. Nitrates out of the tap started at close to zero, then the last time I checked had increased to 40. Have been treating tap water with Amquel Plus and letting it airate for 24 hours. No dead fish or plants in the tank.
I'll leave the plants in the tank and do a water change. How much should I change and how often til I get the nitrates back under control? Clean gravel also, or let it stabalize?
Picked up some chem stars at the local LPS. All they had, no rings or bio balls. Will order them if I can't find them at other LPS.

 

It sounds like your tap water is the main problem. Chickadee has this problem from time to time. Continue with using the amquel plus and definitely vacuum at least half the gravel with each water change. Assuming your tank is cycled, water changes don't hurt anything no matter how often you do them. Since you have discus, go ahead and do a larger water change if you can (50%) and see if vacuuming that gravel (half) helps get that nitrate level down. The chem stars will work just fine. You don't have to have a combination of media. The chem stars are just not the cheapest way to go. I started out with just the chem stars and then added the ceramic rings later. When I got another filstar, I used some bio balls in it. Hang in there. I'll also have Chickadee chime in on this one.

 

Yes the nitrate problem sounds oh so familiar to me. Our ground water picks up nitrates at times during the year and comes out of the tap with at least a 40 and sometimes as high as 80. I usually get very good results from the Amquel+ and use some Stress Coat just to help the slime coats a bit but that is not a necessity. It won't do any good to do massive water changes for the nitrates unless you are using the boughten type of spring water (that is if the tap water is high nitrate). You need to test the tap water for nitrates without treating it for chlorine or anything else, just like it comes out of the tap. If the water is over 10 in nitrates that way then you need to use the Amquel+ and let it set for a while to cure a bit before adding to the aquarium (I know it says it is instant, but I have had better luck letting it sit for a few minutes). I also use about double what it calls for because of the extra high levels of nitrate.

I will have to say though that during the summer, while the irrigations season is on that the nitrates are higher and the best way I have found is to use about 25% bottled spring water in my tanks. The expense is not as high as one would think and while I do this, my tank only needs a once a week cleaning of about 25% so there is really not that much of it needed. It really sounds like your problem is coming right out of the tap water and I do hope that the Amquel+ can control it but if not the only other thing I have had luck with is to mix in partial changes with the spring water (not distilled or drinking water - spring water)(the other two kinds are unstable in aquariums)

If you need any more help where it comes to diminishing the nitrates using spring water, let me know as it isn't as hard as it sounds. Hope this helps.

Rose

 

Thank you both for your help. No question the nitrates are high and coming out of the tap. Will give the spring water a shot. I have been letting the tap water/ amquel+ stand for 24 hours. Is it necessary for the tap water to stabalize and de clorinate for 24 hours?
Will the high nitrates cause the Green Water? Or do I have another problem too? When I took a sample of the tank water this morning in a test vial, it looked a little cloudy, but no green. Just now finished a water change, and I have white buckets full of "greeeeen water...................." Is it time to feed the fish to the cat, and let my wife use the tank as a Planter?

 

For the green water I agree with gunnies first comment ..... algae bloom. You can buy filter floss, for like $2- a bag. stick it in you hob filter and if its an algae bloom in 2-3 days your water will be clear. I use it in my all my tanks. its a lot finer and picks up everything your filter misses. Brian

 

Will give the spring water a shot.  I have been letting the tap water/ amquel+ stand for 24 hours.  Is it necessary for the tap water to stabalize and de clorinate for 24 hours?

  Is it time to feed the fish to the cat, and let my wife use the tank as a Planter?

I don't think it's necessary to let the water sit for 24 hours. You can add dechlor to tap water as it's going back in the tank. That's what I do when cleaning my tanks because I use a python. Be careful with your ph when using spring water. It may be different than your tap. If there's more than a .2 difference between the 2, you will have to mix the spring water with the tap and/or do smaller and more frequent water changes. PH changes can shock your fish or kill them so be careful!

 

Also If I remember correctly the HOB you were using is not turning the ammount of gph you need for that tank. Have 280gph- need 420gph. Part of the bacteria bloom could be the new filter catching up with your tanks needs. As btate617 said you can stuff the HOB with floss. but make sure it's just plain floss. no perfumes or flame retardant. Also don't remove the filter media currently in it add the floss to it. The green water won't hurt your fish, in fact they probably like it
Please don't take your plants out of your tank. You need them to soak up the nitrates. The more plants the better.
If your fish are healthy and happy I wouldn't change their water from tap to something else. Minipulating the ph is just asking for trouble.
Gunnie: When he quits using the HOB and uses just the canister can another bacteria bloom be expected as the canister catches up to what both filters were doing? Does a canister filter have a gph reading?
Carol

 

I think the gph for an XP2 is 300. He might have a small spike or might not. I guess it all just depends on how much bacteria he has established. I wouldn't think there would be a bacterial bloom if the tank was already cycled when he added the canister. He hasn't added anymore fish, but then, he might. Wannabe, are you going to eventually remove that HOB?

 

With the 42 G theoretically he needs 420gph maybe leaving the HOB would be a good thing?

 

Good Afternoon All
This started as a Filstar question, and turned into a can of worms. (Bet my fish would like some of those right now)
Brian- checked the three LPS this morning, and do you think I could find just one filter floss? No way. I'll order one on line that might fit my Emperor 280.
Gunnie- Did a 30% water change yesterday, and I can now see the other side of the tank. Will do another 25% today. Did a nitrate check this morning directly out of the tap, zero nitrates. The city must have had a tough day yesterday. Must have been irragating or something Rose. I think I will skip the spring water today. Will check levels of the water I put in today. Plants are staying in the tank. If this clears up, I will probably leave well enough alone with the HOB filter. All in all, the fish look happy. Hopefully this is a one time problem. I have three other tanks, none of which have had problems. Cloudy water once in a while, but nothing like this. Again, thanks for all your help. My wife thanks you too, at least I am chewing your ears off, not hers.

 

You can get floss at walmarts in the fabric section just make sure it doesn't have any perfumes or flame retardant. I think I paid $3.50 for the last huge bag. this is what most aquarist do when they need floss
Glad things are looking up
Carol

 

Carol
Do they call it "floss"? You can tell I am a guy, and I can't believe I have ever been in the fabric section of any store in my whole life.

 

Heres some pics maybe they will help explain what your looking for
Just ask some one who works there if you can't find it, its for stuffing pillows and quilts. It's really the same stuff sold in fish stores for a much higher price
Carol

 

Now I know what the fiber floss is. I have a Emperor 280. I can cut the fiber to fit the extra blank carterage which I use currently for charcol. Get rid of the carcoal, and fill it with fiber floss. Where would I put it in my canister? I don't know what kind of filter system you use Carol. Mine is, guess what, a Filstar XP2!!! As I have previously mentioned in this thread, the Filstar instruction manual, is, how should I say it, rather scetchy on what goes where. If I can figure out where to put it in the canister, should I put the floss in a media bag, or "el naturale"? Does the the fiber break up and fall apart? Last thing I need is to have fiber floss floating around my Green Water.

 

I don't know anything about canisters so can't advise you there. I would just put it in the HOB. The floss is fluffy and just pulls out by the hand fulls. If the green water is really bad you may have to change it about once a day at first but it will get rid of it fast.
Carol

 

Thanks Carol. I'll give it a shot.