Aquaclear 150 too big for a 10 gallon?

[Computer Prog]

I have been using a Whisper Jr sized power filter on my 10 gallon for
at least 10 years now. The filter has never failed me but the media
does not seem to last more than a few weeks and it is expensive to
replace. In addition, this old Whisper does NOT have a plastic cover
over the top of the filter and the filter media area and I've seen my
Pleco hanging out on the water fall area a few times, actually half
out of the tank! I really need a filter that has some sort of cover
over the top of the filter.

I wanted to try something new, and I was considering the Aquaclear
150. Is this filter too strong for a 10 gallon? I've heard that
weaker fish can get sucked into the intake pipe. I currently have 4
neon tetras, 2 clown loaches, 2 guppies, and a pleco.

[TYNK 7]

>Subject: Aquaclear 150 too big for a 10 gallon?
>From: (Computer Prog)
>Date: 2/18/2004 8:59 AM Central Standard Time
>Message-id: >
>
>I have been using a Whisper Jr sized power filter on my 10 gallon for
>at least 10 years now. The filter has never failed me but the media
>does not seem to last more than a few weeks and it is expensive to
>replace. In addition, this old Whisper does NOT have a plastic cover
>over the top of the filter and the filter media area and I've seen my
>Pleco hanging out on the water fall area a few times, actually half
>out of the tank! I really need a filter that has some sort of cover
>over the top of the filter.
>
>I wanted to try something new, and I was considering the Aquaclear
>150. Is this filter too strong for a 10 gallon? I've heard that
>weaker fish can get sucked into the intake pipe. I currently have 4
>neon tetras, 2 clown loaches, 2 guppies, and a pleco.
>

What do you mean that the filter pad doesn't last more than a few weeks?
Do you mean it's getting full of gunk and then you're tossing it out?
What you should be doing is cleaing it out in some old tank water and then
putting it right back on the plastic frame and back into the filter housing.
Do this till it's basically fallind apart...then you purchase a new one.

You say this is a 10g tank and you have 2 Clown Loaches and a Pleco in it?
Both species grow too large for a 10g...especially if your Pleco is the common
type. They get too large for a 29g!

[Rick]

"Computer Prog" > wrote in message
om...
> I have been using a Whisper Jr sized power filter on my 10 gallon for
> at least 10 years now. The filter has never failed me but the media
> does not seem to last more than a few weeks and it is expensive to
> replace. In addition, this old Whisper does NOT have a plastic cover
> over the top of the filter and the filter media area and I've seen my
> Pleco hanging out on the water fall area a few times, actually half
> out of the tank! I really need a filter that has some sort of cover
> over the top of the filter.
>
> I wanted to try something new, and I was considering the Aquaclear
> 150. Is this filter too strong for a 10 gallon? I've heard that
> weaker fish can get sucked into the intake pipe. I currently have 4
> neon tetras, 2 clown loaches, 2 guppies, and a pleco.


I have used 150's on my 10's in the past with no trouble. If you find the
fish having trouble staying away from the strainer you can add a piece of
filter foam over the intake.

Rick

[MartinOsirus]

>> I wanted to try something new, and I was considering the Aquaclear
>> 150. Is this filter too strong for a 10 gallon?

a 150 is just fine for a 10 gallon. I wouldn't use anything smaller. Just use
sponges and they will last a long time. Rinse out in discarded tank water every
2-4 weeks and thats it!

[RedForeman ©®]

"Rick" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Computer Prog" > wrote in message
> om...
> > I have been using a Whisper Jr sized power filter on my 10 gallon for
> > at least 10 years now. The filter has never failed me but the media
> > does not seem to last more than a few weeks and it is expensive to
> > replace. In addition, this old Whisper does NOT have a plastic cover
> > over the top of the filter and the filter media area and I've seen my
> > Pleco hanging out on the water fall area a few times, actually half
> > out of the tank! I really need a filter that has some sort of cover
> > over the top of the filter.
> >
> > I wanted to try something new, and I was considering the Aquaclear
> > 150. Is this filter too strong for a 10 gallon? I've heard that
> > weaker fish can get sucked into the intake pipe. I currently have 4
> > neon tetras, 2 clown loaches, 2 guppies, and a pleco.
>
>
> I have used 150's on my 10's in the past with no trouble. If you find the
> fish having trouble staying away from the strainer you can add a piece of
> filter foam over the intake.
>
> Rick

Can you lift the uptake tube a bit to slow the rate?? some you can, some you
can't....

--
RedForeman ©®
....Red (head hung low) Foreman

[Computer Prog]

I mean the pad gets dirty and some water starts overflowing near the
intake tube and it bypasses the filter. I've tried to clean and
re-use the pads, but they do not seem to clean very well.


I just picked up a new AQ 150 during my lunch hours. It looks like
when you shift the intake tube to slow down the pump flow it will
producess less suction from the intake. That would help prevent
sucking up my Neons.

One thing that already noticed, the intake tube was very difficult to
mount on the filter. I had to push it pretty hard to get it to snap
onto the filter housing. I also had to pull it pretty hard to get the
intake tube back off the filter housing. When I got the tube off I
noticed that I scratched up the intake tube and I CRACKED the filter
housing. In this regard the Whisper power filter is built worlds
better than this AQ 150. The translucent AQ 150 plastic is super thin
and the intake tube mounting mechanism is really, really bad. I am
going to return this AQ 150 on the way home tonight and pick up
another, but I have a feeling that the next AQ 150 will just crack
over time when I remove the intake tube for periodic cleaning. The
Whisper intake tube just lifts right out with no effort, no
scratching, and no damage.


> What do you mean that the filter pad doesn't last more than a few weeks?
> Do you mean it's getting full of gunk and then you're tossing it out?
> What you should be doing is cleaing it out in some old tank water and then
> putting it right back on the plastic frame and back into the filter housing.
> Do this till it's basically fallind apart...then you purchase a new one.

[Rick]

"Computer Prog" > wrote in message
om...
> I mean the pad gets dirty and some water starts overflowing near the
> intake tube and it bypasses the filter. I've tried to clean and
> re-use the pads, but they do not seem to clean very well.
>
>
> I just picked up a new AQ 150 during my lunch hours. It looks like
> when you shift the intake tube to slow down the pump flow it will
> producess less suction from the intake. That would help prevent
> sucking up my Neons.
>
> One thing that already noticed, the intake tube was very difficult to
> mount on the filter. I had to push it pretty hard to get it to snap
> onto the filter housing. I also had to pull it pretty hard to get the
> intake tube back off the filter housing. When I got the tube off I
> noticed that I scratched up the intake tube and I CRACKED the filter
> housing. In this regard the Whisper power filter is built worlds
> better than this AQ 150. The translucent AQ 150 plastic is super thin
> and the intake tube mounting mechanism is really, really bad. I am
> going to return this AQ 150 on the way home tonight and pick up
> another, but I have a feeling that the next AQ 150 will just crack
> over time when I remove the intake tube for periodic cleaning. The
> Whisper intake tube just lifts right out with no effort, no
> scratching, and no damage.
>
when you remove the intake tube, first take the strainer off and them simply
pull the top portion straight up, replace it in reverse. There should be no
real force required and no cracking involved, and now having said that I can
tell you that I broke a piece of housing off my Aqua Clear a couple of years
back before ya kinda get the hang of it.

Rick

[TYNK 7]

Snipped

>Subject: Re: Aquaclear 150 too big for a 10 gallon?
>From: (Computer Prog)
>Date: 2/18/2004 12:41 PM Central Standard Time
>Message-id: >

>I mean the pad gets dirty and some water starts overflowing near the
>intake tube and it bypasses the filter. I've tried to clean and
>re-use the pads, but they do not seem to clean very well.

Now I'm going to ask why they're getting so filthy so quickly....
Is it possible that you're over feeeding?
Are you doing proper water changes and vacuuming?

[Computer Prog]

I feed twice a day and the food is gone in less than 5 minutes. I turn
off the filter while feeding. I do a gravel vac 30% water change 2-3
times a month. If I look under the tank with the hood ligt on I do not
see much dirt under the tank gravel.


TYNK 7 wrote:

> Now I'm going to ask why they're getting so filthy so quickly....
> Is it possible that you're over feeeding?
> Are you doing proper water changes and vacuuming?

[Computer Prog]

Now that I am running the AC 150 I can see that there is a lot more
current in the tank. I see plastic plants waving in the wind and my 3
Neons seem to get caught in the current a lot. My 2 fan tail guppies
seem to seek out the current and they play in it. Can this current cause
the Neons to stress out and get sick?

[TYNK 7]

>Subject: Re: Aquaclear 150 too big for a 10 gallon?
>From: Computer Prog
>Date: 2/19/2004 9:51 PM Central Standard Time
>Message-id: >
>
>I feed twice a day and the food is gone in less than 5 minutes. I turn
>off the filter while feeding. I do a gravel vac 30% water change 2-3
>times a month. If I look under the tank with the hood ligt on I do not
>see much dirt under the tank gravel.

How about changing to weekly water changes (about 20%) and 1-2 monthly gravel
vacuuming.



>
>
>TYNK 7 wrote:
>
>> Now I'm going to ask why they're getting so filthy so quickly....
>> Is it possible that you're over feeeding?
>> Are you doing proper water changes and vacuuming?

[NetMax]

"Computer Prog" > wrote in message
...
> Now that I am running the AC 150 I can see that there is a lot more
> current in the tank. I see plastic plants waving in the wind and my 3
> Neons seem to get caught in the current a lot. My 2 fan tail guppies
> seem to seek out the current and they play in it. Can this current
cause
> the Neons to stress out and get sick?

For any tank set-up and with any filter, you want to provide a variety of
environments which include more turbulent water (exercise time) and
calmer waters (for sleeping). Typically, decorations, driftwood, rocks
and plants are used to break up the flow, to create some quieter zones.
For smaller tanks, you sometimes need to dial the filter back to a lower
setting.

NetMax

[Computer Prog]

About 50% of the tank is pretty much current free. The right side of the
tank where the filter sits is turbulent but the entire left side looks to be
very calm. It looks as though the Neons have adjusted and all seems to be
ok.



NetMax wrote:

> "Computer Prog" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Now that I am running the AC 150 I can see that there is a lot more
> > current in the tank. I see plastic plants waving in the wind and my 3
> > Neons seem to get caught in the current a lot. My 2 fan tail guppies
> > seem to seek out the current and they play in it. Can this current
> cause
> > the Neons to stress out and get sick?
>
> For any tank set-up and with any filter, you want to provide a variety of
> environments which include more turbulent water (exercise time) and
> calmer waters (for sleeping). Typically, decorations, driftwood, rocks
> and plants are used to break up the flow, to create some quieter zones.
> For smaller tanks, you sometimes need to dial the filter back to a lower
> setting.
>
> NetMax