Hobby needs help!!

[aries7]

Have been setting this 55gal. tank up for about three months now and I have tried every filter system that there is almost in those three months and they all had there problems! I am still looking for a system that works well and am about ready to try the Rainbow Lifegard! I have spent hours on the internet looking for fittings that were small and compact and would do what I needed! Also can anyone out there tell me why you can't buy flexible hose that is really flexible, that clear plastic hose will move your tank before it will do what you want it to! One more thing before I get off my soapbox, why can't you find a background that will stick to your backglass? I have some decals of birds that I bought to stick to my windows so the birds outside would not fly into them and kill themselves, anyway these decals are made of a soft like plastic and they adhere to the window all by themselves and you don't need a mile of scotch tape to hold them in place and they peel right off if need be! Duh has anyone ever thought of using this same material to make backgrounds for tanks? Anyway I think you get my drift, doesn't seem like much thought has went into the equipment and accessories for this hobby!

 

[mr . salty]

I have a self adhesive vinyl on the back of both of my tanks and had no problems getting it to stick. Looks and works great,maybe you should try painting the back if you cant get the vinyl to work.As for bending the hoses,the point is to keep them as straight as possible. Sharp or multiple bends slow water flow and cause air bubbles to get trapped.This may be the source of your trouble here.What exactaly are your complaints with these filters that your not happy with??Maybe instead of spending more money on equiptment,we can figure out why these are giving you grief.STEVE

 

[aries7]

Mr. Salty, where did you get that self adhesive backing? As far as the filters go I have a TidePool now and its noisy where the water dumps into it and you have to keep tank topped off every day or your sump drops to where the pump is sucking air, just seems like you have to constantly adjust pumps and flow on it! Its not a system that you could leave unattended for a few days! With two Mag7 pumps in the sump the thing hums like bunch of bees! One pump is for the tank and the other is for protein skimmer! This is just a few of the things that I don't care for with this system and as for all the others I don't have the space here to tell you! Would be great to actually get together with a bunch of you and talk about all of this and the problems new people have just coming into the hobby!! Thanks for asking!!

 

[wrassefan]

I would use a canister filter with a sand filter inline for the biological and a skimmer. Different technology than the wet/dry filter's but still very effective. Not noisy either. Also, if you use a glass canopy, you can cut out exactly the slots you need in the back to minimize the evaporation. I only top off once every 2 weeks, which is almost time for a water change anyway.

 

[mr . salty]

The backing I use is at my LFS. It comes on a big roll and he cuts off for the length of the tank. Ask your guy about it. Also my tank is evaporating almost a gallon every day now that I have my heaters on and the air is getting dry.(Michigan winter is coming) As for the water noise,Does your tidepool have a bio wheel that the water dumpe onto??? STEVE

 

[aries7]

Yes the TidePool's Syphon from tank dumps on a bio-wheel, this is where most of the noise is at! I even put a gate valve at this point in order to adjust the out put, by doing this I can adjust the valve and stop the noise caused at the syphon box and don't havwe to use the trick with the three air lines if you remember that post? My lfs has backing in rolls like you referred to but it is not self adhesive! Could you get the name of the manufacturer for me? I have searched the internet and have never found anything that is self-adhesive!!

 

[mr . salty]

I wonder if a spray on adhesive would work. I'm sure it would,but would probably polute the tank and kill the fish. How about paint?? It's easy, quick, and looks just as good as vinyl.As for the sump noise,if you put a filter sock over the end of the input hose to stop the splash before it hits the wheel. Just another thought.STEVE