Hagen BioLife internal wet/dry filter?

[Dave]

Hi;

I was wondering whether anyone was using one of the Hagen Biolife
internal wet/dry filters in their planted tanks?

- thanks
Dave

[Paul Davies]

I have 2 Hagen(Fluval) BioLifes in my 100gall planted aquarium, having
replaced a Fluval 403 due to concerns about siphoning ( it can and does
happen!). At first I didn't know where the CO2 was going. I just couldn't
get above 10ppm. At the moment one is running normally and the other is
submerged, effectively deactivating the trickle section. I can get 20ppm
like this. As soon as I can, I'll be replacing these with regular Fluval
internal canister filters.

Paul Davies
"Dave" > wrote in message
om...
> (LeighMo) wrote in message
>...
> > >I was wondering whether anyone was using one of the Hagen Biolife
> > >internal wet/dry filters in their planted tanks?
> >
> > Is it going to be a CO2-injected tank? Wet/dry filters can dissipate a
lot of
> > CO2. I also don't like the idea of an internal filter. The Biolife (if
it's
> > the one I'm thinking of) is huge. Why have a big ugly filter in your
tank,
> > when you can have it outside and out of sight instead?
>
> I already have a Fluval 204 on my (heavily) planted 29g tank, but I've
> developed this paranoia about one of the hoses disconnecting. Silly,
> I know. Anyway, for that reason I've been musing about using an
> internal filter rather than a canister filter. Also, although I try
> to be disciplined about it, I think I'd maintain an internal filter
> more frequently than a canister filter. Having to (quick-)disconnect
> the hoses increases my afore-mentioned paranoia, and it's a pain to
> carry the contraption to the sink, etc.
>
> I had guessed that the Biolife probably wouldn't work out too well
> with a CO2-injected tank, but was wondering if any aquaria magicians
> here had worked out some kind of wonder with it.
>
> - D.

[Arrhae]

On 8/5/03 7:51 PM, in article
, "Dave" >
wrote:

> I had guessed that the Biolife probably wouldn't work out too well
> with a CO2-injected tank, but was wondering if any aquaria magicians
> here had worked out some kind of wonder with it.

I've gotten CO2 up to the mid-high 20s with one, I've been using that in my
plant tank for a year now, though only had CO2 running in the summers
because I was either apathetic or not there. It's cumbersome, the
replacement filter stuff's rather expensive (you can't really just cram any
sort of media in that you want, and it tends to break down a lot. I got it
in a Tropiquarium at a garage sale, so I've really not got much choice in
the way of filters, it's either that or a powerhead/quickfilter combo, and
I've already got one in there hooked up to the CO2 system.

The heater was busted, so I had to wire a new one in, the light timer didn't
work, so I had to pull it out and mess around with the wires and wire in a
switch that I had left over from replacing the regular tube with a power
compact over my nanoreef, else to turn the lights off at night by pulling
the cord out of the wall also killed the filter and the heater for the
night. And if you cut the power to the filter, the powerhead often doesn't
like to start working again for a day or two... The Eclipse system's better
with the light and the filter not being on the same plug, and having a
manual switch.

You *can* eliminate the wet/dry portion of the cycle, though, I think, as
only some water is redirected to the wet/dry part at any given time. If you
pull the redirection thingy off the powerhead, it just might work...or the
chamber'll fill up with air and make horrible noises, one of the two.

[Arrhae]

On 8/5/03 7:51 PM, in article
, "Dave" >
wrote:

> I had guessed that the Biolife probably wouldn't work out too well
> with a CO2-injected tank, but was wondering if any aquaria magicians
> here had worked out some kind of wonder with it.

I've gotten CO2 up to the mid-high 20s with one, I've been using that in my
plant tank for a year now, though only had CO2 running in the summers
because I was either apathetic or not there. It's cumbersome, the
replacement filter stuff's rather expensive (you can't really just cram any
sort of media in that you want, and it tends to break down a lot. I got it
in a Tropiquarium at a garage sale, so I've really not got much choice in
the way of filters, it's either that or a powerhead/quickfilter combo, and
I've already got one in there hooked up to the CO2 system.

The heater was busted, so I had to wire a new one in, the light timer didn't
work, so I had to pull it out and mess around with the wires and wire in a
switch that I had left over from replacing the regular tube with a power
compact over my nanoreef, else to turn the lights off at night by pulling
the cord out of the wall also killed the filter and the heater for the
night. And if you cut the power to the filter, the powerhead often doesn't
like to start working again for a day or two... The Eclipse system's better
with the light and the filter not being on the same plug, and having a
manual switch.

You *can* eliminate the wet/dry portion of the cycle, though, I think, as
only some water is redirected to the wet/dry part at any given time. If you
pull the redirection thingy off the powerhead, it just might work...or the
chamber'll fill up with air and make horrible noises, one of the two.