8/20/15
Hi Don, thanks for getting back to me about my order. After looking at all the good reviews and good things I’m hearing about you I thought I would ask some help on the project I going to use the Biohome Ultimate in.
I’m changing my sump on my 120 gal. fresh water tank. I included some photos of new and old. I plan on using some of the old media, which is plastic to seed the new. Now I’m wondering do I use it in the trickle part or sump or both? Then again should I order more?
I am really sold on Biohome since looking around for new media and I have used the Pondgugu’s round media in a canister filter on a 40 gal. tank that I have and it is great.
Any suggestions would be great. Sorry for going on so long.
Best regards.
Tom Finn
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Tom,
Looking at the information on your Aqua-Link ADP 2010 Wet/Dry Filter it appears the bio chamber is 10″x10″x10″. That works out to be 1,000 cu in which would hold about 12 kg of Ultimate.
That’s probably going overboard a bit. I’d think 4-6 kg would be sufficient. I’d place it in the bio-chamber, where the green stuff is in the photo.
Even that might be more than you need. 2 or 3 might be enough. All depends on your fish load and feeding level.
I’m a little concerned about the mechanical filtration. If you’re using the Pre-Filter Box as shown in the photo, it looks like they are counting on a single layer of 20 ppi foam to filter out all of the solids. May be sufficient. Looks like it would be easy to clean frequently which would probably be a good idea.
You might consider adding a couple of layers of Fine Foam under that piece of foam. They didn’t give the dimensions of that Box so I’m not sure if you could get two layers out of one of my 12″x12″ pieces or not.
Hope this helps. Have a great week, and…
Happy Fish Keeping,
A few days later I heard from Tom again.
8/24/15
Hi Don I just got my second order. Thank’s for the quick turn around.
Yep this is for my new filter. My new filter is smaller in size than my DIY, but with your new media I’m sure it will be able to at least double the load of the old one.
I had one more question, should I put the Biohome in bags or just loose on the lower tray? Do I put any Biohome in the drip part?
Thanks for all your help.
Regards.
Tom Finn
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Tom,
I don’t see any need to put the media in a media bag unless it makes it more convenient to service. For instance if you wanted to remove it periodically to clean the sump or flush the media.
Then it might be more convenient if it were in a bag. Otherwise, I don’t think it’s going anywhere so you could just lay it in loose.
It’s sort of up to you whether you split it between the media chamber and the wet/dry chamber. I’m not sure if one location or the other would be more effective.
Certainly if you had enough you could do that. As I recall the media chamber would hold quite a bit and the lower chamber would probably hold even more. You might want to experiment to see which works the best, but my guess is it won’t make much difference.
Glad it got there so quickly. Have a great week, and…
Happy Fish Keeping,
Later that day I received pictures of Tom’s sump filter.
Just one more thing. For my prefilter which you said might need a little more. I’m using your fine foam that I just got in the filter like the photos.
What do you think?
Thanks again.
Tom
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Tom,
I was thinking of putting a couple layers under the larger foam block. But, if there is not enough to do that , your way looks fine.
I really have no idea how much debris you’re seeing so you won’t know for sure how it works until you try it. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.
Happy Fish Keeping,
After about a month I got another report. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out so well with Tom’s sump.
9/16/15
Hi Don I thought I would give you an update. I got my wet dry filter up and running, but not satisfied with it. It’s too much to
worry about when I’m not here, overflowing and changing filters etc.
So I got a SunSun canister filter with the UV and all. I ordered more Biohome and wanted to get the foam filters but they are back ordered.
I keep watching Richard’s utube video of upgrading your canister filter and I did on my 30 gal. and it’s been great!
I have pics of the wet dry set up if you want to see them. Anyway waiting to get the new filter and Biohome and some foam when you get it in.
Talk to you later.
Tom Finn
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Tom,
Thanks for the feedback. Yes, please send me some pictures when you get a chance, maybe include your new SunSun too. We’ll put ’em up on your Customer’s Page.
Good luck with the SunSun, and…
Happy Fish Keeping,
And so, the next day I received Tom’s pictures of his ill fated wet-dry filter.
9/17/15
Hey Don here are some pics of the wet dry set up. I’ll send the SunSun ones when I get it.
By the way did my order ship yet?
Thanks.
Tom Finn
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Tom,
Thanks for the photos. I’ll try to get them up on your Customer’s Page today. To bad that didn’t work out. Looks pretty cool. Quite a variety of media in there.
Your shipment has shipped. You should have received an email from me with the tracking info. Here it is again.
So now we wait to see how his SunSun works out. Stay tuned, and…
Happy Fish Keeping!
9/28/15
And here it is:
Hi Don thought I would send you a few pictures of my new filter setup. I’m using SunSun’s course filter for now until you get yours in stock.
The setup is according to Richard the Pond Guru. I’ll keep you posted on how it is going.
Thanks again for all your help.
9/29/15
The following day Tom, sent me some pictures of the first tank he converted to Biohome media in an API Filstar filter.
Hi Don here is some pictures of the first tank I converted with your foam and Biohome.
It’s a 30 gal. flatback tropical. I just cleaned the filter today. It’s been going for about a month.
The tank looks great and everybody is happy in it.
So far so good. Numbers are all good!
The SunSun also looks good. I think it was a good move for me. Lot less worries.
11/4/15
Just got an update from Tom. Looks like his Sunsun with the Biohome Media is doing a great job.
Hi Don just thought I would send you a update of my SunSun and Biohome set up.
It’s over a month now and everything is GREAT!
I can’t believe it when i switched filters. It never missed a beat. Nitrite-0 Nitrate-0. I added more fish and so far so good.
That Biohome and your sponge filters are great. And that goes for my 30 gal tropical too!
Thanks again for all you help. And here are a few pics.
