Maintaining Old Reef tank with Diatom Filter.

[Paul B]

Doing a little maintenance with a diatom filter. Sucking out some Cyano and general tidying up. Using a reverse UG filter requires that I do this occasionally so nothing clogs. This is the beginning. In a minute or two, you can't see anything in the tank but the copperband loves it and looks forward to this.

I don't know how people run tanks without a diatom filter. It boggles my mind and it doesn't take much to boggle it.

 

[ScottR]

Your CBB is not shutter shy.

 

[brandon429]

We run them just by cleaning the beds, the direct analog to what you are doing above. A bed sitting directly on glass functions well if you just clean it thoroughly as often as you can muster to break free of the societal constraints that have said and written not to.

My whole reef weighs fifteen pounds full running, so cleaning is easy. If I had a one thousand pound reef I’d do the diatom filter agreed. Same ends

 

[Wings317]

i see you are blowing it, but how are you sucking it out? i am trying to learn more as i seem to always have a diatom bloom(brownish algae) on my sand and acrylic face.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ahhh yes, the good old diatom unit. Is it the XXL model.
How are you getting the powder? Havent seen it advertised in Years !!

 

[ScottR]

Ahhh yes, the good old diatom unit. Is it the XXL model.
How are you getting the powder? Havent seen it advertised in Years !!

@Dr. Dendrostein uses this I believe. Had a thread on it once.

 

[crusso1993]

One can still but then original diatom filter brand new. Many people are not aware these are even still around. I bought a couple in the late 80's. When I sold off most of my stuff in 2003-4, they were still running well. Rusty but running!

Aquarium Filter | Vortex Innerspace Products Inc.

 

[bar|none]

I didn't even know such a thing existed. Is the filter hooked up just temporarily or is it something permanent?

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

I made a diy DE filter. On 24/7. Love it

Here good link

Diatom Filters, by Dr. Adrian Lawler

Dr. Lawler provides a strong recommendation for the regular use of diatom filters. This article is a must-read for the serious aquarist looking for the best filter technique to use in fish keeping.

web.archive.org

Filter Housing is 4.5 x 20" cartridge. For 48 gallon DT. Heavy feeding

 

[Paul B]

Your CBB is not shutter shy.

That copperband is not shy at all unless I threaten to quarantine him.

i see you are blowing it, but how are you sucking it out? i am trying to learn more as i seem to always have a diatom bloom(brownish algae) on my sand and acrylic face.

It is sucking out as fast as it is blowing (obviousely.) I let it run for a couple of hours.

Ahhh yes, the good old diatom unit. Is it the XXL model.
How are you getting the powder? Havent seen it advertised in Years !!

It is not the XXL model but I have about 5 diatoms, including the XL in various stages of decomposition. I use swimming pool diatom powder as it is very cheap.
Bar I None, it is a temporary canister filter that is not used permanently or it would clog. I added that long rigid tube which is slightly squished on the end to make it into a power washer.

 

[Wings317]

Where is the sucking part. I dont see it.

 

[Paul B]

The Sucking part is on the left side of the tank. Just make believe it is there, because if it was not there, the water would be all over the floor in my new workshop/Man cave and I frown on that.
It's just a hose with a screen on it so I don't suck in any pipefish or flounders.

The next video I will just film the Sucking part. But be warned, that will be a very boring video. ;Wideyed

 

[Billdogg]

I'm right there with you Paul. I cannot imagine NOT having a diatom filter. Although I only use it a couple times a year, there really isn't anything better when it's "deep clean" time. I, too, have a few Vortex XL's in various condition in a box in the fish room. You can even find the diatom powder at HD/Lowes now. The3 last bag I bought was in the late '90s - a #40 bag if I recall. I'm down to just a year or two's worth left so I guess I'll have to go shopping for more soon enough.

 

[Paul B]

I get it on Amazon in 3.6 lb bags which will last me for years.

 

[VR28man]

I am thinking of getting one. However, I’m worried that if I use it, all kinds of detritus that’s in my tank will quickly plug it up. so I might need to filter out a lot of junk before I can even use the diatom filter. LOL

 

[Paul B]

It will not clog that quickly, detritus is kind of porous. Just use it until it clogs and dump out the powder and use it again. Unless you have a swimming pool filled with bullhead catfish eating cat food, it will be fine

 

[VR28man]

Hah! Well, then, I confidently just bought the last D-1 in the LFS.

Said LFS is last of the old time big LFS's - like 1000 gallons of FW and SW loaded with everything you could possibly keep in a home aquarium (especially FW) - as well as plenty of things you probably shouldn't - and loads of dry goods from every low-to-mid price vendor you could think of. Oddly enough, someone else was looking at the D-1 too, and was thinking of buying it - I'm sure the only Monday, in decades, in any LFS in the whole world, where two people pondered buying a Vortex filter retail.

Oddly, I also remember Vortex's ads in my dad's 1980s TFHs. It looks like the packaging hasn't changed either. (the website at least is more modern - it looks like it was made in the 90s). Good times.

Anyway, looking forward to trying this.

Though, per the following article, I may get cellulose powder off of amazon or somesuch and use that. DE itself kinda freaks me out; especially since there are no good places nearby me where i could load it without reasonable chance of people walking by. (it looks like I should wear a face mask when using it?)

What Is A Diatom Filter?

What is a Diatom filter? It is a Micron filter that is mega-boosted by using Diatomaceous earth to further lower the Micron level at which particles removed from the media it's filtrating. You can ultimately achieve a 2 micron filtering...

www.fishlore.com

ETA: thinking of getting this. I think 9oz should last a while?:


Also:

Diatomaceous Earth, Perlite & Cellulose

DE pool filters use DE filter powder as the filter medium. But DE powder has a few downsides. Perlite and Cellulose fibers offer an alternative to DE powder.

blog.intheswim.com

 

[Paul B]

I never tried, or even heard of cellulose powder. But diatom powder in a pool store is very cheap. Don't buy it from Vortex.

 

[bluprntguy]

Seems like the Zeovit KZ Coral Snow (which is just super fine calcium carbonate powder dissolved into RODI water) tries to replicate this. It is basically a superfine powder that you put directly in the aquarium. It coats the inside of your filter sock and then helps trap the finer particles.