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Re: [APD] adding whirlpool prefilteration unit to the return



While it is a factor, micron size isn't the detrminate of how long a filter will allow water to pass. Many house filters are designed to be replaced every thousand gallons,; they're not designed to keeping flowing with a lot of muck collected in them. 
 
I belive there are some posts in the archives of ofolks trying home-filters and finding them reasonably well clogged after only a few days. They are cheap and worth a try if you're really interested -- and if one doesn't work well on your aquarium, you can also install it on the house tap. :-) Let us know how it turns out.
 
sh
 
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----- Original Message ----
From: "asligh at netzero_net" <asligh at netzero_net>
To: aquatic-plants at actwin_com
Sent: Saturday, December 31, 2005 4:21:57 PM
Subject: Re: [APD] adding whirlpool prefilteration unit to the return


The water filter can take a 20 micron pleated cartridge similiar to the ones that's used for Magnum, Lifeguard, and Ocean Clear. I wouldn't think that would clog as fast as the 5 micron cartridge and certainly not as fast as the 5 micron cartridges or the 2 micron carbon cartridge.

The reason why I became interested in this approach was because the filter is rather cheap; around $16.00.  There's another filter that's a step up from that one that goes for about $33.00. It has a clear canister and built in control valve. The Lifeguard mechanical filter runs in the mid $50s, so the prefilters seem like a bargain to me. Since both the prefilters can use pleated cartridges, then I assumed their performance would be similiar to that of the Lifeguard mechanical filter using a pleated cartridge as well. Another reason why I became interested in useing it is that I can feed the CO2 line into the intake of sump pump. I'm thinking the CO2 wouln't be able to bypass the prefilter. Because the prefitler is driven by it own dedicated pump unit such as traditional canister filters, there wouldn't be a risk of the motor burning up as it did in my Fluval 202 filter and there wouldn't be a way for non-dissolved CO2 to escape into the aquarium as it does with my Eheim 221!
7.

On my trip to Lowes today, I was thinking about the "tightness" of the filters and filter cartridges in general. If diatomaceous earth filters used for swimming pools, with a "tightness of 1 micron", then they too would clog frequently if the pool water was filled with algae.   If the water is clear on the other hand, then how long would one need to wait before they would need to flush the filter and replace it with fresh DE? Maybe a couple weeks?  I dunno.  Maybe the key is to have decent water quality to begin with before using the prefilter on the tank with the 5 or 2 micron cartridges?

W/B!
-a


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