paul b April 22, 2014 Share April 22, 2014 I decided to do a little maintenance today but I have to do it very gently as bluestripe pipefish don't survive these typhoons. Every time I have done this I lost them and they are a breeding pair so I want to keep them. Once or twice a year my tank depends on stirring up the gravel all the way down to the UG filter plate. Because of the pipefish I can only do a small section at a time so it will take all day. That is not a problem as I don't have to sit here and watch it. I just blow some gravel with my diatom filter, then go out someplace and wait for the tank to clear, then I do another section. If it were not for those pipefish I would do the entire tank at one time.Of course I can't do a really good job unless I removed the rock and I am not going to do that as that was much easier before I started growing SPS which are very delicate but every ten years I like to at least try to remove some rock to do a better job. The fish love it. I have 4 diatom filters and out of the 4, I have one working model as the rest I use for parts. They are not really designed to work in salt water and rust badly. They are also not designed very well and leak like a sieve so I always run them in a large bucket. No matter how many times you replace the seals, they start to leak very soon but they do such a good job that I keep using them. When I get time I will design a better unit that will last. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sachabballi reef April 22, 2014 Share April 22, 2014 almost giant scary pod and mud season for your tank, isn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b April 22, 2014 Author Share April 22, 2014 My boat should be going in the water any day now, then it is time to load up on pods and mud. My fish can't wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilary April 22, 2014 Share April 22, 2014 I want a maintenance schedule that includes "every ten years......" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime April 22, 2014 Share April 22, 2014 I want a maintenance schedule that includes "every ten years......" You can.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b April 23, 2014 Author Share April 23, 2014 That diatom filter stalled and over heated before the job was done so I took it apart and cleaned the bearings. I also drilled large holes in the end plates of the motor and even drilled holes right through the brass bearings so I can put oil right on the armature shaft while it is running. So I ran the unit again and it worked well but there was more diatom powder in the tank than in the filter so I tore it apart again and noticed that the bag, which is basically paper that is glued together had a rip in the seam, oh I don't know, like the entire thing fell apart. So I got some thread and sewed the entire thing up and threw it back together. Now it works great. I don't remember how old it is but I pulled rusty anchors out of the Atlantic from ancient sailing ships that looked to be in better shape. I think they make these units out of the softest iron that they know will rust even if they are near a TV that is showing a National Geographic show about the Galapagos Islands. This is not new for me as I have been dismantling diatom filters as long as I can remember which most of the time is last Tuesday. All of mine are sewed together or I had to make entirely new bags. They are a terrible design but they do a good job. Of course it is probably faster to just dump out the tank and start with all new water by the time you re build these filters. Now my tank is so clear that you can't see any water so the fish are scared to swim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami April 24, 2014 Share April 24, 2014 That diatom filter stalled and over heated before the job was done so I took it apart and cleaned the bearings. I also drilled large holes in the end plates of the motor and even drilled holes right through the brass bearings so I can put oil right on the armature shaft while it is running. So I ran the unit again and it worked well but there was more diatom powder in the tank than in the filter so I tore it apart again and noticed that the bag, which is basically paper that is glued together had a rip in the seam, oh I don't know, like the entire thing fell apart. So I got some thread and sewed the entire thing up and threw it back together. Now it works great. No fear. Dig in and do what's necessary to accomplish the mission and live another day. Love it. Respect it. Reminds me of how we kept the old Whirlpool washer running at home for 35 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b April 24, 2014 Author Share April 24, 2014 Washing machines are one of my specialties and I will do anything to keep them going. Wonderful piece of technology. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sen5241b April 24, 2014 Share April 24, 2014 My boat should be going in the water any day now, then it is time to load up on pods and mud. My fish can't wait. Your mud seems to be working out well. I'm considering getting some mud from the bay near Dewey Beach DE. Anybody use Fiji mud? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b April 24, 2014 Author Share April 24, 2014 Does Fiji mud come from Fiji? I use good old New York Mud Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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