Cichlids by Sanderling

Its our one month anniversary!

// December 10th, 2009 // No Comments » // News

Hi Folks,
Thanks for taking an interest in our site. Today we are officialy one month old and have already had more than 3000 Visitors. We apreciate your continued interest and would like to add more of the kind of content that interests you.
Please let us know how we can better serve your needs and interest in the hobby.

info@cichlidsbysanderling.com

Fluval G-Series Filter- Conductivity Meter and Chemical Filtration Functionality

// November 24th, 2009 // No Comments » // Fluval G Series Canister Filter

After three days of settling in time, the filter conductivity readings have stabilized. The erratic readings are caused by small air bubbles adhering to the titanium alloy probes reducing the effective surface area and thereby giving a false reduced conductivity measurement. We have started recording the conductivity and temperature readings and will be charting them going forward.

In order to gather some data on performance, We set up a 65 gallon tank with mature water, substrate and a new colony of Aulonocara stuartgranti ‘Cobue’ juveniles. These fish are from eggs collected from wild caught specimens. In establishing Malawi Peacock colonies its often easier to start with wild fry who have not developed the imperative to establish large territories and raise them in small groups in a 50 gallon or larger aquarium.

Initial readings including the nitrate levels were recorded and will be monitored over the following days and weeks to see if the concentration drops to 5 ppm from 10-20 ppm in a couple of days as indicated in the operations manual. a drop in nitrates should be accompanied by a corresponding drop in conductivity a well. Well start posting the findings in a couple of days.

Fluval G-Series Filter: Documentation and Set-up Review

Fluval G Series Filter- Documentation and Set-up Review

// November 20th, 2009 // 3 Comments » // Equipment Reviews, Fluval G Series Canister Filter

It has been argued that Fluval took a page from Chrysler’s marketing manual on the K Car, when they launched their advertising campaign for the new G Series filters. Carefully providing incomplete yet provocative images and holding back on detailed product description served to increase the hype and create a buzz  that could be heard from online forums, through local fish stores,  to  trade shows worldwide. As one who loves gadgets I admit I was hooked from the beginning but after more than thirty years in the hobby I remain skeptical. Is the G Series all that it promises to be?

Apart from compact design and energy efficiency the G Series has raised the bar in aquarium filtration for the hobbyist by making solid inroads into simplifying aquarium filtration and by extension aquarium maintenance. This is accomplished through a two fold approach, both effective and complimentary solutions;

1. The Mechanical and Chemical filtration media are located in compartments that allow them to be easily removed, cleaned, and replaced without dismantling the canister- this ensures minimal disruption of the bio-media which should allow its performance to continue undisturbed by routine maintenance, and
2. The HYDROtech processor and sensor array provides graphical information to the user, which permits informed decisions as to when to perform maintenance on the filter. Aquarium maintenance in general,  as well as filter maintenance can now be conducted based on the condition of the water rather than on a calendar basis.

The first feature is something that owners of  Hang On Back (HOB) filters  have enjoyed for years and is often a subject of beleaguered debate with canister filter owners as to which manufacturer has the most easily maintained model. Fluval has introduced a game changer in that debate. It is the second feature that many of us have been waiting for; a filter that can monitor and trend the water condition, allowing informed decision making in both when to conduct maintenance, and in troubleshooting water quality issues.

The equipment is expensive as would be expected from a new product introduction by any manufacturer but does it offer value to the purchaser? Over the next few days and weeks it is our intention to closely examine this new offering and comment on both its strengths and discover some opportunities for improvement. We go into this project with eyes wide open and a willingness to explore any aspects of it’s construction and performance that you the potential user wish to learn more about. If you have any questions please feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of the post and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

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The Fluval G Series Hydrotech is here…

// November 19th, 2009 // 5 Comments » // Equipment Reviews, Filtration, Fluval G Series Canister Filter

The latest ‘must have’ addition to the fish room is the new Fluval G- Series  filter. We recently aquired a new G-6 model for an independant technical review  in our fish room.

This compact little unit is rated for superior filtration performance on a 160 gallon (600 L) at a flow rate of  265 gph (1000 L/hr). It offers the traditional mechanical and biological filtration that all fishkeepers know and love, in addition to chemical filtration, with the ability to remove nuisance compounds like nitrates and phosphates. Of particular interest is an onboard processor and sensor array that measures conductivity and temperature of the system water, storing up to 48 days worth of historical data for trending purposes. The liquid crystal display also includes counters to advise when it is time to perform maintenance on the chemical, mechanical or biological filter media.

Fluval claims that the bio-media requires maintenance at six month intervals and packages it deep inside the highly compact, low power consumption enclosure. The chemical and mechanical filter media is easily removed from access wells located on the top of the unit, eliminating the need to dismantle the filter and disrupt the bio-media. All in all the G Series looks impressive and  recently there has been a lot marketing hype on the internet and the trade show circuit. Fluval has been ‘talking the the talk ‘as the next  generation in aquarium filter technology- but does it ‘walk the walk?’

Over the next couple of days Sanderling will be putting this product through it’s paces, first with a documentation and set up review and then in the days and weeks that follow, we’ll measure performance, maintainability and post comments from other users. Make sure you check back on a regular basis as we drive what looks like a thoroughbred filter around the performance track !

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Removing Surface Films From Fish Tanks

// November 1st, 2009 // No Comments » // Filtration, Fish Room Projects

12 hour acumulation of surface film

One of the benefits of having powerful bio-filtration system, is having the option of increasing loading densities and increasing feed rates without risk of high ammonia or nitrite levels as a result. The down side of doing this however is the accumulation of a thin film of lipo-protein and fish oils from that does not get digested by the biofilter because, being lighter than water it is unable to get to the sump. The image above shows the accumulation after 12 hours.

Its considered good practice to remove water from the bottom  of a tank as this tends to be the area of lowest oxygen concentration. The original drain design includes a spool piece that extends to the bottom of the tank and a strainer to keep young fish out of the sump. By adding a horizontal perforated piece and extending the strainer out to the center of the tank, the drain assembly also acts as a surface strainer. Below is an image of the new assembly;

New drain assembly

 A mesh bag keeps smaller fish from a roller coaster ride to the sump and the return pump impellor;

Here is some video of a trial using a prototype. The extension of the horizontal piece towarrds the center of the tank effectively divides the surface of the tank in two. The film is pushed into a gyre that rotates across the front edge of the skimmer and is gradually reduced. See the videos below;

Lids were recently placed on the tanks now that the cooler weather is here in order to reduce heat and moisture loss. This has the disadvantage of reducing the amount of oxygen that can diffuse into the water at the surface. To compensate, sponge filters were added to provide some makeup air above the surface of the tank and ensure that sufficient oxygen levels a e maintained. By careful placement at the center of the gyre, the film is pushed to the outside and and against the skimmer, facilitating its constant and rapid removal;