Archivarium 2004

[Steve Hampton]

Hi Chuck, the method of coating the Micron Cartridge with diatom powder is very simple and easy. For the Magnum 350, I simply fill a 5G bucket with clean water, place the inlet and out hoses into the bucket and turn on the Magnum. Add about a cup of diatom powder to the bucket. As the filter runs it sucks up the powder and it coats the Micron Cartridge, when the water is clear or near clear the Micron Cartridge is sufficiently coated and can be moved back onto the tank. For the HOT Magnum, you'll need to balance it over a bucket or place a plastic pitcher into the tank like as shown on the Vortex webpage.

Recharging a Vortex Diatom Filter
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[Chuck]

Thanks for the tip Steve. I tried the micron filter by itself and it didn't seem to be doing any good after running overnight. The next day I followed your tip. Just to pass along an obervation.... I ran the filter until the water was clear. I shut it off, and noticed that the intake leaked a little of the power back into the bucket. I took a look and there was quite a bit of power in the canister, all caked at the bottom. I took out the micron filter and emptied the contents into the bucket, and rinsed out the canister. I the re-assembled and placed in tank. After about 30min I could see almost all the way through the tank. I let it run overnight and was clear the next day. I am wondering if maybe I added to much diatom powder to the bucket. Anyway, I am happy the GW is gone, hopefully! I will keep an eye on it and figure out from here what to spend my next allowance on, providing the wife still give me an allowace

[Steve Hampton]

Great to hear you've solved you GW. Yes, you probably added a bit too much diatom powder, however the powder would have stayed in the filter and not made it to the tank to cause problems anyway. You should test NO3 and make sure it's within 5 to 10ppm, obviously no NH3/NH4+ and if all is fine then the GW should not return...although if it does you know how to defeat it.

You get an allowance??? All I have to do is look at my wife and she says "NO MORE TANKS...PERIOD!" But, let one of her friends come to the house and it's a different story..."Oh yes, this is OUR planted fish tanks! We love this hobby...blah, blah" The extent of her contribution to MY fish tanks is "Hey, I see some algae, you better get right on it."

P.S. Thank goodness she never reads these forums.
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[Chuck]

Hey found the source of the GW. I am the fool on this one, no suprise there I had used some Proper pH in the tank to help keep the pH at 7.0, just prior to adding a DIY CO2. Well looking at everything that I add to the tank, I noticed that the proper pH is a phosphate buffer. Arrrgh
Well now I found the source, water changes from here on out until I get the phosphate down. I bought a test kit for it, and it is pegged out at 10ppm, the highest on the chart. After I get this under control I will hopefully get rid of this problem for ever (well I can hope).

[Andy]

Try using wood shrimp, bamboo shrimp, singapore shrimp, they will filter feed on some green water.