I have just come across this youtube clip...thank god I thought I was going nutty with the water flowing over the top and Im sick of paying for cartridges all the time so now I am going to give this a go..thank you all the way from NEW ZEALAND
I stumbled upon this video today as I was having problems with my ecostyle 61 filter clogging up and overflowing. I've used your trick and its working great so far!
I've had my ecostyle 61 for a week now and it started overflowing. I have just now done the samething. What stock have you got in yours or intend on having?
Cheers for the video. I've just ordered matrix for mine. It's an ecostyle 61. Just doing a fishless cycle at the moment but when the cartridge needs replacing I'll change to the matrix.
Cheers for the videos Phil. Interesting to see. We have ditched one cartridge so far (2nd one today I hope), and replaced with 2 sponge style filters. One carbon, one not. As per your setup, they allow the water to flow through far quicker - the cartridges were pretty useless after 2 weeks or so.! I am hoping this new setup will be easier to maintain, and work in a more efficient way. Even just changing one of them, our tank became far clearer in literally a day or so. We now have a male and 2 female fighters, along with various other fish, that I can't spell.!! I am not convinced the fighter setup is a happy one, but the shop seemed to think that 1 male, can live with 2 females, quite happily.!! Love the videos. Great help for us newbies.
I have this tank and ita driving me insane! Greening up super fast i have takwn the Cartages out and laid ceramic balls and laid filter wool over instead of the black filter it cant came with but its still not changed, any thoughts before i try a suction filter
Hi Chris, yeah I was surprised to see how quickly the filter clogged! I was checking it the first couple of days but then just left it. The next time I looked at it a lot of the water was just flowing straight over the top. Using sponges instead is a good idea too and should be much better than the cartridges. Just make sure that the first two you put in have been in long enough for the bacteria to develop before you change over the other cartridge. I used to have a nice red fighting fish. It lived in it's own tank though so I am not sure how well they do with other fish. I think it depends on the individual as well, some fighting fish are really aggressive while others are not. So just make sure you watch the fish and see if it attacks the females and if so, it is probably best to separate them. Cheers Phil
Yep, I've still got the same setup. I've got quite a bit more Seachem matrix sitting on the top now, but other than that it has been running in the same setup for many years. Just make sure you don't put too much matrix on the bottom and that the water can flow easily through the cut-out and out the filter.
good tank,rubbish filter.take all the filter parts out,and replace with fluval u3 underwater one.my tank has never been better,and easy to change cartidges.
I have just come across this youtube clip...thank god I thought I was going nutty with the water flowing over the top and Im sick of paying for cartridges all the time so now I am going to give this a go..thank you all the way from NEW ZEALAND
I stumbled upon this video today as I was having problems with my ecostyle 61 filter clogging up and overflowing. I've used your trick and its working great so far!
I've had my ecostyle 61 for a week now and it started overflowing. I have just now done the samething. What stock have you got in yours or intend on having?
I also, am in New Zealand loosing my mind over my new tank filter not working properly! Thank god for videos for us amateurs!!
Cheers for the video. I've just ordered matrix for mine. It's an ecostyle 61. Just doing a fishless cycle at the moment but when the cartridge needs replacing I'll change to the matrix.
Great idea. The manual was lost by the previous owner so I watched how the filter works. Thanks for posting this.
Cheers for the videos Phil. Interesting to see.
We have ditched one cartridge so far (2nd one today I hope), and replaced with 2 sponge style filters. One carbon, one not.
As per your setup, they allow the water to flow through far quicker - the cartridges were pretty useless after 2 weeks or so.!
I am hoping this new setup will be easier to maintain, and work in a more efficient way.
Even just changing one of them, our tank became far clearer in literally a day or so.
We now have a male and 2 female fighters, along with various other fish, that I can't spell.!!
I am not convinced the fighter setup is a happy one, but the shop seemed to think that 1 male, can live with 2 females, quite happily.!!
Love the videos. Great help for us newbies.
I have this tank and ita driving me insane! Greening up super fast i have takwn the Cartages out and laid ceramic balls and laid filter wool over instead of the black filter it cant came with but its still not changed, any thoughts before i try a suction filter
Just a little update, I put a lot more Seachem Matrix above the cartridge. The water flow is still very good.
Hi Chris, yeah I was surprised to see how quickly the filter clogged! I was checking it the first couple of days but then just left it. The next time I looked at it a lot of the water was just flowing straight over the top. Using sponges instead is a good idea too and should be much better than the cartridges. Just make sure that the first two you put in have been in long enough for the bacteria to develop before you change over the other cartridge.
I used to have a nice red fighting fish. It lived in it's own tank though so I am not sure how well they do with other fish. I think it depends on the individual as well, some fighting fish are really aggressive while others are not. So just make sure you watch the fish and see if it attacks the females and if so, it is probably best to separate them.
Cheers Phil
Did you use the spraybar or just leve it like this. Setting one up with my son.
I would use it with the spraybar
@@philsplantedtanks3573 thanks. Didn't come with one so I might use an elbow and chop down a proper spray bar off a bigger tabk
Has this setup worked for you over time? I'm planning on doing the same once I need to look at replacing my cartridges.
Yep, I've still got the same setup. I've got quite a bit more Seachem matrix sitting on the top now, but other than that it has been running in the same setup for many years. Just make sure you don't put too much matrix on the bottom and that the water can flow easily through the cut-out and out the filter.
Thanks for the heads up. There's not too much issue with using the cartridge without the fine wool at the bottom?
How did you cut out the bottom of the cartridge? Looking to do the same to mine
Hi Luke, I think I just used a sharp pair of scissors and also tried to rip off as much of the floss with my hands as possible.
what exactly did you cut of mate, the whole thing at the bottom so your left with just the shell and sponge on top ?
good tank,rubbish filter.take all the filter parts out,and replace with fluval u3 underwater one.my tank has never been better,and easy to change cartidges.