Journal DDio's 120U

[DDio]

One thing I left out of the initial post was the problems I initially had.

As I got the tank set up, I connected the GLA filter. Tank was filled and then I plugged the GLA filter in. I focused on the Oase and got that connected as well.

I walked away for a couple minutes and when I came back to the tank I noticed that the GLA filter was leaking, badly. I examined where the leak was coming from and it was the nipple connected to the lid of the canister. I tried tightening the ring and it didn't matter how much I tightened it, it would still leak. Even worse is if I tightened it real tight, it felt like it jumped the threads. I played with it a bit and was able to get it down to a slow drip.

I contacted GLA, explained the issue, and then basically was told that this may have been my fault because I'm not supposed to lift the canister by the pump or fittings on top. Only a moron would do that, but I let it go (well not as much as I should have since I'm writing about it lol). They said that they knew what the problem was and sent some gaskets and whatnot. I asked them to instead just sent a new lid assembly and I'd send this lid back, but they didn't want to do that. Before they actually shipped the parts out another leak, this time around the housing of the DC pipe formed. They replied and said they'd include a replacement for that gasket/o ring as well.

A few days later my parts bag arrived and I shut the filter down. Drained the water and removed the lid so that I could work on it.

As I went to unscrew the nipple that was leaking it immediately became clear what the problem was.....the nipple itself was cracked so badly that there was no way I could get the canister back online, and they didn't include a new nipple in the parts they sent.

I reached out to them again, sent pics, and again was told that I possibly caused this and that I should never pick the canister up by the fittings on the lid. I think the reason I was getting so angry when they'd mention this is because I was a licensed plumber for close to a decade, and I've dealt with fragile equipment for even longer. For whatever reason they couldn't consider the fact that maybe they caused this problem when it was assembled. Anyway, they sent a replacement.

I received it, installed it, and I was back in business with no more leaks.

While I wasn't happy with how they decided to resolve the issue, it isn't something that would prevent me from buying from them again.

The other issue with this filter I ran into, and it may not just be this filter but all of the same design, but when you need to maintain it, it's not super easy.

When I made that repair, I did what you normally do with o rings and gaskets....you lube them. There's a really big o ring that creates a seal between the lid and the canister body. As I latched the lid on, I brought the canister back to my stand, set it in place, and then proceeded to flood the canister. The canister wasn't the only thing that flooded lol. Water started coming out of one of the latches, flooding my stand. I cut off water disconnected the filter from the lines and carried it back to the sink. I saw that the o ring had slipped out once I removed the lid. So I got it back in place, reconnected everything and flooded it again, and promptly flooded the stand for a second time. I repeated the process and flooded the stand a third time. It was at this point that I was getting ready to punt the filter across the room, but I'd have had a broken foot.

I sat down on the floor with the canister and noticed that you can see the o ring through the latches so one by one I'd close them and observe what was happening. As I'd reach the third or sometimes fourth latch, the o ring would pop inwards breaking the seal. I decided to remove the silicone from the o ring and dry it off, then tried installing the lid again and the o ring didn't move. Success!

As I got it installed again, I opened the shutoff valves and hear nothing. I shrugged my shoulders and turned the power on and the pump was running dry. Of course I had to deal with a vapor lock. The only way to break the lock was unlatching one of the latches to let air purge out. I was worried that I'd flood the stand again so I continually closed the latch as I heard water rushing into the filter and turned power on each time hoping that it was flooded enough for the DC pump to purge the remaining air.

Finally it started up, no leaks, and everything was great, right?

For the most part, yes lol. I learned that you shouldn't run the canister without maintaining it for 4 months. The DC pump gets filthy and begins running poorly and becoming noisy. It seems like 2.5 - 3 months is the sweet spot. There's also no pre filter so it gets super filthy. But every time I maintain it, I need to manually purge it and it's always a concern that I'll purge it long enough that water starts coming out of the latch, the o ring gets wet and then slips off the track and I flood my stand again. It's honestly a bit of a pain, but I'm sure this is true of all of this same design. It's super powerful and holds a lot of media, so I'll just deal with it.

It's really too bad the Oase's are so horribly underpowered. In hindsight, two 850's may have been a better option, but I like the fact that if the pump dies on the GLA, it's just a DC pump so it's easily replaced and inexpensive enough to just have a second on hand to swap out in the event it goes down whereas the Oase is down for the count.

That was probably the biggest and most impactful issue I faced with this tank from an equipment standpoint. Since my reactor is connected to the GLA, I couldn't run CO2, which wasn't a bad thing since I didn't have plants in the tank yet and would basically just be wasting CO2 for no good reason.

Would I recommend this filter to a newbie? No. I'd recommend it to an experienced aquarist for sure, as long as they understand needing to break the vapor lock after maintaining it and to avoid lubing the o ring. I actually dry off the o ring and channel when I open the lid for whatever reason.

If I were in GLA's shoes, I'd have sent a whole lid assembly out with an RMA to return the one with an issue rather than relying on a customer to diagnose an issue. It would have saved them time in the long run and probably a little money too since they had to ship out replacement parts twice. Someone new to aquariums would have definitely been lost had they experienced the same issues.

 

[Ed Wiser]

This is the wish a was an ADA filter right. The ADA filter is welded at the top. Never had That problem. I clean my filter once a month and change out the Lilly pipes for a clean set. I notice the flow drop off by watching the plants moving with the out out of the pump.
My glass Co2 reactor is inside the aquarium with an independent pump. Like keeping thing separate as it’s easier to trouble shoot an equipment issue.

 

[DDio]

This is the wish a was an ADA filter right. The ADA filter is welded at the top. Never had That problem. I clean my filter once a month and change out the Lilly pipes for a clean set. I notice the flow drop off by watching the plants moving with the out out of the pump.
My glass Co2 reactor is inside the aquarium with an independent pump. Like keeping thing separate as it’s easier to trouble shoot an equipment issue.

The GLA canister is also welded at the top, but it's the connection between that welded on stainless pipe and the DC pump that is the weak point of the design. Basically where the hose clamps and short bit of hose that connects the lid to the pump.

If you look closely at the ADA and the GLA stainless canister filters, the only real difference between the two are the method of mounting the pump, and the pump itself.

But when you look at the GLA design, it seems like a copy of the Fzone and Alibaba type China canisters that all leverage the same DC pump design.

I don't mind spending money, but after looking closely at the two, I started looking at Fzone and only went with the GLA because I couldn't find any of the knockoffs in stock anywhere. I just couldn't see an $800 or so dollar advantage in buying ADA's canister.

I have been considering adding a second DC pump, mainly to run the reactor separately, but also to add on a UV sterilizer.

 

[Ed Wiser]

The iwaki pump used by the ADA Filter I have used them for 30 years now. Tough as nails pumps. Still use 30 year old pumps after a shaft seal replacement. Sadly I am retired so I have to spend my money wisely don’t have the money to get in trouble with the wife on why I have to replace or fix a piece of equipment. I would waste money on a UV filter. To get one for the aquarium that actually works is quite an expensive thing. For a home aquarium. If you use it continually the UV bulb will wear out in 6 months. I had to pm UV filter systems in the food factory I worked at.

 

[DDio]

The iwaki pump used by the ADA Filter I have used them for 30 years now. Tough as nails pumps. Still use 30 year old pumps after a shaft seal replacement. Sadly I am retired so I have to spend my money wisely don’t have the money to get in trouble with the wife on why I have to replace or fix a piece of equipment. I would waste money on a UV filter. To get one for the aquarium that actually works is quite an expensive thing. For a home aquarium. If you use it continually the UV bulb will wear out in 6 months. I had to pm UV filter systems in the food factory I worked at.

Iwaki's are excellent pumps. We ran them on our marine systems at the LFS I worked at in my youth. The only issue I remember with them is that they weren't quiet.

The only point I was making is that I could replace the DC pump 6-7 times and still be below the investment in the ADA. Outside of the pump the canisters themselves seem to be clones of one another. I figure I'll get at least 3-4 years out of the pump.

The constant bulb replacement is the one bummer with UV's. That, and you really need to clean the quartz sleeve regularly to keep it working effectively.

I remember one new maintenance customer, who we ended up discontinuing since he was a blockhead, but he came and bought fish and then signed up for tank maintenance. I went out there on maintenance day and he literally screamed at me like a psycho that our fish brought in ich. He didn't know it came from us for sure because he bought fish from a couple other shops at the same time, and we QT'd our fish and treated for internals and externals during QT.

Anyhow, after I explained all that, he gave me the typical meathead "whatever just do what I'm paying you to do". I started taking equipment offline, cleaning the protein skimmer and pump, the return pump, and then I focused on the UV. One of the reasons he was mad was because he had an overpowered UV on his tank so our fish "must have been extra diseased" .

I tore the UV apart and the inside of it looked like he stuffed it with manure. I called him over, pulled the lamp out, and then the quartz sleeve and asked him if he knew how UV worked because it probably hasn't been working in at least 6 months, probably longer. I cleaned it, replaced the lamp, and got everything back up and running. We got rid of him as a customer because he was just a problem child. There was always something that we did wrong that we knew he did because he had the urge to play with the equipment. We actually marked the equipment to make sure it hadn't been moved or messed with since that was the first thing we'd check if there was an issue. Getting yelled at every time you go to maintain a tank and discounts demanded because of his own stupidity got old really quick so we fired him as a customer. The owner of the LFS let me do it and it was so gratifying telling him to go fly a kite lol.

 

[Ed Wiser]

Under stand. There are food and bad with equipment. My sump systems where always in the basement where only I had to put up with them.

 

[DDio]

Under stand. There are food and bad with equipment. My sump systems where always in the basement where only I had to put up with them.

A sump would have made this build so much easier. But this build would guaranteed turn into a reef tank 2-3 years down the road if it was drilled and I had a sump lol. I think planning ahead for my eventual disinterest worked against me here because I may never become disinterested in planted tanks especially now that I have the room to just set up a reef tank down the road if I really need to scratch my salt itch.

 

[JPog]

This is the wish a was an ADA filter right. The ADA filter is welded at the top. Never had That problem. I clean my filter once a month and change out the Lilly pipes for a clean set. I notice the flow drop off by watching the plants moving with the out out of the pump.
My glass Co2 reactor is inside the aquarium with an independent pump. Like keeping thing separate as it’s easier to trouble shoot an equipment issue.

What are the advantages to an internal reactor other than it being independent. Haven't seen to many setups with those. Did you originally use an ADA in-tank diffuser and weren't satisfied with it?

 

[DDio]

It looks like UNS just came out with the tank size that I thought would be perfect - 150U which would be one foot longer than my tank.

It's adding another 100 lbs in empty weight and the way my cousin and I struggled with getting my 120U at 220 lbs down my narrow stairway with a turn at the bottom I don't think we'd have been able to manage anything heavier or longer.

Hopefully the economy recovers enough within the next 5-6 years that I'd be finally able to make the move out of state I've been wanting for so long and then I can buy a tank of that size.

 

[DDio]

Usually when I'm working, I'm on conference calls most of the day. Typically these calls could have been an email, but I think critical thinking and reading comprehension are in short supply these days so the conference calls are a necessity.

Anyhow, my mind drifts as topics that don't really pertain to my job come up, as has happened today lol.

So here I am, mind fully drifting and whenever this happens I usually have ideas popping into my head.

I realized that I typically don't test my parameters after a water change, only before. My process is to dose macros the day after the WC, and the following day dose micros. On water change day I'm not dosing anything until the following day.

There's about a 3-4 hour period where the lights are on after my water change, but the nutrient levels have been reset. I generally do about a 70-80% water change.

What I'm most curious about is for that 3-4 hour period, what are my nutrient levels at? Are they high enough to not cause some sort of adverse effect to plant growth? Generally the day after a water change, prior to lights coming on I'll dose macros so the plants will have something coming in, but they won't have micros until roughly 48 hours after the water change.

So tomorrow night, just before the lights cut out, 3-4 hours after the water change I'll take a sample of tank water and see what my levels are at.

To complete this exercise, I may as well take a water sample on Saturday before I dose macros to see if there were any changes from the previous night.

I don't anticipate there being much change between the two tests, but I've never done this experiment so I might try it just to answer this question for myself knowing that if I don't do it, it'll bother me lol.

I guess my concern is that nutrient levels get so low after a water change that I might impact the plant growth to a certain extent. If there are no nutrients in the water column, which is highly unlikely, that will probably force me to dose macros on water change day, then micros the next and alter my dosing schedule accordingly.

 

[GreggZ]

I guess my concern is that nutrient levels get so low after a water change that I might impact the plant growth to a certain extent. If there are no nutrients in the water column, which is highly unlikely, that will probably force me to dose macros on water change day, then micros the next and alter my dosing schedule accordingly.

Perfect timing. I just posted my thoughts on this in my build thread just a minute ago. You may find it interesting as it is pretty much covering the topic you just brought up.

 

[DDio]

Perfect timing. I just posted my thoughts on this in my build thread just a minute ago. You may find it interesting as it is pretty much covering the topic you just brought up.

That was awesome and honestly is what I've been seeing since setting this tank up back in June.

The stem plants specifically would show new growth and just look really great up to water change day and then it would take a couple days before they began looking like they did prior to the water change, and then start putting on growth again.

I think I may start front loading macros immediately after a water change next week.

How would I handle micros if I front loaded all in one day? Just continue following an every other day routine?

 

[GreggZ]

That was awesome and honestly is what I've been seeing since setting this tank up back in June.

The stem plants specifically would show new growth and just look really great up to water change day and then it would take a couple days before they began looking like they did prior to the water change, and then start putting on growth again.

I think I may start front loading macros immediately after a water change next week.

How would I handle micros if I front loaded all in one day? Just continue following an every other day routine?

You can dose micros daily or every other day.....likely makes little difference.

I have been dosing mine daily for years, but that's just my routine. I grab my coffee and walk over to check out the tank first thing in the morning, so I throw in the daily dose while I am looking things over.

 

[Art]

It looks like UNS just came out with the tank size that I thought would be perfect - 150U which would be one foot longer than my tank.

It's adding another 100 lbs in empty weight and the way my cousin and I struggled with getting my 120U at 220 lbs down my narrow stairway with a turn at the bottom I don't think we'd have been able to manage anything heavier or longer.

Hopefully the economy recovers enough within the next 5-6 years that I'd be finally able to make the move out of state I've been wanting for so long and then I can buy a tank of that size.

Come to Florida! Or Texas!

 

[Art]

You can dose micros daily or every other day.....likely makes little difference.

I have been dosing mine daily for years, but that's just my routine. I grab my coffee and walk over to check out the tank first thing in the morning, so I throw in the daily dose while I am looking things over.

I envy Gregg. I tend to travel for work too much so I can't rely on myself to dose daily. I front load macros and then rely on my doser to dose micros daily.

 

[GreggZ]

I envy Gregg. I tend to travel for work too much so I can't rely on myself to dose daily. I front load macros and then rely on my doser to dose micros daily.

You guys are getting me to the point that I am now looking into the auto dosers.......I have a terrible weakness.....I love shiny new toys!

 

[Art]

LOVE IT! Go for it, Gregg!

 

[DDio]

Some interesting results from testing prior to the water change, and today after the water change.

Last night:

NO3: 25-30ppm
PO4: 8-9ppm
K: 35ppm
Fe: .5-.6 mg/l

Today:

NO3: 10-15ppm (closer to 10)
PO4: 2ppm
K: 20ppm
Fe: .1-.2 mg/l

Next week on water change day (Friday) I'll dose all of my macros for the week, and then dose micros every other day (3 doses max)

I'll continue doing this for a few weeks to observe any differences in growth.

 

[DDio]

Just a couple updates.

The Rotala I trimmed seem to be growing rapidly, much more so than the original stems. I think what I'm going to do is once I have enough healthy growth trimmed and replanted, I'm going to start tossing the old stems.

One observation I made is that on my Rotala Orange Juice and Blood Red, I'm seeing white lines going directly across several leaves. I'm not sure if this is a sign of a potential deficiency, but it's definitely an interesting development.

The other thing I noticed is that the pest snails that I have in the tank have white shells rather than the typical bladder snail brown.

What I'm curious about is if whatever is causing these two issues is tied together, and potentially a cause of my previous issues.

The two things I'm really angry that I can't test for are calcium and magnesium. You can find marine test kits for both all day, but in the freshwater side, bupkis.

I never really thought about those two since they're present in varying quantities in my tap water judging by my GH and KH.

Aside from that I am still seeing the odd long string of algae here and there but quickly remove it once I see it. It's weird...one day it won't be there but the next it's 6" long and just pops up in random places. It removes really easily, almost like it's a human hair but thinner.

Tank's looking good otherwise.

 

[Art]

I'm sure you've pulled your municipalities water report to see what's in the tap. Most people consider it as stable month-to-month. I think JBL, Salifert and Hanna provide test kits to get you some idea of the Ca and Mg in your water. I used to use the Hanna Alkalinity Colorimeter to get an understanding.