Equipment Review and Discussion :: Todays Purchase

[SSMcLeod]

Today I purchased a 100 gallon tank for $100(canadian) from a former landlord who had a guy ditch out on rent. For shits he gave me the two filters that were in it - mostly get it out of my sight. Inside was an older eheim internal model (haven't been able to find it). It had no filtration medium in it so I loaded it with extra bio-rings and charcoal I had around (change outs for other filters). And set it up in the 100 moving everything from my 55 into it.

The other filter was a magnum 350 that I am going to in the next weeks attack to the 55 and add in an internal filter (add in water flow to help it out.

I do have a question though - I am familiar with eheim products (had one many moons ago - albiet smaller) - however the magnum series I know nothing about. Do I need a filter medium for this as well or is it pretty much a plug an run with minor maintenance? Also is there any quirks I should know?

(The 55 will be housing my smallest turtle as the larger two are beginning to pick on it)

[VeipaCray]

The magnum 350 is a total POS. You can have mine too if you'd like two of them.

The magnum 350 can run in one of two configurations.

1. With a pleated polishing filter. No media needed for this option, but it's only for water polishing... ie trapping very fine suspended particles.

2. With the mesh screen media chamber. IF you decide to keep this filter for a turtle tank.... fill this screen media chamber with bio rings and add a small filter bag of carbon inside the media chamber. This chamber is really designed to hold only carbon but will hold a LITTLE bit of bio rings. You'll also need to add the blue sponge filter sock thing that covers the outside of the media chamber. The blue sponge provides mechanical filtration, the bio media for bio filtration, and the bag of activated carbon will provide some chemical filtration.

The magnum 350 is difficult to start, it's loud, and it will leak more than niagra falls when you go to open or clean it. If you have the water shut-off valves they will become brittle and crack on you at some point.

The magnum 350 has been around for many many years - with the same design. This filter was probably a good design when it first came out, but is absolutely terrible by todays standards.

[SSMcLeod]

Thanks for the heads up - but still can't complain when it was free...

I just finished taking it apart and I think I can "mod" it for like $20 to address those issues

[VeipaCray]

Some Vaseline on the seals works wonders as well. If you do mod your unit... please post some pics if you can.