HELP _ SOS _ SOS

[novakovich]

I've accidently flooded my tank with diotomaceous earth(from a diatom filter). The water looks like milk and it looks like the tank bottom is covered with snow. What can I do?????

[Chad Hughes]

Well, it won't hurt anything and should settle in to your substrate. If you would lke to remove it while it's supended in the water, then hook that diatom filter back up and let it remove the diatom powder.


Best Wishes!

[novakovich]

Thanks... The filter malfunctioned, actually and that's what caused the mess. I'm in the middle of an 80% wc. I'm going to refill, and let it settle. In a few days, I'll move the fish to another tank and do a thorough cleaning of this tank. This fish are stressed quited enough for now, I think.

[FLGirl1977]

It doesn't do any harm... it will either settle in your substrate or the diatom filter (if it's on) will suck it back up... shouldn't harm your fish (never did mine). Good luck!

[poconogal]

Is your filter the Vortex? I had one of those back in 1993 and it was horrid, very hard to prime or it malfunctioned and I'd end up with powder all over the tank. Powder never harmed the fish though and the Vortex would finally suck it all back out of the water. What made me very happy was finally stomping that filter it to pieces.

[novakovich]

Is your filter the Vortex? I had one of those back in 1993 and it was horrid, very hard to prime or it malfunctioned and I'd end up with powder all over the tank. Powder never harmed the fish though and the Vortex would finally suck it all back out of the water. What made me very happy was finally stomping that filter it to pieces.

As a matter of fact it is a Vortex, and what you describe is EXACTLY what happened to me. How do I get all that poweder cleaned off the bottom of my tank? Today the water is clear and the powder has settled to the bottom but it looks like the tank has been inhabited by a bunch of coke addicts.

[novakovich]

Last night, I finally got the Vortex working the way it is supposed to. I would NOT recommend this to anyone. It has done absolutely nothing for my water. I would think that after running for 10 hours in a 105 gal tank, I should begin to see some improvement but ther is none. The thing is difficult to charge and difficult to prime, and expensive. Furthermore, while it may or may not work in a tank of 20 gal. or less, it is pretty worthless in one of 105 gal. or larger.

[FLGirl1977]

Sorry that you've had such a bad experience with your Vortex. I have one and love the way it polishes my water...

[poconogal]

Last night, I finally got the Vortex working the way it is supposed to. I would NOT recommend this to anyone. It has done absolutely nothing for my water. I would think that after running for 10 hours in a 105 gal tank, I should begin to see some improvement but ther is none. The thing is difficult to charge and difficult to prime, and expensive. Furthermore, while it may or may not work in a tank of 20 gal. or less, it is pretty worthless in one of 105 gal. or larger.

There's another DE filter, the System One, that is said to be much better, easy to prime, etc. While there are many people who love the job the Vortex does, and it used to polish my water very well, after struggling to get the thing primed, etc., I think that ease of use is just as important as the end result. If something is difficult to use, after awhile you just don't bother with it. And why should anyone have to struggle with something at all, when there are better alternatives?

I ended up getting a H.O.T. Magnum and used the one micron cartridge, it did just as good a job polishing the water with much less hassle.