Vortex Diatom earth filter

[DanGofCalgary]

So, I have 2 old Vortex diatom earth filters. both run, but they seem to spray a mist of fine air on the outlet. I have replaced the o-ring seal on the jar, as well as the motor seal on one of them. It helped a bit but not much.

I am not running the true 'diatomous earth' from Vortex, but rather some stuff that was available at auctions in the last decade (or the one before!)

My questions are:

Anyone have experience with Vortex filters like this, and any suggestions?

Are there different diameters/sizes of diatomous earths and perhaps I am using something too fine that is eating up my seals?

Anyone know of someone in Calgary or Edmonton with experience rebuilding them?

I am seriously contemplating just scrapping them and buying a new one, using the old ones for 'parts' but would like to avoid that expense if possible.

Thanks!

Dan

[aquaman1942]

I had that problem about 30+ yrs ago when these filters were still the best filter on the market. There was a fine hair crack on the lid. so I used a fine layer of silicone on the lid and it stopped the air seepage.

Maybe this could be the problem you have. I hope it works!

Diatomatious earth is actually diatom skeletons and different sizes there may be, but your talking micron size which is smaller than this period .

I was also a caoac judge and m. breeder back in Ontario. Met many top breeders of the 60s and 70s.

What types of fish do you have on the go now?

[DanGofCalgary]

Thanks. I still love these filters for how it cleans up the water.

Current spawns are Lacustricola Katangae, Double black angels, marmosum... watchamacallits (the little hermaphrodite), Lacustricola maculatus. Super Red severums, although they have lost both spawns so far, and starting to wonder if there is a problem with the eggs or male.

For Nothos I have collected eggs on N. Kafuensis, Korthasae. I have bought eggs, and will be spawning soon a couple of other Nothos (from Silly Killys in Arizona). rachovii and palmquisti (have the collection point but don't recall it atm)

Livebearers working on a goodeid species (the yellow tailed one. the name escapes me), a wild swordtail, Jenynsia Onca, Skiffia lermae, G. Metallicus.

What I really need to focus on though is some simple egg scatterers to meet the CAOAC requirement, as well as some anabantoids. I have loretta tetras, zebra danios and white cloud minnnows that I will be attempting to spawn soon and bettas as well as dwarf gouramis.. A group of Bolivian rams that should spawn soonish too. I bought a pair of Betta picta, but foolishly left a 1 inch crack open on top, they both jumped same night I brought them home.

I also have some featherfin rainbows and peacock gudgeons, as well as phillipine blue angels that I will be working on in the next couple months.

hmm. that's about it. Other than 3 groups of corys, the laser oranges, metae and agasizzi, but I really haven't set them up for breeding yet. and L204s but I am just growing them out right now. Not even sure if I have any females in the 6 that I have. as they spend most of their day hiding under driftwood. oh. forgot. some F1 Urugayan bristlenose that I bought from someone on this site...

Edit: Forgot the snails and inverts. Apple snails and asolene spixi, and some cherry shrimp. Cute little guys. Spawning snails isn't really much of a challenge though. hehe. just throw em in a tank, so I don't think about it much. I do have some nice blue apple snails spawning though. I rather like them.

Edited October 22, 2010 by DanGofCalgary

[Catmandu]

So, I have 2 old Vortex diatom earth filters. both run, but they seem to spray a mist of fine air on the outlet. I have replaced the o-ring seal on the jar, as well as the motor seal on one of them. It helped a bit but not much.

I am not running the true 'diatomous earth' from Vortex, but rather some stuff that was available at auctions in the last decade (or the one before!)

My questions are:

Anyone have experience with Vortex filters like this, and any suggestions?

Are there different diameters/sizes of diatomous earths and perhaps I am using something too fine that is eating up my seals?

Anyone know of someone in Calgary or Edmonton with experience rebuilding them?

I am seriously contemplating just scrapping them and buying a new one, using the old ones for 'parts' but would like to avoid that expense if possible.

Thanks!

Dan

You can try a thin film of vaseline on the lip of the jar and if the hoses are old you might try cutting about an inch off each end to make sure that the hoses are seated properly

Good luck

[DanGofCalgary]

Thanks. I actually did those things, should have mentioned it. Except I used silicone glass grease (lab grade stuff). It definetely helped but there is still a small leakage.