Whisper HOB filter

OK, so I intercepted a friend's old aquarium hobby stash a day before he planned to take it to the dump (was going to throw all of it away). Quite the score...

30g long with stand
55 with stand (mediocre condition, but holds water)
4 powerheads (two 660s and two 1140s)
Undergravel filters (will toss or give away)
Cichlid books (given to son)
All kinds of medications, salts, water additives
Several older light fixtures
Whisper power HOB power filters
Who knows what else still in a plastic bin

All this stuff was coated in a thick layer of dust, but not bad for free. My real question is about these Whisper filters. I've been an Aquaclear guy for a long time and always liked the fact that I never had to buy filter inserts and lose all the bacteria. Seemed like a scam to buy inserts, much like throwing away your silverware after each meal. Does anyone know of a way to homebrew mod the Whisper filters so that I can re-use some sort of foam? I'll run these things on a grow out tank, so I'm not depending on them for my nicer setups. The impeller/motor works and I cleaned the grime off. Now I just need to engineer this thing so it is Aquaclear Maintenance level and not Disposable Razor level.

Anyone else done this on the cheap?

I think there used to be filter inserts that you could fill with bio media. Otherwise, just try placing a sponge down in the media chamber and see how the flow is.

Not a bad score at all.

I would try them with a sponge. Another option may be stuffing the media area with filter floss and using them as polishing filters.

I actually like the Whispers.....they are horribly loud, but they tend to start reliably after a power outage (and I used to have many).

I don't like their disposable media, either.....I know some folks that just let that media ride for a looooong time till it nearly dissolves....

Personally, I ended up cutting "bricks" of coarse Poret foam and used them instead.

chriscoli said:

I actually like the Whispers.....they are horribly loud, but they tend to start reliably after a power outage (and I used to have many).

I don't like their disposable media, either.....I know some folks that just let that media ride for a looooong time till it nearly dissolves....

Personally, I ended up cutting "bricks" of coarse Poret foam and used them instead.

Click to expand...

I've also done this - you can cut foam to size and fill up the filter with that.

I also agree with Christine, they are ridiculously loud (considering the name) but generally do start up after an outage better than other HOBs.

Oh, and I have another whisper filter (actually, brand doesn't matter)......that I'm growing pothos in. I used that coarse plastic craft needlepoint mesh to make a cage where the media would go, and filled it with clay hydroponic media instead.....added pothos, and voila! Nutrient export from a tank full of fish that would otherwise have eaten the plants.

So I rigged up some foam that I think would work, only to find out that the o-ring that seals the moter housing to the enclosure is shot. A few drips, and when I pulled it off it kind of crumbled. I'm going to see if the company will send a replacement o-ring, but if not I'll see if I can find one on the web. It's a T2 model "energizer" so I'll have to figure out the o-ring size. Seemed to be roughly 1.25" but there's probably an exact number I need.

Anybody ever get a replacement o-ring from Tetra or whatever the company is called now? They are closed today due to the storm, so I'll call again tomorrow.

Yes, a lot of people like Aquaclear because you can reuse the foam. But I found a cheap source of filter pads from JoeAnne Fabric and cut it to fit my Penquen HOB. I buy the lightest, 4 to 6 oz by the yard polyester batting. Don't buy the soft type.

http://www.joann.com/search?q=polye...tart=0&q=polyester batting&sz=54&prefv1=false

JoeAnne always have 40 -50% coupons so I ended up paying less 10 cents for double pads so it is not worth it to reuse and clean dirty foam insert. Penquen sells filter pad baskets but you can easily make your own for Whisper. Retain the plastic frame of two manufacturer pads and tie the bottom with the fish line as a hinge so you can sandwitch the CIY filter pads and clip the top with the plastic clip. The key to CIY filter pad is to prevent leakage on the sides and bottom.

lkelly said:

Anybody ever get a replacement o-ring from Tetra or whatever the company is called now? They are closed today due to the storm, so I'll call again tomorrow.

Click to expand...

I've purchased replacement parts for Whisper at Petsmart. Their house brand, Top Fin, is the same thing.

Blaise

So I called Tetra and they said in the model is too old and they can't even tell me the size of the o-ring. What a shame as the rest of the filter works fine.

I have some clean clay hydroponic media if you want some?


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