Pimp My Filter #66 - Sicce Whale 500 Canister Filter
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- Опубліковано 5 жов 2024
- Good alternative to the Fluval 407?
Sicce Whale 500 (Amazon): geni.us/S55mi9K
Sicce Whale 500 (Ebay): ebay.us/XTVSHK
Foams, Biohome Ultimate, Biogravel: www.filterpro.c...
(FilterPro site has links to Biohome suppliers in other countries)
Follow me on Odysee: odysee.com/$/i...
Contact me on 07772848730 / sales@filterpro.co.uk
(I don't do texts)
The Sicce Whale 500 will hold 3.5kg of Biohome Ultimate which makes it suitable for a normally stocked tropical tank of up to 350 litres / 95 US gallons or a heavily stocked tank of up to 175 litres / 46 US gallons.
At the time of making this video the Amazon UK price was mad but those prices tend to fluctuate so it would be worth checking out both the Amazon and Ebay links and seeing which one is currently cheapest if you're interested in buying one.
This is a really well made filter with sleek design, good flow rate (1300 lph / 342 US gph) and a decent capacity for media - definitely one to consider.
A full cycle is completed by bacteria - the aerobic part of biological filtration which processes ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate followed by an anaerobic part which processes nitrate into soluble nitrogen which bubbles off to the atmosphere.
Therefore it requires a suitable amount of excellent quality filter media to be able to provide the environment for both aerobic AND anaerobic bacteria - that is what Biohome ultimate does perfectly but even with such good media there are limitations and we recommend the following amounts for different stocking scenarios:
(1 US Gallon = 3.8 litres)
(1kg = 2.2 lbs)
Average community tropical aquarium = 1kg per 100 litres
Average coldwater aquarium = 1kg - 1.5kg per 100 litres
Predator aquarium = 1.5kg - 2kg per 100 litres
Large cichlid aquarium = 1.5kg - 2kg per 100 litres
Malawi / Tanganyikan aquarium = 1.5kg - 2kg per 100 litres
Marine aquarium = 1.5kg - 2kg per 100 litres
Average mixed fish pond = 1kg per 200 litres
Average koi pond = 1kg per 150 litres
You may be disagreeing with the above figures but remember that they are for a FULL CYCLE not half a job - achieving 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite is quite easy since aerobic bacteria grows freely on any surface but the anaerobic bacteria responsible for COMPLETING the cycle needs more a specialized habitat.
Remember to use a water conditioner which does not bind / detoxify ammonia, nitrite or nitrate as that type of conditioner will severely limit bacteria numbers by starving the bacteria of 'food'.
Size a filter properly, set it up sensibly and you will have perfect water - it's that simple....and your filter won't be the dreaded 'Nitrate factory'.....you'll spend less money on treatments too......basically the filter is the foundation of a successful aquarium.
This series of videos is all about trying to squeeze more efficiency out of internal and external aquarium filters which generally have a limited filtering capacity - If you have a filter you'd like me to feature in a video then please contact me on:
sales@filterpro.co.uk
07772848730 (Richard)
Anyone who sends a filter (UK only at present) will have it upgraded and returned to them for free and the only cost you will pay is how much it costs to ship it to me - I'm helping to boost your filter and the resulting videos will hopefully be useful to viewers all over the world so it's a win/win.
The following videos will be useful for learning more about filtration and filter media:
Sizing a canister properly and filter set up: goo.gl/om19un
Looking INSIDE different filter media: goo.gl/hZWS6c
Bacteria and filter media: goo.gl/123gAF
How to clean an aquarium: goo.gl/bPMhvh
Aquarium tips / filtration playlist: goo.gl/pXgqVj
This channel is purely a hobby for me so I will never ask viewers to donate money for any of my projects or charge anyone for information - information should be shared freely and I certainly don't consider myself an 'expert' in anything I pursue as a hobby so please do your own research, never accept anything as 'fact', reject anyone claiming to be some sort of authority or 'expert' and make your own minds up about anything you wish to study.
We all are on a long path of learning.........
RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS ON AMAZON: goo.gl/jMaBWy
INSTAGRAM: / pondguru_outdoors
Follow me on Odysee: odysee.com/$/i...
Some of the links above may be to my affiliate programs on Amazon and Ebay so they will throw a few pennies my way if you make a purchase - it costs you nothing extra and helps towards keeping the lights on in my bunker.
Good alternative to the Fluval 407?
Sicce Whale 500 (Amazon): geni.us/S55mi9K
Sicce Whale 500 (Ebay): ebay.us/XTVSHK
Foams, Biohome Ultimate, Biogravel: www.filterpro.co.uk
(FilterPro site has links to Biohome suppliers in other countries)
Follow me on Odysee: odysee.com/$/invite/@PondGuru:0
Contact me on 07772848730 / sales@filterpro.co.uk
(I don't do texts)
The Sicce Whale 500 will hold 3.5kg of Biohome Ultimate which makes it suitable for a normally stocked tropical tank of up to 350 litres / 95 US gallons or a heavily stocked tank of up to 175 litres / 46 US gallons.
At the time of making this video the Amazon UK price was mad but those prices tend to fluctuate so it would be worth checking out both the Amazon and Ebay links and seeing which one is currently cheapest if you're interested in buying one.
This is a really well made filter with sleek design, good flow rate (1300 lph / 342 US gph) and a decent capacity for media - definitely one to consider.
A full cycle is completed by bacteria - the aerobic part of biological filtration which processes ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate followed by an anaerobic part which processes nitrate into soluble nitrogen which bubbles off to the atmosphere.
Therefore it requires a suitable amount of excellent quality filter media to be able to provide the environment for both aerobic AND anaerobic bacteria - that is what Biohome ultimate does perfectly but even with such good media there are limitations and we recommend the following amounts for different stocking scenarios:
(1 US Gallon = 3.8 litres)
(1kg = 2.2 lbs)
Average community tropical aquarium = 1kg per 100 litres
Average coldwater aquarium = 1kg - 1.5kg per 100 litres
Predator aquarium = 1.5kg - 2kg per 100 litres
Large cichlid aquarium = 1.5kg - 2kg per 100 litres
Malawi / Tanganyikan aquarium = 1.5kg - 2kg per 100 litres
Marine aquarium = 1.5kg - 2kg per 100 litres
Average mixed fish pond = 1kg per 200 litres
Average koi pond = 1kg per 150 litres
You may be disagreeing with the above figures but remember that they are for a FULL CYCLE not half a job - achieving 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite is quite easy since aerobic bacteria grows freely on any surface but the anaerobic bacteria responsible for COMPLETING the cycle needs more a specialized habitat.
Remember to use a water conditioner which does not bind / detoxify ammonia, nitrite or nitrate as that type of conditioner will severely limit bacteria numbers by starving the bacteria of 'food'.
Size a filter properly, set it up sensibly and you will have perfect water - it's that simple....and your filter won't be the dreaded 'Nitrate factory'.....you'll spend less money on treatments too......basically the filter is the foundation of a successful aquarium.
This series of videos is all about trying to squeeze more efficiency out of internal and external aquarium filters which generally have a limited filtering capacity - If you have a filter you'd like me to feature in a video then please contact me on:
sales@filterpro.co.uk
07772848730 (Richard)
Anyone who sends a filter (UK only at present) will have it upgraded and returned to them for free and the only cost you will pay is how much it costs to ship it to me - I'm helping to boost your filter and the resulting videos will hopefully be useful to viewers all over the world so it's a win/win.
The following videos will be useful for learning more about filtration and filter media:
Sizing a canister properly and filter set up: goo.gl/om19un
Looking INSIDE different filter media: goo.gl/hZWS6c
Bacteria and filter media: goo.gl/123gAF
How to clean an aquarium: goo.gl/bPMhvh
Aquarium tips / filtration playlist: goo.gl/pXgqVj
This channel is purely a hobby for me so I will never ask viewers to donate money for any of my projects or charge anyone for information - information should be shared freely and I certainly don't consider myself an 'expert' in anything I pursue as a hobby so please do your own research, never accept anything as 'fact', reject anyone claiming to be some sort of authority or 'expert' and make your own minds up about anything you wish to study.
We all are on a long path of learning.........
RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS ON AMAZON: goo.gl/jMaBWy
INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/pondguru_outdoors/
Follow me on Odysee: odysee.com/$/invite/@PondGuru:0
I've had one of these now for three or four years. It's been brilliant. Silent, easy to use and maintain and not missed a beat. Fantastic filter.
I just got one and 3 trays of the Whale 500 equal a little less than 2 trays of a SunSun 704b. With that said the Whale 500 has pretty decent flow considering how small it is compared to the massive 704b.
the hose that comes with the Whale filters is fantastic, all canister filters should use hose like that.
What diameter hose to order lily pipes?
The simplicity of this filter is satisfying
I’ve recently bought one of these filters and the ceramic rings which come with it do actually fit under the trays laid down as a primary settlement. When funds allow I’ll be buying some bio home and introducing it to the baskets one basket at a time to colonise the bacteria steadily. Currently could do with some nitrates to grow some plants.
Just buy some sintered brown bricks, wash them thoroughly and use them. It's the same thing.
I’m glad you like because I just ordered the Whale 500 from Amazon. I am in the U.S. I am running the smaller version on my 22 gallon long planted tank. Just something I’ve noticed. The flow becomes reduced when gunk clogs up those balls inside the filter intake tube. I have two of the Sicce Space Ecko and it does the same thing. I removed the balls and the intake head from the intake tube and replaced with a coarse pre filter sponge over the intake tube. That did the trick. No more reduced flow on my Platy tank. I initially installed the pre filter sponge to prevent fry from getting sucked up into the filter and then discovered that it prevented other stuff from entering the filter and solving the reduced flow problem. So I ordered more sponges from Aquarium Coop for the rest of my tanks running these filters.
That is great - thanks for the report.
It is always good to hear from viewers who use the filters featured in these videos and it is so important to share useful information.
Thanks Richard for the review .
I live in the US and have been using the Sicce Whale for a year now; two on my 150 gal housing 3 large Oscars and two plecos, one on a 75 gal with three Severums and a pleco and another on a 60 gal with a tilapia and a pleco. This filter is the quietest that I’ve had and is very effective. All four canisters are pimped out exactly how you did this one. There’s is no comparison between this filter and the others that I’ve used. Most importantly, Sicce stands behind the warranty so don’t forget to register.
Nice one - thanks for the report, man.
Sicce make the only canister filter worth using.
I’d love to know how you have the two situated in your 150! Getting ready to set a couple up in mine
I just got the 120. But it had a deal and as well discount. I paid $52.46 instead of the original $104. Price. I wasn’t sure how good it would be but hearing your video. It sounds like a steal.
That definitely seems like a great deal - best of luck with the tank.
This is my go to budget filter for sure.
So this is what the Darth Vader filter looks like, I have the white Stormtrooper Whale 500!...Mine has been running for 3 years now and is the quietest filter I've ever ran, the only gripe I have is the flimsy priming tool thing that comes attached
I have had one of these on my marine tank since November 2021. I don't know if I have just been unlucky or if the filter isn't that robust. First delivery and the canister had a hole in it at the bottom. I don't think the plastic bucket is thick/strong enough to take decent knock. Second delivery and one of the the filter clasps had snapped off during delivery. Meant that the head couldn't create a water tight seal and would leak. I know you can get replacement clasps but I couldn't figure out how to remove the broken clasps and replace with a new one. Took a third delivery before I had one that was working. It is a great filter (when you get a working one) and very easy to easy/maintain. Very silent as well. I would advise not to overfill the canister with media though as the flow rate does slow down very quickly. Also makes getting a good seal with the head difficult and it would leak occasionally. I initially had 3kg of biohome ultimate marine in mine plus carbon media. I have since taken out about 1kg of the media and left the top tray for solely chemical media and the flow rate is much better for longer. I would recommend the filter with the caveat that it would be better to pick it up in person rather than have it delivered.
Petco is actually seliing the Sicce whale canisters and u can get 15 percent off for online pick up in the usa.
Had a Whale 500 for about a year and I can also confirm it's very quiet. Got mine from Charterhouse Aquatics for around £140. It's so easy to set up and at that price I don't think you will buy a better filter 10/10 😎👍
Nice one - it's even cheaper at the present time and the listing I linked to for ebay has them at £119.99 at the present time - that is great value.
@@pondguru Yes I agree, even comes with a spare O ring can't ask for any more than that and does a great job of filtering my 180 litre tank 😀
@@paulbowen2774 (my other account) That is good to hear - best of luck with the tank.
@@paulbowen2774 You said WTF ? Free O ring ?? That's all ya had to say , I'm sold!!! Damn Man say free you gonna get my attention when I hear freeze you are going see me run the opposite direction ....shit last time I was like Neo dodging bullets and I said TY 🐜 you da man
I must say it looks like a very simple looking filter . Straight forward with no fancy frills, but what it does consist of , are thought about very well and are of good quality. Would be interested to hear from people about its overall performance. Looks good though.
Here is my experience,, when you pull out the hose connectors with the hose attached and you clean the filter. When you go to put the hose connectors back in sometimes it will leak, I'm guessing if it doesn't go all the way in. Sometimes I got lucky and other times,,water everywhere. |The last time I used this filter, I cleaned it, put everything back together , put the connector thingy back in and worked great until about 3 days later when I had water everywhere. The filter was sitting in a cabinet and water everywhere, cabinet was wrecked and the floor was soaked. Buy it if you want, but use at your own risk. Its sitting now on a shelf collecting dust. I don't want to sucker anybody to buy this piece of crap. Highly recommend this product to be thrown in the garbage!
I run 3 of these on a 50 gallon planted tank. One is hooked up with an in-line CO2, the other standing alone. Biohome in both. QUIET as it can be. I bought my tank and filters with Waterbox. They are a fantastic source.
Correction…I run 2 of them. That is probably redundant/ overkill enough…
3 is over kill
4:50
Those clamps are a nightmare when you have the filter next to your cabinet and you have toddlers in your house 😂
I was literally scouting through your page yesterday to see if you had a video on this filter as I've just got one myself 😊
Excellent design and has a very convenient flow adjuster on the hook that brings the inlet back into tank.
Got it running on a 125l tank which will have a heavy stock of small community and have set it up like you have just from learning from your other videos.
Great advice as always 👌
I'm glad the video was useful and best of luck with the tank.
I'm really new to fishkeeping, only had a Betta choice til now. I've just bought the 350 and pulling my hair out with reattaching the 'quick 'release' - it either won't lock or it separates into its component parts. No idea how it runs because I can't even attach the hoses! I'm sure this is my fault but the Betta was definitely much easier to get going
Hi, pond guru, dennis hear, it been several years, in-fact before corona virusI last contacted you, you probably don’t remember as I know you deal with loads of people and by the way this video was superb , however I’ve only just watched this video and relive it was done a year ago, so probably in 2022. In the past I have purchased several items from you, I particularly liked the brown bio- ultra media filter ceramic for my filters. Any way I’ve just purchased the whale external filter fir my new 135 litre cichlid aquarium, not yet set it up but after listening to your review which I respect and value, I feel confident this filter will perform well. I’ve gone off Fluval filters . I don’t like their difficult-priming system. Being disabled I need a filers that is simple to set up and easy the clean. Thanks for your valuable info on this filter. Take care, kind regards from Dennis Frankland , disabled ex Army veteran.
(my other channel) Good one - I'm sure the filter will perform well on the cichlid tank if it's only 135 litres.
Feel free to ring any time with questions as I often miss comments on UA-cam.
Best of luck with the new tank and I hope you're keeping well.
I’ve been running a Sicce Whale 200 for a little over a year. Of the 4 canisters I run it is far and away the quietest (the other three are an Oasé Biomaster Thermo 250, UNS Delta 90, UNS Delta 60). It is so quiet, the only way I know it’s running is if I look at the water’s surface and see ripples.
My only complaint about the Whale is the priming feature. Instead of the priming pump being located in the canister itself it’s located inside the intake pipe instead. If you were switch to glass lily pipes you have to find a way to manually prime the system - not ideal, but certainly not impossible.
Priming issue aside, I echo everything mentioned in the video as far as build quality, durability, manufacturing tolerances, etc. which is all really well done. It is every bit as solid as an Oasé but without all the extra bulk - like the design aesthetic of many Italian items, it is sleek, streamlined, but functional. If I remember correctly Sicce is also one of the only manufacturers whose stated flow rate has been calculated/tested with the canister actually full of media. They are also available (or used to be) in a white variant as well.
In the US the 500 model is typically $180-$220, depending on the retailer. Like the UK it is often hit or miss on Amazon. PetCo carries the line, and they frequently offer discounts for opting into their communication opportunities, curbside pickup promos, etc. so this can easily be obtained for well below MSRP.
Also of note is Sicce has a newer line of canister filters, the Space Eko Series. The parameters of each model in the line are slightly different from that of the comparable Whale, and instead of square form factor footprint they are circular. the Space Eko Series *may* be intended to eventually replace the Whale lineup, as I have found the Eko canisters easier to find at times, but that could also just be coincidence.
Will this work on a 75 cichlid tank
@@Byron4343 500? I would def think so. Especially if use really good biomedia - SeaChem Matrix, Sera Siporax, Eheim Substrat Pro, etc. They offer (as far as I know) the most surface area which is what’s most important at the end of the day.
@@williamaaronhicks2198 what tray would I put poly fil and what tray would I put chemical media at
@@Byron4343 if you've not done so already, typically the stack would be, from the bottom tray up, mechanical filtration like sponges and floss, then different layers of biomedia, then any chemical media/filtration you may use. Some people make the mistake of putting floss in the upper most position, but as I understand it (especially in cichlid tanks), is that it can mess with the outflow in ways that having it closer to the bottom does not. I don't necessarily understand that logic - as a clog is a clog is a clog - but that said:
lowest tray - coarse pore sponge (lowest tray/bottom most position), medium pore sponge (lowest tray/second position on top of coarse pore sponge), floss (first tray/third position on top of medium pore sponge - if it fits*, if not...);
second lowest tray - alt floss location (second lowest tray/bottom most position), coarse bio media (second lowest tray/second position - but bottom most position if floss fits in the top of the lowest tray);
each additional tray, as applicable - as much of your primary biomedia as will fit;
top/upper most tray - additional primary biomedia (upper most tray/bottom most position), chemcial media such as Purigen, Charcoal, etc. as applicable (upper most tray/top position).
*re: floss in bottom most tray on top of coarse and medium sponges, I personally don't love the idea of having all the sponges and floss tightly crammed in to a single tray. I think compressing them too much has the potential to restrict water flow even before they begin to become dirty. It seems better in my opinion to put the floss (if it's being used) in the second lowest tray with a moderate amount of coarse biomedia in a media bag on top of it, such that it gives everything a bit more room for less restricted water flow. This is just my personal opinion, and I am no expert.
Good luck! 🙂👍
@@wmahicks I really appreciate the details. I set my filter up wrong but my tank is only running this one filter so I do not want to disturb it at this moment. I do have my mechanical media at the bottom 2 trays then bio rings in the 3rd tray and chemical in the 4th tray with polyfil on top of it. So I'm thinking I should switch tray 3and 4 around. Thanks again for the help.
Your reviews are amazing, always look forward to how you pimp these out, great videos! I am looking for a new canister filter for my 75 gallon tank. Any recommendations would be great!
Another great video, sir. I had someone arguing with me the other day on FB that 30PPI foam had 7-10 times MORE available surface area than the same volume BioHome...
Lol
I'm sure that's true if it was on the internet, lol
The huge problem is that people simply don't use their own mind when deciding if something is real or not and critical thinking seems to be something alien to them.
I still can't believe that nobody else has made a video showing the inside of different filter media to show just how inaccessible or accessible they are for water and therefore for bacteria - instead they just parrot pure nonsense ...... maybe it's the age of 'trust the science' instead of trust people who have actual experience of something or trusting what I see with my own eyes, lol
I did a video a couple of years ago which clearly illustrates how good or poor many types of media is and it shows the external and internal structures of the media types - it is called 'Looking INSIDE Filter Media'.
That would be a good video to link to when people are talking nonsense as it shows clearly the differences.
Thanks for watching, man.
@@pondguru I actually did post a link to that video... but you know some people can't be bothered to study information that contradicts the information they have already accepted.
@@christodd3224 (my other account) lol, that sounds so familiar - just look what happened with the 'virus' narrative and you'll see why people are incapable of independent thought or critical brain function.
All the information has been out there since mid-2020 to blow the virus agenda apart and some people are still walking round suffocating themselves and begging for their next experimental 'therapy' - it would have taken them less than 10 minutes of simple research to save spending the rest of their lives as part of a cult in mass psychosis.
I’d say this in performance will easily compare to a Fluval 407 however the Fluval has had more experience over the years and has a huge advantage in maintenance as it use’s a handle that rises up through the baskets so the internal parts can be removed and replaced as a single unit instead of pulling out baskets one by one..
If it helps anyone I run a fluval 407 with an 2.3 litre EF canister booster. Fluval is packed with all 4 tray of filter media and the booster course, medium and fine foams and 1kg of media. This way I rarely need to clean the main filter (every 3 months or so) and clean the foams with weekly (with tank water when water changes). If I did not have a fluval I would have tried a canister with the whale.
Thank you so much for making this vid,?I was in debate with the Hydor 600 which is around 220 here in the US or this one, Sicce 500, which is around 180, or simply the FX6, the only occupants would be AJ my Green Terror, in a 90 gallon, so in reality the wise choice would be the FX6, with electric and mechanical, thank you once again, I always watch your videos and currently run 2 kilos bio gravel and 1.5 of ultimate for him now….
Great video mate, I'm a huge fan of Sicce products.
Thanks for the video. All of the different filters are very interesting. I just don't understand the use of sintered glass and/or ceramic media. It all clogs and loses efficiency within a very short amount of time. 20-30 PPI foams are a much better choice for bio filtration and are more efficient right off the bat and can easily be given a quick rinse in tank water if they become clogged. Sintered glass/ceramics are impossible to unclog with killing all of the bacteria inside.
As I always say in the videos you're free to use whatever media you want, no worries.
People have been using versions of the Biohome media for over 2 decades with consistently excellent results and I set the filters up to keep the media clean no matter what the chosen media is as it makes cleaning the filter less messy and it prevents the media getting covered in muck which can reduce efficiency but it takes many years to clog the Biohome, even in really dirty conditions - we still have people using the same media commonly after 10-15 years in all types of filters with no cleaning.
However, if a filter is being closed down or the media is moving from fresh to saltwater or vice versa the Biohome can just be baked in a hot oven to burn off organic matter and sterilise it for later use.
If you crack open a piece of Biohome after a few years of use and use a microscope of 200x-400x you will see that the structure is still clean which is unlike most ceramic media and very unlike plastic media where the bacteria need to build up a 'slime' of successive generations to enable it to survive on the media - you don't see that on the Biohome since it is so receptive to bacteria.
Many people get confused between the slime and bacteria and consider the slime to be a good population of bacteria (e.g. on plastic moving bed media) whereas it simply shows that the media is not receptive to bacteria.
I am aware of one guy on UA-cam putting out some incredibly bad information on sintered glass media so maybe that's where your thoughts come from but if you want to test the Biohome of any type against any other media by all means give me a ring and it will be no problem if you want to make some videos for your channel.
@@pondguru I enjoy your videos and have no issue with you. I base my comments on 40 plus years in the hobby. But I freely admit that I have not used your particular media and it could quite possibly be different from every other ceramic/glass media on the market. I am just cautious as most things that seem to good to be true usually are. Have a great day and thanks again for the videos.
@@rantsandreviews (my other account) The video I did a while back called "Looking INSIDE filter media" would be worth a watch as that shows clearly what makes the structure of he Biohome so good compared to many other types of media and stone used as DIY media. If you want me to send any samples of media out just ring me any time to discuss, no worries.
im in the us, i found this at the local fish store. had to see if this was worth it before i buy it, 200 usd is a steal for this size canister. i use the fluval 207 on a small tank and its ok but i like the price point of the sicce. probably going to be my go to for my freshwater tanks in the future. going to be doing a revamp on my 75gal tank and im thinking the whale 500 is going to be apart of that build now.
Nice one - best of luck with the tank.
needs a spray bar and the plastic where the rubber feet go in break easily. very basic and does what it supposed to do.
I've had one for about a year on my 60 gallon cube with my king kamfa flowerhorn an its a champ an very quit
Good one -- I'm glad it's working well for you.
Seriously, you are the f****** awesome. Everything out of your mouth is subject related and boots on the ground solid intel. Thank you. Appreciate your OCD nature as well . I just binge watched all 75 of these filter videos. I'm in the states and I'm having a hard finding this newer internal filter mad3 by sicce . The sicce pro internal filter is held together sectionally with magnets as well as held to the interior wall with a magnet instead of suction cups. I've tried so many filters , 90% of them suck , DIY's is the best way to go. But I've heard so many good things about this company and you are a true tutor. Hopefully you can cover this particular filter in one of your videos . If I can find one that will actually get shipped out in this lifetime of port delays we live in now and aren't out of stock , I'll grab you one , my treat. Keep on , keepin on, reeeeeeespect
I used a smaller one an I needed to use couple bricks under the filter, the hose was short.
If it helps i brought the Whale 200 but it only holds approximately 800g of biohome, slight nuisance as wanted it for a 125 litre tank.
Pmsl great impression
Im thinking getting this size to replace my eheim 2217 on my 180l juwel. Probably about 160l minus the scape. This is only $299 in Aus. I was planning oase biomaster thermo 600 but itcost $740. I was thinking sicce whale 500 with hydor inline heater. Its still $340 cheaper than oase 600. I alrdy have the sicce whale 200 for my 70l shallow and love how easy to remove the pipes n the instant priming itself is awesome.
Good one - just go for whatever works for you. Ultimately the canister filter of any make is just a container for foams and media so as long as you get the correct size and set it up properly it will work well.
A 'cheap' filter set up properly will outperform an expensive filter set up badly every time.
I have both Whale 500 and Fluval 407, Sicce did much better job. 407 is a convoluted design where I believe lot of the water is bypassed at the top, meaning water goes immediately from intake into output. The slot they use to hold sponge is idiotic, remove it and you can fit Fluval Aquaclear 70 sponge in there, pack of 3 is like $10. Fluval substantially louder than the Sicce. And the output nozzle in the aquarium,Fluvial sprays water straight out and makes a ton of noise, everyone told me it makes them want to pee hearing the water. Sicce design allows for a ton of water agitation, but you don't hear the water like a waterfall. So Fluval punk noisy, water output noisy. Sicce is silent. Sicce as you saw here, it's simple filtration design and I have more confidence water is actually being filtered and not being bypassed. Fluval ought to make canisters like the Aquaclear, keep it simple. Whale design may be boring but it makes sense. Fluval overly complicated and questionable if there is lot of bypass or not. I have another Whale on the way to replace. Goldfish poop a lot...On my planted 20 I use a Sicce Eko 200. Same deal, it's quiet, simple, makes sense.
Yeah I must admit the Whale is a lot easier when it comes to cleaning than the fluval, I've had mine for 3 years now and am more than happy with it
Also I wanted to add if you were to run one of those APS boosters on one of these badboys you could donate that bottom tray entirely for more bio media, this is what I did on my fluval 406, its got no mechanical filtration in there I use the APS booster to do all that before the water hits the 406 crystal clear, all the trays in the 406 and the void where the sponge tray used to go is now full with 7kg of bio home.
Additionally to this I run 3 kg of bio gravel mixed in my substrate giving my system a grand total of 10kg of bio home, its a heavily stocked koi grow out tank that previously used to hit anywhere from 300-1000ppm of nitrate before this setup. Just over a year into this setup my nitrates stay at a steady 50ppm, thats an incredible improvement thanks to the bio home media, its cost me alot of money but its producing me some lovely koi for my local fishing lake.
That is a hell of a result, especially with a koi grow out tank as conditions don't get more demanding than that.
Thanks for the feedback and happy fishing.
@@pondguru Its normally got 2-3 koi which I grow out until growth slows at about 10-12 inch then they are released into their lake which has depths of 30ft so the water volume must be insane.
I have since caught one of my fish, which I released in the late spring when the lake water temp reached 18c, I caught the same fish just a couple months later mid summer and it had grown double in size.
The tank currently has two 8inch koi and 5 koi fry from my grandads pond as they had a good spawning this year. Theres also a roach I caught out the river and raised from the size of a tadpole, and 4 goldfish in the tank right now thats 12 fish in total and the system keeps up with it fine.
I recon with just 2-3 goldfish this tank would go to below 10ppm nitrate thanks to your media.
And because of your media, I only water change when the filter needs unclogging which is once a month instead of 3 times a week. Bio home may not be cheap but its worth its weight in gold long term.
Only downside I must say richard is im noticing over time the bio gravel mixed in the substrate is getting smaller and smaller but that may be because my fish are bottom feeders, wearing the media fast. However the bio home media sticks in my filter unit have not degraded at all over the last couple years.
@@pondguru This setup is in a 200 litre tank also, so extremely demanding and not possible without your media.
@@UncalBertExcretes (my other account) That is all great news but surprising that the Biogravel appears to have got smaller as that's something I've not heard of before and it is a very hard media. However if the fish are constantly moving it about the rough edges of the biogravel (which are sand grains) could get worn and reduce the size a bit.
12 demanding fish in a 200 litre is indeed a heavy bioload and I'm impressed with the results.
@@ThousandYardStare Its definitely the bottom feeding fish wearing my bio gravel, Ive had the stuff in filter for a couple years none of it has worn out. Its those pesky carp digging and pigging around.
Being italian I was fully expecting it to be a stylish, good looking filter which it is. But will it be italian when it comes to electronics? Lets hope its italian by design/style only. We could do without running Fiats and Alfa's as the heart and lungs of our fish tanks, we need toyota hilux do a million miles without a rebuild jobby.
Italian pumps are much better than they used to be and I know exactly where you're coming from with regard to reliability - Anything made in Italy used to be all style and no substance but the last few years have seen a real change with greater reliability while maintaining the good looks.
@@pondguru When GM took over Fiat there was a massive improvement in quality and GM arnt exactly a quality car brand themselves lol
@@UncalBertExcretes FIAT = Fix It Again Tomorrow.
Someone few months ago on face book did a post saying plastic pot scrubbers has lot more surface area then bio home lol was arguing with him about it he wasn’t having any but think I shut him up lol
For media, have you tried using these plastic pot scrubbers from the dollar store? How does it compare to the media you are using?
As far as available surface area goes there is no comparison since the pot scrubbers have an extremely low available surface area compared to Biohome and other good porous media.
Added to that there is no protected surface area on (in) pot scrubbers so they have no chance of supporting anaerobic bacteria for natural nitrate processing.
In a system with pot scrubbers used as 'media' there will always be high nitrate and in a system which uses seachem prime there will also almost always be high nitrate.
When 'prime' is used the bacteria are starved down to such a small population (since it locks up the 'food' bacteria needs to prosper) so in that situation it makes no difference to water tests if you have Biohome or pot scrubbers in the filters as the nitrate will always be high due to the damaging effects of prime.
Unfortunately there are many 'tests' online where people use Biohome and other types of media including foams and pot scrubbers where the test results are all the same (high nitrate) but look at what type of water conditioner was used in those 'tests' - it is seachem prime so the results were obviously all going to be the same.
The most disappointing 'test' I've seen in recent years is from Kaveman Aquatics. He didn't use anywhere near the recommended amount of Biohome and also used seachem prime for 80% weekly water changes on his cichlid tank.
I could have saved him the time and expense of doing that fake test if he had only contacted me beforehand - I would have told him it had no chance of reducing nitrate with the parameters he used for the 'test'. What was the result of the test? it didn't reduce the nitrate and therefore 'was no better than pot scrubbers'. That level of ignorance of the biological filtration is very frustrating but it happens all the time.
Now he's a (paid) 'ambassador' for seachem, claiming that the low quality pumice sold as 'matrix' and prime is resulting in perfect water and still doing 80% weekly water changes to keep the water 'right' - to anyone capable of thought that tells you that the filter is effectively dead as far as active bacteria goes but unfortunately most people don't think today, they just follow whatever popular channels say. No wonder most people have ridiculous levels of nitrate and a cabinet full of unnecessary treatments.....
However, I must say that Kaveman Aquatics has a fantastically manicured beard which I will never emulate - mine always looks redneck no matter what I do to it.
On a serious note I will put a few links below to posts I did on my channel where viewers took it upon themselves to comment with their results when using Biohome - scroll through the comments on there and you'll see many people who have used the recommended amount of media and changed from using prime to using a normal conditioner (e.g. API stress coat) and the great results they've achieved.
ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxFdgRRt6GxA1o3ffDzsF5dbOaB5xAuoFX
ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxtEkJp-Ot-sr43DtEwMtd6ReLzSK2yQD6
The last link is a study from Athens university on the 'community' page which shows a ridiculously high level of nitrate processing when Biohome was used in the test (they didn't use 'prime').
There is also a long post taken from my FilterPro website which explains the difference between Germ Theory (which everyone is taught in the schooling system) and Terrain Theory (which nobody is taught in the schooling system) - you'll appreciate why nobody is taught Terrain Theory when you read this post as it relates directly to filtration: ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxQR8CbpF8GxMbWmhjBk88kKKngpvo6d3G
I hope you have the attention span to read this reply to your comment and check out (read and understand) the links.
Thanks for watching and appreciating the videos and best of luck with your tank.
@@pondguruwow. Didn’t expect such a lengthy reply and so in depth. I greatly appreciate it. I’ll take a look at the links and research on prime. 😊
@@Jlui83 (my other channel) No worries, any time and best of luck with the tank.
YESSSS!!!! Just scored a brand new whale 200 today, brand new, still in the box , never touched or returned from a petco , on clearance for $36.54 with tax. They have one more and I think bigger ones hiding in the back . They also have half a dozen shark 600 hiding on the back only because they have no place to put them. A petco a two states away went out of business. For whatever reason their entire inventory was shipped to this location. This happened months ago , they tried putting the sicce filters out on shelves but people here are stupid and have no idea the quality this company is known for. They make renown industrial sub pumps for nuclear power plants and a bunch of other things for all sorts of applications. A huge part of their reputation is how quiet their products are for urban applications. I'm not to impressed with the shark pro, th3 original Sharks are much better in my opinion but my baby turtles will disagree. They exercise swing against the strong current of the shark but prefer the gentle in & out of the shark pro . Its rectangular and I use it on its side just below water surface. I call it their toilet log . They love when I put the heat lamp above it. Now they have everything they need in one spot.... knuckle heads. Anyway I'll gladly update this comment and tell you my opinion on the whale 200. Lol, it's so tiny and compact and can already tell it's gonna be a tight little dependable ally in the fight against filth . It's the only canister filter I've ever had where the trays actually Lego on to each other and stay there. Every f******* CF Filter, the god***** trays are warped or just not cut correctly and it's sooooooo frustrating because that's literally what matters most. If those trays are compromised than what's the point. You're better off just spending 50 bucks at the hardware store for a small pump the can turn 400gph , rig it to a fine filter sock stuffed inside a durable, matching sized water bottle with a couple holes poked on the bottom . Even stuff that again with bacteria media or filter floss and make it an internal filter. It's quiet , your tan' will never look better and yo7 don5 hav3 to worry about coming h9me on3 day to that nightmare scenario of water everywhere. Anyway..... I have faith in this tiny whale . And know this petco manager is giving gold away on clearance to make room for Big Pet Bull****
good video, new sub
Hello, I’m sorry for asking. But do you be so kind of providing the o-ring of the propeller? Today started to make noise and I can’t find the seal. Thank you.
The specifications. 😅
Sorry, I don't sell any filters or spares - just the foams and filter media to go in them.
Thank you for your time. If you can, when you have time, can you measure and send me the information? I can try to find a replacement with that information.
🍀
Another great video
Have you done a ALLPONDSOLUTIONS ef-150 400L/H external filter.? Looking to use this for a small tank.. But unsure how Best to set it up with bio home.
If it was put up against the oase biomaster 600..?
I find it funny that we Americans are using a measurement system you developed and have abandoned for something better.
I don’t have any clue…. But I imagine we need expend trillions and trillions of dollars to change to mm, manuals, laws, regulations, etc.
Crazy
That’s pronounced “See-chay”. 😊 (Italian)
Thanks for the confirmation - I'll use that pronunciation from now on.
What do you think of the hydra filtron 1500 canister filter they have some special catridges hydra pur u would be cool if you can do a revieuw about these filter i have one and i must say they are not bad
Sorry, I have a video shot on the 1800 which I really need to get edited and uploaded - I will make that the next one.
@@pondguru really cool men i appreciate :)
Hoping someone can help me out.. New to aquariums.. Have a 125 gallon and have been considering a Fluval fx6.. Seems the whale 500 is better.. Iam considering two due to wanting Africian cichlids/ aggressive..see a lot of comments compare to the 407 but not the fx6.. recommendations please ?
What canister filters would you recommend for a 180 gallon tank stocked with south american cichlids?
(my other channel) Since you're working in gallons I'm assuming that is US gallons?
If so then 180 US gallons works out at approx. 684 litres and allowing 2kg of media per 100 litres for a heavily stocked tank would require around 13kg of media if you're trying to achieve a full cycle.
There is really only one filter which will hold that much and it's the Eheim XL15000.
Ideally you'd have a sump on a tank that big if it is heavily stocked.
Been waiting on this video. Would you think this is overkill for a 40 gallon breeder community tank. Been debating btw this and oase. Thanks!
I’m also considering this for a 40 breeder. Did you end up getting it? Impressions? I’m looking for a high flow tank.
@@tomfasano9082 Hello, I did buy one but returned it. Ended up with Oase 350. I use it with a powerhead for flow as it just doesn't produce enough alone. Filtering capacity is great though. The sicce wasn't as easy to maintain but it was whisper silent and offered decent flow.
Hmm… maybe no good then for my intended use. I want to create a very high flow tank. I may try an FX4 or FX6 instead.
@@tomfasano9082 That's what I would recommend. Definable not going to give you the high flow rate I think your looking for. The FX would. I've had the fluval 207 in past and worked great.
Thanks!
I've had a Whale 350. And my experience has not been as fantastic as some report.
The good: I like the design of the inlet and outlet, the supplied pipe. Pity those little suction pads keep falling off. Also, it's pretty compact, only slightly taller than the pump it replaces, a old Eheim Professional 150T. They don't make Thermo's that small anymore. Output, it is runs, is decent. I noticed that it coped much better than old one with the aquarium. The priming mechanism isn't bad either. The Sicce service is functional, although it helps when you want parts not on sale, and less when you seek advice.
The bad: the hose connector, I managed 3 cleans after which the mechanism that should open/close the water flow failed. Almost impossible to open, and when pushed close, water would still pass. I also didn't like that if you tilt the filter a little, water comes out of the head. And compared to the eheim, it is noisy. I added some rubber on the axle of the impeller, and that helped, and yes, it gets better after a couple of days, but there's a low freq hum that is easy to hear. The eheim was so silent I had to either feel if it was running, or look at the flow coming out. And even when pressed to the cabinet wall, nothing. I also noticed that the flow can leak, after the first clean, I notice muck in the biological media, turned out 2 corners of one basket were bent inwards. And, surprise, you can't order spare baskets. After some email exchanges, I got them anyway. But you must be careful when stacking.
So after 2 wet filter changes, it managed a very large puddle on change number 3. And I could not get it to run dry, water dripping all over the place. So I had to fit my old 150T back, which, despite being in storage, without any kind of care, ran perfectly after putting in some mechanical filtering and using most of the bio media from the whale. And even with one of the axle rubber tips half gone (as I used it to silence the whale), it was still quieter than the whale. But I can now hear it run, even if I have to be close to hear it.
All of this turned me right off Sicce. I'm back to Eheim, got me a Pro II thermo, even though I had to get another aquarium cabinet to fit it. So I'm going to use that, full of biomedia and use a sunsun 602 as a prefilter. Eheim might not be impressive in their latest outings and yes, highly priced as always, but their parts supply is excellent, experiences, documentation etc... all good and the Pro II looks well built to me. My 150T is about 20 years old and runs as if it was just taken from its box. Design wise, the hose to filter connector is horrible, the water flow in the head is odd. I find it noisy, but when i gave that comment to a reviewer of the filter I was all but called a liar. I might have received a wonky item, but as I suspect most will not, I don't have the budget to try different filters, and I need a filter to keep my fish healthy, I can't know for sure, because I am not trying a second, my CFO would not consider that a wise expenditure. Generally, Eheim and JBL seem reasonably safe bets, so that's where I'm heading.
One last word on the Thermo, I've noticed that generally these inline heaters are lower power than externals. With the Sicce, I added a JBL 500 external heater, and it seemed to struggle more on temp than the 150w of the 150T to keep my 200Litres at a stable temp. Could it be that heating water in a smaller enclosure is more efficient than heating the whole aquarium? Again, I'm not in position to test, but just something I noticed. This being another reason to go back to a Eheim thermo. I tried the Aquel inline heater, an absolute disaster. After 2 hrs, still not at the right temp. The JBL pro temp 500 was better, but the 150T was much much better. If I hadn't found this Pro 2, I most likely would go for a Oase Biomaster. But no Sicce for me. If it works for you, I'm happy, but wanted to share the experience. First and foremost, the filter should work, and work in way you trust. Sicce has lost my trust, Eheim has reaffirmed my trust in that brand.
Ya it's small, definitely not a whale size 😁😂
Why is the bio home filter media so expensive?
The manufacturing process is long and complicated but results in an internal structure unlike any other media - a good video to check out is 'Looking INSIDE filter media' - most people don't bother to take a CLOSE look at the different types of media as it's easier to just claim all sorts of nonsense. The eyes don't lie so after watching that video you'll hopefully see what makes it so special.
The real question should be "Why the hell is the poor quality pumice sold as 'matrix' so expensive?", lol
@@pondguru lol thank you
@@pondguru matrix is cheaper here in u,s
What happens to your thumb mate
I split the nail right down the centre and it now looks like a zombie nail with bits falling off so I covered it up to keep it clean and prevent the video getting an x-rating.
I may have to just pull it off and hopes it grows back.
I have the whale 200. What a pieve of junk tbh. Had a lot of filters and i think this is the worst one ive ever had
Thanks for the feedback - it's always useful to get reports whether they are good or bad since user experience is way more important than anything I say in these videos.
I lowballed a guy and never thought he would accept. 40 bucks. I had to buy it when he said yes.
Open box the housing on the top has a crack but I think it's superficial and I can glue or use fiberglass strips to completely join it perfectly.
Being a marine guy I don't mess with canisters much. How feasible would this be for a small outdoor pond? I would have to build a little house for it I assume.
(my other channel) Proper pond filters would be much more suitable for pond use and if it's a small pond you could get an all-in-one pond filter which sits on the bottom of the pond quite cheaply.