Asking questions and supporting your web site, one particular question about diatomaceous earth filters 07/20/2008 I certainly do not mind supporting your web site for the opportunity of asking questions now and then without first having to search the web and your web site. I can appreciate your not wanting to answer the same question a number of different times. But if I did ask a question to which the answer is found on the web or your web site, would I get a bona fide answer? <Always> Can I support your web site using PayPal rather than a credit card? <Mmm, yes... there's a link to such (PP) at the bottom of most pages ("Donate")> Do you directly or indirectly "connect" support payments with how you respond to a question? <Never> I want to be fair with you. Is there some typical amount per question that you consider appropriate for your consultation? <Mmm, no... if folks want to contribute, that's fine... if they either lack funds, or figure that the help should be gratis...> I am seeking answers appropriate to my probably unique set-up. I am not a typical hobbyist. I'm past middle age and, within reason, I don't let a detail like cost get in the way of enhancing my only have tank. It is a 400 gallon, heavily planted, lightly stocked, automatically supplemented, freshwater aquarium that has been in continuous operation about 7 years. About a fourth of this volume is in the several different filter systems that are remote from the display tank. Algae is not generally a serious problem but rather is a nuisance since I go to great lengths of control phosphates, but when I have a problem, it is a big problem. From this brief description, I hope you can appreciate my frustration with typical articles and answers that are for smaller, less stable tanks. <I can... do realize that the breadth of "topics" for ornamental aquatics is indeed huge... I will never be able to assemble reasonable, complete, ready "answers" to all in my lifetime... Thank goodness for the "Net"... capacity for listing, linking> Now my questions. Does diatomaceous earth contain phosphates and silicates that would enhance algae growth and therefore be a filter medium that you would not recommend for a planted tank? <Mmm, no appreciable phosphate... one guaranteed analysis: Chemical composition: SiO2-90.7%; Al2O3-3.8%; Fe2O3-1.3%; CaO-0.4%; MgO-0.43%; TiO2-0.20% K2O-Na2O-2.5%; Or Wiki's: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous earth The Silica/te/s not of concern either... in fact, there are proponents of "feeding" such to marine, fresh, planted systems. The only downside of DE use might be some possibility of the powder getting loose in your system... but I assure you, having owned, used Vortex/Innerspace's "jar" units many times, over decades... that this exposure is apparently not harmful. Cheers, Bob Fenner>

Filter Feeders Died After Using Filter  - 01/09/2006 Hi. I have a 55 gallon tank that I use a vortex filter on about once a month or so to polish the water.  It has always worked   great.  Recently I added several bamboo shrimp to the tank, as well as a clam and a muscle.  They were thriving and doing great for over   a month until I ran the Vortex on it.  Within days of running it, I lost two of the shrimp, and the clam.  I was thinking that this might   have been due to the Vortex taking out all of their food supply. Do you think this could be what happened?  If so, is there something   you would recommend that I could add to the tank right after to   replenish the filter feeder's food supply? thanks for the help. Keep up the great work,-Ed < All of the animals you lost are filter feeders. Your Vortex filter is extremely efficient. I think your hunch is probably right that the filter is removing the food supply for these animals. Any type of food that you would need would defeat the purpose of the Vortex filter and result in fine particles of food floating around the tank. You might try taking some fish food and crushing it up into a powder. Add some water to make it into a runny soup type mixture. Take an eye droppers and squirt this mixture right at the filter feeders once a day. I am sure the other fish will eat any excess.-Chuck>