Pimp My Filter #55 - Oase Biomaster 850 Thermo Canister Filter

[@pondguru]

Oase Biomaster Thermo 850 (amazon): geni.us/Yzrg3UG Oase Biomaster Thermo 850 (ebay): ebay.us/7U6j4n Foams and Biohome Ultimate: www.filterpro.co.uk (FilterPro site has links to suppliers in other countries) White overflow pipe (21.5mm OD): geni.us/Fo9CqU (Or go to your local DIY store) Biomaster Pre-filter foams (Coarse 30PPI): geni.us/zABv Biomaster Pre-filter foams (Medium 45PPI): geni.us/LnZYLeB Biomaster Pre-filter foams (fine 60PPI): geni.us/L7lL Follow me on Odysee: odysee.com/$/invite/@PondGuru:0 The Oase Biomaster 850 canister filter is well designed, has excellent contact area for mechanical filtration in the removable 'pre-filter' and a decent provision for biological filtration - 5kg of Biohome Ultimate easily fit in this filter. Since it holds at least 5kg of biohome ultimate it is really suited to normally stocked tanks of up to 500 litres (132 US gallons) or heavily stocked tanks of up to 250 litres (61 US gallons) if you want to achieve a full cycle but bear in mind that the heater is 400W which makes it suitable for a tank up to 400 litres (105 US Gallons). 'Official' Oase Biomaster Canister Filter video: bit.ly/2OEkkVb 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. 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: [e-mail] 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 to anyone interested in learning more about filtration, bacteria and making the conditions for your fish as good as possible: 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 If you've enjoyed this video please check out the playlists on my channel for hundreds more - on a variety of subjects. Feel free to share or link any of my videos anywhere online for the benefit of anyone you think may also enjoy watching. See you next time. Pondguru

[@ukbushcraft7533]

Hi I have an oase bitron 25 and the end caps what connects the bulb the wire keeps coming out and shorting the electricity any ideas

[@KarunakaranNaresh]

Please check this channel father fish old time fish keeper:- kzbin.info

[@pondguru]

@@ukbushcraft7533 Other than stripping down the fitting and seeing if you can secure it better there isn't anything which springs to mind. It could be that the fitting is corroded so may need replacing. Oase should have spares if it does need replacing.

[@CrazyAquariumGuy]

You are the only one that use cannister that I know or atleast seen. That makes us Mates for Aquarium/Pond Mates for Life. Chefers Mate! 🍻

[@PeterKnopp-ih8ie]

@@pondguru seems Oase finally listened

[@GeorgeFarmerStudios]

Thanks for the shout out!

[@pondguru]

No worries and keep up the great work, man. Google doesn't send me any notifications and constantly unsubs me from the channels I am subbed to but I've seen loads of your videos and you do a cracking job - I really like any channels which produce educational videos.

[@praveena6217]

I received my filter today and looks like someone from Oase watched this video. They have upgraded the pre filter with very coarse foam and now the tube goes out side as mentioned in this video so definitely bigger and holes are very large and all around

[@pondguru]

That is great to hear but I don't know why it took them so long for the pipe change since it's such a simple and effective change.

[@ashras99]

@praveena6217, from which country you purchased, and whats the manufactured/import date of the same ? can you pls. share

[@pdperformance1]

Does yours flow much water? My 850 barely moves the water in my 75 gallon tank.

[@paulmarmion358]

Great video....one point I would like to share with you, I had two 600s running in a 450 lt tank great filters but one problem to watch out for please make sure when you clean the main filter make sure when you turn filter on again only turn on the filter and not the heater at the same time, make sure the filter is running again before you turn on the heater because there is a big chance that the heater melts the inside of the filter rendering the filter useless the next time you try and clean the filter all the baskets are melted together, this happened to me on one of the 600 s which I had to replace it, it was only 2 months old so expensive mistake. I did ring oase but they didn’t want to do everything about it saying it was my fault.

[@BOOMBABY2020]

unlucky bud ...i guess we can all learn from your experience ,so thank you for posting

[@Sean-ll5cm]

That sounds like a design flaw IMO. I'm noticing that a lot of people are finding customer service pretty poor with Oase... Worries me a bit because I don't want to pay a lot of money without the peace of mind knowing that the company will pay up if something goes wrong.

[@akosiamarillo]

Always prime the filter first before plugging it. This fills up the filter with water, safe to plug it in.

[@ManicMindTrick]

I never understood why aquarium heater just doesn't have some heat fail-safe. If you leave a plugged-in heater above water it will overheat and get damaged or in this case damage the filter. How hard can it be?

[@UhOhPopcorn]

@@ManicMindTrick don’t know, you better get to work

[@TheMrKimmel]

In case someone haven’t mentioned it, you can buy different sponges for the prefilter,, fine, medium etc so you can select your preferred sponge for your needs

[@johnchambers1573]

@pondguru the biomaster pro has the pre-filter pipe with multiple hole's and clearish grey pipes and new head design for moving trapped air. And 20% more water flow.

[@pondguru]

Yup, it only took them over 4 years to make those obvious changes, lol The frustrating thing was that Oase were telling anyone who asked them about the plan to drill more holes in their pipe that it may void their warranty - then Oase did exactly that for the 'pro' version. Sometimes I wonder what the 'scientists' who work for these companies get paid for as it's a simple 1:1- more water in = more water out.

[@johnchambers1573]

@@pondguru yeah they could have done it sooner

[@emerson_biggins2626]

I just love how you knew all those years ago. Maybe some of these filter manufacturers should send you prototypes before release.​@pondguru

[@pondguru]

@@emerson_biggins2626 The unfortunate thing is that when I still had the shop I was talking to the head of Oase UK about the Biorb upgrade I proposed to them (for free) and also offered to help develop a series of filters with them (for free). They weren't interested but to be fair they did a good job with the Biomaster filters - it's just a shame that it took 5 years to make the filters into something that they should have been upon initial release. The air bubble issue and lack of flow are two negative points which were discussed widely online and will certainly have had an effect on the amount of filters sold but hopefully the rectification of those problems will result in more uptake of the Biomaster filters. Their technicians / designers should have known that when the intake of the pump is limited it will directly affect the amount of water the pump can move back to the tank and I sometimes wonder what some of those people get paid for, lol

[@callumthorsen5474]

With the exception on the mechanical foams and the first filtermedia tray you could cut the bottoms of the rest of the trays out and glue them together to the first filtermedia tray to make one big compartment for filter media and get quite a bit more in

[@JoeyPierce]

It's ironic oase new version now has bigger holes. I added ceramic media with the plastic ones but I'm worried I've packed it out too much and hindering flow rate

[@pondguru]

The flow in a filter will be slowed down when pads or foams become clogged and unless media is very small and tighly packed in it won't slow the flow down. With the likes of the Biohome Ultimate (as used in this video) the water flows freely around it and flow is not affected.

[@simonhedderwick4516]

What ever happened to the mega pond filter build? Don't think I saw the end of it??

[@superwhitesuperbright7740]

Thanks for the excellent review and advice. Just to clarify for folk, the overflow pipe you used is 21.5mm in the description but described as 20mm in the review. Don't go hunting for 20mm pipe without reading the description like I did. :)

[@oxon8871]

21.5 outer diameter, 20mm inner.

[@weldereiss7289]

so nice to find something worth watching on my feed just lately! thank you

[@pondguru]

I'm glad you found the video useful - thanks for watching.

[@weldereiss7289]

@@pondguru It's always a pleasure fella , thanks for the other media too! gna have to get more from you on payday and throw out more of the ceramics I've sworn by for 21 years (!)

[@pondguru]

@@weldereiss7289 Good one - I always love when anyone gets their filtration properly set up. Best of luck with the tank.

[@markbrierley3831]

Greenaqua suggested the same thing about the pre filter pipe , maybe oase should listen to people . Great video .

[@ravimaskar4110]

Se

[@lshrock7789]

You have so much knowledge. We are glad you are willing to do the videos you do. I hope you get the chance to make a filter that doesn't need pimped up.

[@RS_]

Love your videos, man! Ive already pimped two of my filters (Eheim and Fluval ) exactly like you have suggested.. But not sure if I would want to go with your recommendations regarding Oase Biomaster prefilter foam... Sure fine foam in prefilter will clog more quickly, but its so easy to clean- and this is the main point . Changing the prefilter foam to a medium will make you to open the filter itself more often just to replace / clean the fine media inside . I think i'd rather clean the prefilter twice a month, but dont need to clean the rest of the filter for 2-3 months.

[@dennisvanopstal7360]

I noticed i dont open the biomasters for a whole year !

[@kamikazi3279]

If you have the patience you can fit 1kg in a tray. I managed to fit 4kg of Bihome Ultimate in my 600 version. Regarding the prefilter, I drilled extra holes as well but I love the fact that the 600 have finer sponges. I use a coarse sponge on the intake(this way I prevent my shrimps to be sucked in). I clean it weekly when I do water changes and the fines ones from the prefilter once a month. When I opened the filter after one year, I didn't even have to change the fine pad. Best filter ever.

[@justintechnic1995]

What kind of fine pad do you use? Gauge/floss or the original pads provided by Oase? What’s your fish / plant load for the tank you are running with your 600? I do have gauze in mine and find I do have to change regularly (whenever I get around to it 😁) despite weekly pre filter changes. It’s a great filter but not a miracle worker lol? But if you are running it on a shrimp tank with low waste load then that might make sense?

[@kamikazi3279]

@@justintechnic1995 sorry for the late response. I have that filter for a heavily stocked community tank: 10 Cory sterbai, 12 full red cardinals, 16 lambchops rasboras, 5 panda gara(btw amazing fish) , a couple of amano + bamboo shrimps,a lot of guppies, RCS - decent number but hard to count and a lot of trumpet snails (I throw away every month a lot of them). I used in the bottom drawer the orange sponge that was initially for the top compartment ( the one that is half size) and for the fine pads I bought from JBL filter floss (Symec).

[@andrewelliott1939]

@ Justin Technic, Are you still having to do weekly water changes? I thought that part of the idea of Biohome is that, after several months, the anaerobic bacteria handle the nitrates so much fewer water changes.

[@johnburbidge4371]

Great video, thank you for the well thought out rundown of the filter. I have a weird issue where I've setup my Oase 850 closely to how you've suggested where filtration is on the bottom. When you review the media trays at 14:40 you see they have a 30 PPI sponge on the top tray and four trays of 20 PPI sponges followed by the two trays of plastic filter media. You then discuss how the water flows from the bottom tray up through the top and recommend a medium pad and a fine pad on the bottom tray, BioHome media in the next 4 trays and leaving the 30 PPI sponge in place. I did that and what I'm finding is all the guck is showing up in the top PPI sponge and hardly any in the bottom tray. I looked at their website and it looks like their latest diagrams has water flowing through the top, through to the bottom then back up through the top. I agree this seems counter intuitive but would explain why my bottom sponges are basically clean. Am I doing something wrong or do you think this video needs correction and the media should be on the bottom trays similar to how Oase recommends? When I first looked at a water flow diagram it looked like it flowed from the bottom to the top but today their diagram suggests it's coming from the top. This image: cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2964/8010/products/77116_02_540x.jpg?v=1605904654 From this page: store.oase-usa.com/products/oase-biomaster-850 Anyway, thanks for the work you put into this and any feedback you can provide.

[@colbydebolt518]

The flow in the photo goes down and back up the prefilter, then it goes down the side of the main housing and back up the inside of the trays and out the outlet. The medium and fine filters go in the bottom tray to catch all the muck so there is no muck in all the bio media. I don’t have this 850 yet but I did my FX4 after watching his video for that. I just opened it up and all my bio media looked brand new, just had to change out the fine filter right on the top and put it all back together. I probably could have left that FX4 for another 6 months 😂 I was surprised how clean it was. But I also added a large coarse prefilter sponge to the intake inside my aquarium which I remove and clean off every water change along with the floss in my HOB Tidal I have packed with only floss to polish the water which is once a week. If I use medicine in the tank I turn off the FX4 so I don’t kill all the bacteria. Then when I’m done with the medicine I take the floss out of the HOB and replace it with all carbon for 24 hours, replace the carbon for another 24 hours then put floss back in and turn the FX4 back on.

[@DeformedDevices]

The prefilter pipe is the same as the spray bar so it's easier for manufacturing. Great hack to easily upsize it

[@josemontalvo4532]

I live in Valrico, Florida. Where is my closet dealer? Would a 600 Oase Canister Filter be the right size for a 75 Gallon Aquarium? Thank you for sharing.

[@pondguru]

I've no idea where your nearest dealer is unfortunately since I live in the UK but there should be a dealer list on the US version of Oase's website. The 600 will be fine for a normally stocked 75 US gallon (285 litre) tank but if the stock is greater than a normal set up (e.g. cichlids, discus, goldfish would be classed as heavy stock) then the 850 would be a better choice since it easily holds 5kg of media

[@alexalb2012]

Oase did made a biomaster facelift, they changed the prefilter outlet for a new one with a lot of big holes, far away from what they gave with first version.

[@pondguru]

That is good to see and it only took them 2+ years, lol I posted a picture of the new pipe on the 'community' page of my channel a few weeks ago.

[@michellegraham4628]

Bloody fantastic video mate. Just embarking on a new 315litre planted tropical tank and you have helped my filter decision making immensely. Quite pricey here is Australia but do it once do it right!

[@shaunwarriner2950]

I've tried all this filter pimping with bio Holm what I have found is deep pourous substrate and live plants do the full cycle

[@elmee96]

Yupp a well planted tank is the best nitrate control. I have one tank with only sponges in my filter. I need to dose nitrate to keep my plants healthy. I like pondguru, but sometimes the "pimp my filter for 0 nitrates" is a bit silly...

[@ManicMindTrick]

The best nitrate reducer I found besides fast growing stem plants is Epipremnum aureum and similar above-water clinging plants. So if you have a non planted tank and want very low nitrates without constant water changes get these types of plants.

[@stevesmith6022]

Hi Richard please can you recommend a good water conditioner I’ve been looking but not successful great videos by the way

[@ThousandYardStare]

(my other channel) Basically anything but Prime since that one has a pronounced starving / retarding effect on the bacteria population. I made a video specifically on water conditioners here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z4qmpYCPj7afn8k and anything which doesn't mess with the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate will be fine (e.g. API Stress Coat, Tetra Aquasafe and any 'normal' water conditioners)

[@truthfactreality6814]

If you use the blue foams on the pre filter it’s better. Just rinse once a week or so. I have 3 biomasters and they are great. Would like a better flow rate though if I’m honest.

[@karensmart5818]

Starting a Discus tank. Brilliant video, will certainly be pimping up the OASE 850 Thermo. Another video on water conditioners would be really helpful.

[@RealCptHammonds]

How's it going with your 850 Thermo? I'm in the market and am thinking about getting a 850 Thermo for my 225 gallon freshwater that I'm picking up next week. I'm concerned the heater may not be enough watts based on my 225 gallon tank, but I keep my house at about 66-68 degrees here in central Florida, so perhaps you'll give me your thoughts on that too.

[@matsgundersen8812]

Hi pondguru. Is there any documentation and or scientific records regarding this biohome media that remove nitrate? Im asking since you in your videos only refer to the feedback from the people who have bought it. I wold like to see the actual science behind the product, because if there is anaerobic bacteria on the inside of the media, how can the water flow fast enough through it to denitrify as fast or faster then the aerobic bacteria produces the nitrates? And where are the carbon compounds needed for the nitrate oxidation? I don’t want to be rude, but i wold think it would be some sort of documentation for the way this proses work in this media if the product does what you say it does.

[@truthfactreality6814]

It works like tightly packed sand bed

[@CrazyAquariumGuy]

If I have to ask for one more thing, your videos would be perfect. Always show INTAKE AND OUTTAKE. That is always a factor that I also weigh in when I choose between different cannister filters.

[@teaforthree1]

Great video as always Richard, but I’m gonna be a bit argumentative. I use a 600T on a 126 litre community tank. Deliberate massive over filtration. I love the fine sponge on the prefilter AND the small pipe with not many holes. Why? Well the flow is more than enough for the size of my tank. I clean the prefilter weekly, I have spare sponges so just swap them, clean the mucky ones for next week. So I never have to touch the main filter body. Super quick easy maintenance. The trays are full of Biohome Ultimate I got from you, never need cleaning.

[@jorkeggels52]

do you use a filter pad (the white one) in the bottom?

[@carmo55511]

That's true enough for your tank but this is for the ones that aren't 👍 I know what you're saying but this filter will likely be used for far bigger tanks than you have and it's therefore designed to handle those AND yours 😀

[@FpsMeraki]

Ive got 5kg in the 600 version if you pack it all in nicely. This will definitely hold more than 6kg without a doubt.

[@rdh67dh]

Thank you for advicing me in another post. I just bought this one for my 240 liter goldfish tank. 👍

[@pondguru]

No worries and that sounds good to me - best of luck with the tank.

[@tropicaltanklover2160]

I use Biohome and it works as a filter media-judged by fish being healthy. However, I have just replaced the Biohome in one of my 2 Biomasters for the following reasons. 1. It is beginning to deteriorate or at least it leaves a red sandy residue at the bottom of my filter and worry that it may be pushing it upwards through the impeller. 2. It is extremely heavy- the Biomaster is not light with just water alone, but this is too much like weight training 3. I wanted to increase flow through my filter and so wanted a less restrictive media 4. I have a heavily planted gravel tank so bacteria is everywhere assisting in filtration 5. watched kaveman aquatics video of his overstocked Cichlid tank with a cheap filter media 6. Read loads on ukaps site about benefits or otherwise of expensive media So now, filter media, are the foams that came with the Oase and plastic pot scrubbers. If the fish die off or the tank crashes, or the water parameters go off, I promise to revisit this comment.

[@ThousandYardStare]

(my other channel) In similar way to movement in transit the media can produce a fine 'dust' which is simply fine sand generated by media being rubbed together - usually when cleaning and since it is red that is very noticeable compared to 'dust' generated from more natural coloured porous media. The filter you have has the pump in the top so there's no chance of any fine sand (which is heavier than water) being drawn up through the filter into the pump. If you have a well planted tank then swapping from a high quality porous media capable of supporting a nation of bacteria for plastic / foams or hard ceramic rings will be no problem so I wouldn't expect to see any shock to the fish. Filtration is relevant to the situation and if you've got a well planted tank with a few fish the filtration can be minimal and still achieve water conditions considered 'good' by 90% of people - even if you've got a normally stocked tank and are happy to have high nitrate controlled by regular water changes (or artificially masked by the likes of 'prime') then that's all good too. The filtration only needs upgrading if you've got a lot of fish and are sick of large regular water changes to control the nitrate and keep conditions stable. Achieving a full natural cycle isn't something everyone aims for so the filtration can be as varied as the fish in the tank - just use what works for you and whatever you're happy with. If you're in the UK and ever want to ask anything just ring me any time, no worries - that's why I give my phone number out in all the video descriptions 07772848730 Regards, Richard

[@russelayers5802]

Im using the 600 on my 65 gallon. If flow goes from the bottom to the top, shouldn’t the media be on top not on the bottom as it shows in the instructions. I switched it. I have Poly Floss on the bottom and the rest of the baskets are full of Seachem Matrix. I also used the spray bar for a few months. I just removed it because the flow wasn’t enough and I was getting algae. Thank you for the informative videos you have put out.

[@pondguru]

The 'media' Oase has for culturing bacteria is the foams and the hel-x in the bottom tray is to catch muck - unless the hel-x is in a moving bed it will hold almost no bacteria since plastic is a hostile environment for bacteria to colonize. If you're using low quality pumice ('matrix)in the trays then it will do a decent job, certainly better than ordinary gravel and as long as the stock is sensible the results should be OK - you should certainly have no ammonia or nitrite in the tank. As long as you avoid using any conditioners which mess with the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate which will starve the bacteria (e.g. prime) then the filter should work at the efficiency dictated by the quality of the media. Sometimes the pumice sold as 'matrix is OK and other times it is filled with useless grey or black rocks so it's very much a lucky dip.

[@rajadey4919]

​@@pondguruSo you are recommending not to use any water conditioner to remove chlorine, heavy metal stuff..ect. So why in the hobby everyone's using it then?

[@pondguru]

@@rajadey4919 That is not what I said in the above comment. I do not recommend using conditioners which mess with the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate (e.g. prime) since they starve bacteria and make the system much less efficient. High nitrate is common in that case (due to lack of active bacteria to process it). A normal conditioner (e.g. API stress coat) will just neutralize heavy metals and make the water safe for life so it is fine to use them. Hope that makes sense but if not then this post I put on my channel a while back will explain further: kzbin.infoUgkxQR8CbpF8GxMbWmhjBk88kKKngpvo6d3G and this video goes into detail about specific conditioners and how they benefit or retard the bacteria: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z4qmpYCPj7afn8k

[@jdfn3]

Hey Richard, just to let you know that I managed to get 6 kilos of Biohome Ultimate in this Oase 850!! Thanks a lot for this content!

[@ThousandYardStare]

(my other channel) Groovy - it's good to know you can squeeze 6kg of the Biohome Ultimate into this filter - it's a great filter. Best of luck with the tank.

[@stoneysscapes7544]

I'd think some black Lava rocks would look really good , but I have a feeling that you have something in the work ....XXL like the wood will work with pretty much anything you decide on and good luck with your new view !!! 👑

[@Andredac111]

Why not eliminate the holes in the pre filter pipe altogether and open up the bottom. That way the flow goes through all the foam instead of just one at a time. It probably will clog sooner but will be much more efficient plus the convenience of removing the pre-filter offsets that problem with frequent cleaning. Am I missing something?

[@terrydabill283]

I use seachem prime and I always have high nitrates, I have a Fluval 406 all 4 trays rammed with bio home ultimate, it is a 180 litre planted tank but I don't dose nitrates, I'm going to use a different conditioner, and see if that helps. thanks for the tip.

[@pondguru]

I'm not sure what is happening to my replies but this will be the third time I've tried to answer this comment (with both my channels) - the comments keep vanishing. Yes, using a normal conditioner will allow the bacteria to fully populate the filter (and whole aquarium system) but it may take weeks or even months for the starving effects of 'prime' to wear off - as long as there is plenty of media for the size of tank and nothing is holding back the bacteria a full cycle is perfectly achievable. Feel free to ring me any time on 07772848730 Regards, Richard

[@terrydabill283]

@@pondguru ok, ill bear in mind that it can take a while for the effects to wear off , hopefully, that is what is causing the high nitrates.. yes the 406 is rammed full of bio ultimate from your good self. ill keep you posted on the results. Cheers Richard.

[@pondguru]

@@terrydabill283 Nice one - that would be great.

[@obamama4632]

@@pondguruprime does not ‘starve’ your bacteria? It simply turns the ammonia to a non toxic state, still allowing our nitrifying bacteria to eat it.

[@DirkDeGreveAllroundZangerDIRKY]

i got 7 kilo's in witout the bottom for fine wat end a medium pond foam, end on te top the original oranje spons end a bit of filterwat. so i am don it wilhout the bootom tree and wihoudt thr top and yes 7 kilos in.

[@makivillanueva8951]

how do you fix if it keeps burping trapped air from time to time?

[@james-5560]

Please let us know the outcome of the large pond filter. That was by far the most interesting project.

[@gabe.b12341]

He’s destroyed it mate check the last video he talks about it

[@mtourgus]

Not destroyed but moving things around..work in progress

[@ScottWhite30809]

I truly enjoy your pokes at the Imperial system of measurements! LOL Makes me laugh everytime. Great job. I enjoy your talks...

[@johndilloe777]

Can i just use the buttom the blue sponge and 5 trays of seachem matrix and the little one just leave the brown sponge in ?

[@badboyere100]

Hi Richard is the site still processing orders I have a few bits I want to order but wanted to make sure your still open.. hope all is well and hope to hear back from you. Brand

[@jeffs4947]

Hey there, I have a suggestion. After watching multiple videos from your and other channels. Has anyone ever tried taking out the impeller and replace it with a bigger impeller?

[@steffent1556]

Hi Pondguru Have you actually measured the flow rate before and after modifying the pre-filter intake pipe and, if so, what were the results? I'm not an expert, but think that the combined diameter of the 20 original holes would be sufficient to ensure the proper flow rate that the impeller inside the filter is designed to handle. I'm not sure whether increasing the theoretical intake capacity results in the impeller discharging equally more, especially without knowing the diameter(s) of any components within the pre-filter head assembly. Would too many holes not decrease the discharge flow rate without increasing the impeller speed/voltage? Apart from that, the Oase Biomaster is an excellent filter.

[@paulwestcott8171]

Im sure there is a youtube vid of someone testing this (can't remember who it was) and the result was there was hardly any difference if any in flow rate. Also if your going to be drilling holes in the supplied pipe on a new filter, there's a good chance of voiding the warranty I reckon.

[@53WRX]

Are you including Seachem Safe in those conditioners to avoid ?

[@moonsugargirl5179]

Does anyone else think he is just as adorable as he is knowledgeable? Came here to learn more about filtration for my aquariums and now I’m kinda crushin’ on this chap. 😂

[@ianferguson4728]

Focus 😂

[@tigersunruss]

Interesting about the this. I'm going to have to try the larger tube for the prefilter. I use Matrix instead of the sponges which the idea came from Green Aqua. The have you put the fine filter mesh as the last tray, opposite of what you said to do but I get it why you are doing it this way. Might have to try that too. Thanks mate.

[@ampac]

If you put the floss in the bottom tray then you will have to clean the trays way more often. IMO, it is preferable to keep the medium (blue) sponges in the pre-filter with the wider tube with extra holes, and leave the filter floss in the top tray (similar to Green Aqua). In this way, it will be sufficient to clean the pre-filter every 1-2 weeks, the top tray every 2-3 months, and the rest of the trays with the bio media every 6 months or so. If you put the floss on the bottom tray then it will start clogging and reducing flow in a few weeks. In my case, I prefer to have to clean the pre-filter more frequently...

[@allanarsenal7999]

Hi, can you please tell me where I have to place my chemical filters in Oase 350 and FX6, I’ve problem with silicon in my new 450 l tank as well as algae but I think I’m doing something wrong with placing chemicals filters. Thank you.

[@StuEvans]

Not enough videos about this filter. Ive had mine since launched and it's been a bit of a nightmare. So much trapped air.

[@Huipie81]

I’ve noticed it traps air in the prefilter on new filters. After fiddling a bit with it, no more trapped air. Did you try tilting the filter back and forth?

[@StuEvans]

@@Huipie81 yeah working on it with oase. That only does so much. You can shake it till you die of boredom. We replaced a few parts but I can come back in an hour and tilt it and it will be back. They made some modified parts. If you search hard you will find a lot of people have this. Oase know hence the impeller mod and the lack of holes in the pre filter tube. Support is good though. Just can't fix it

[@soonerfan1675]

My Oase Biomaster Thermal 350 is the most perfect appliance in my whole house. It is as quite as my Apple desktop computer and I have never had the air purging problem that I read in the Amazon reviews. I wouldn’t modify a thing on it. PG puts out these videos without one iota of research or science based evidence.

[@davedixon1637]

I'm having the same troubles. Will the 20mm pipe with the extra holes help.

[@Russ_uk]

Hi did the biomaster 600 have a top basket cover like the 800 does in your newer review? I only ask as I've just got hold of a 600 myself and the top basket has no cover but it's possible this is an earlier release I'm unsure 🤔 thanks

[@usmc187]

Great filter media review! Have you done one with a Oase Biomaster 250 Thermo yet? I'd be interested to see :)

[@pondguru]

The set up would be pretty much the same since every model in the range has the same layout, just different amounts of trays.

[@tomrowles6738]

Hello I going to be switching from a sump tank, to a canister filter tank, what is the best way to seed a canister filter, so I can safely transfer all my livestock?

[@ricardoferreira2674]

Hello good afternoon, What is your opinion about Sera's Siporax ceramics? I would love to know what you think. I have 1 Oase 250T that I made an improvement following your directions, but I added 2 liters of Siporax ceramics.

[@josemontalvo4532]

For some reason it seems you guys are much more advanced than your cousins across the Pond. I enjoy watching I enjoy watching your pimping videos. Thank you for sharing.

[@pondguru]

No worries and I'm glad the videos are appreciated. I'm not sure about us being further ahead than the US but we have far fewer paid 'brand ambassadors' for the major aquatic companies so maybe that's why there is generally greater variety shown on UK channels?

[@douglasbannister9517]

What water conditioners that don’t destroy good bacteria would you recommend? Thanks.

[@pondguru]

Any normal water conditioner will allow the bacteria to flourish no problem. Just avoid anything which claims to remove / bind / detoxify the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. The one I always recommend is API Stress Coat since I've never heard any of problems maturing the system while using that one. The conditioner associated with the most problems is Prime (since it starves the bacteria) and unfortunately users get tricked into using additional products to mask the side effects of messing with the food bacteria need (ammonia, nitrite and nitrate) - it is a pharmaceutical business template I do not agree with since the only beneficiary is the company selling all the unnecessary 'treatments' and it's a real bummer since some of their other products are genuinely good. If you want to check for problems associated with Prime just look at any forum or online group page where people are struggling to cycle their tank and read what the common factor in those cases is. Unfortunately nobody giving advice to people struggling to cycle the tank recognizes that fact and will simply parrot the 'advice' of using extra products to rectify the situation. I prefer to tackle the cause and eliminate the effect instead of masking the effect and ignoring the cause.

[@douglasbannister9517]

Smashing. Really appreciate your knowledge base and great vids. I pimped my OASE 600 Thermo after watching your vid. Thanks.

[@pondguru]

@@douglasbannister9517 ​ Nice one - I'm glad the video was useful. Thanks for watching and best of luck with the tank.

[@mindovrmatter33]

could you stick a pvc endcap on the bottom of that drilled tube instead of the foam?

[@pondguru]

If there's room to do so and you can find one to fit then no worries - that would be better than foam.

[@jennwren5504]

Hi pondguru, Ive been wondering if the oase biomasters pre-filter could be used as a moving bed filter? Maybe with the plastic media that comes with it. I use a sponge on the intake anyway as have shrimp and snails aswell as fish so no big debri gets passed. Would love to know your thoughts and suggestions :-) Cheers

[@fergranadino]

Ohhhh this is a pretty cool idea. I hope you get a response eventually. Would it be noisy though?

[@roscopeco2000]

I can confirm the new inlet tube is like swiss cheese now, do you guys think these are ok for 350litre community tank ? Bit concerned about the low flow

[@pondguru]

For a 350 community tank it will handle that no problem as long as you upgrade the filter as outlined in this video - with the foam only set up it's pretty much useless for larger tanks (and the mass of foams causes problems with air discharge). The flow isn't really an issue since the set up of the filter is way more important than the turnover rate. It's good to see that Oase have (finally) upgraded the pre-filter pipe ..... it only took them 3 years, lol

[@rickblaauw6148]

@pondguru I need help I have an Oase Biomaster 350 thermo, but it makes an awe full humming noice.

[@ThousandYardStare]

(my other channel) Generally a noisy filter would either have trapped air (rock back and forth until the air is released) or be sitting on an uneven surface (sit the filter on soft foam / polystyrene). However, if your filter is set up as it comes from the manufacturer then it will have real problems with noise due to trapped air from all the foams in the filter. The less foams you have, the less problems you will have with trapped air / noise, hence the recommendation to set it up as in the video.

[@vaibhavsinghtak]

Sir!!please make video on sunsun hw 5000 and Aquaone nautilius 2700uvc

[@dannyhoogenboom885]

Is it oké to put some purigen , chemi pure blue + some polyfilter at the top basket ?

[@lawrenceskegz781]

Hi there, love the upgrades of all the filters and I've actually used your recommendations on the APS 2000EF+UV and now this 850! I've redone the prefilter pipe and I'm using mat with cable ties 😉 my issue now is after I've cleaned the actual canister after a month of no problems I've got a load humming noise now I've turned it back on??? No air as no bubbles??? Any advice would be appreciated 🙏 thanks for the help over the years aswell 👍

[@aurelian869]

Any idea why my 850 is so loud ? Set it up 4 days ago it sounds like a fridge from the 1970s. Constant dull humming noise at around 40 decibels

[@ManicMindTrick]

40 decibels is unfortunately pretty standard and Oase doesn't make the quietest filters. Either does Fluval. Tetra and ADA make some of the quietest filters on the market.

[@jessestone3915]

Just noticed you missed you detecting videos have you packed it in

[@roneadie564]

I use crushed coral in the Oase 600 as a buffer for the Ph, so my question is can I put the coral in the top tray instead of the carbon pad? In addition, I use purigen in the bottom tray to supplement the plastic biological cylex balls, is this correct? Or would I be better off binning the cylex and purigen and substituting with biohome ultimate?

[@andym209]

Mine is a pain in the ass every time I turn it back on it takes me a hour to get it to start up it rattling for a hour And air blocked even when you pump the blue knob

[@carpaholic6327]

Did you measure the flow difference after changing the pipe???

[@pondguru]

No, I do not run the filters in this series of videos as they are not mine. They are sent in by viewers. However, the thin pipe with minimal holes in the pre-filter is an obvious source of restriction and that's why Oase has changed the design. If you look at the 'community' tab on my channel you'll find a picture of the new design. www.youtube.com/@pondguru/community It is a larger diameter pipe which has more holes drilled in it. The holes are also larger. If your filter is relatively new it may have the upgraded pipe.

[@oldtrojanskin]

I have been waiting for this. Thanks, pond guru.

[@hendrikwirtz8418]

Really appreciate the series. My Biohome performs wonderfully :)

[@waynemiller4305]

What about a pimp my all in on marine tank ???? I’ve got a fluval 123 marine and won’t to pimp it up as what comes with the tank is not good

[@AQUALOVE93]

Sa va être vraiment magnifique travail de ouff hâte de voir la suite😊

[@pondguru]

Oase a changé le tuyau que j'ai remplacé dans cette vidéo donc c'est un vrai résultat. Cela ne leur a pris que 3 ans....

[@envywolfe]

Wish they would do a bigger one then the 850. They need. Do do a 1050 + model. Taller more trays able to take bigger heaters. Or have an heating element.

[@ampac]

That will not work. The 850 is already 54 cm high, which is roughly the same as the Eheim 1200 (56 cm). With the hoses attached you will need ~70cm of clearance inside the cabinet. This barely fits an aquarium cabinet with standard height and will likely not fit the cabinet at all if you have sliding drawers. So, a larger model would need to wider not taller. Anyway, if you need additional flow get a second filter, not a bigger filter. You will have less noise, higher flow, and, as a bonus, you get a redundant system in case one of the filters fail.

[@ognjencorovic]

Pondguru I cannot find this size pipe anywhere in Australia. I tried your amazon link but with no luck.

[@pondguru]

The pipe size isn't too important as long as you drill plenty of holes in the pipe which comes with the filter. That will help to lessen the restriction and it will also help with the air issues after cleaning since air bubbles will be drawn out of the cleaned foams in the pre-filter easier.

[@713studio7]

Im a fan from thailand please continue the big filter or update it the one from your pond

[@whitty8265]

What's your thoughts on siporax media I have about 40 litres from an old marine system I'm thinking of soaking it in citric acid and then boil it thanks gary

[@ThousandYardStare]

Siporax is a good media which is great for supporting aerobic bacteria. The best way to sterilise it and burn off any organic matter is to bake it in a hot oven for an hour or so. After that it will be OK to use again without adding any chemicals.

[@whitty8265]

@@ThousandYardStare it's not so much to sterilise the media although that is a part of it. with it been in a marine system it's covered in calcium deposits and I will have to dissolve them hence the citric acid I'm going to use it in a planted tank so it needs to be calcium free.

[@ThousandYardStare]

@@whitty8265 That makes sense and vinegar would probably do the same job although the smell may linger if it was used on porous media, lol

[@mukti7485]

I just received this filter and the colour of the filter around the tubes are blue instead of orange? 😮 do i need to replace them?

[@pondguru]

I've just answered this in a previous message.

[@Steve0272.]

Pre filter could be foam but more like a filter sock with less flow restriction

[@battsonbikes1919]

Would love to know what the actual flow rate is with it fully pimped up.

[@gulfwinds]

Almost identical to the original, unfortunately... ;)

[@michaltopas]

The Aquael Ultramax 2000 has got 4 baskets and a prefilter. By using 3 trays with 2 kg of Biohome will result in 6 kg. I´ve got the 1000 and the 1500 version. The 1500 is now 4 years old and so far there are no problems with it. They are both absolutely silent and built like tanks. Excuse my poor English.

[@HAlves-ip9cn]

Agree. I have a 2000 myself. Problem is the pump suddenly burned. Zero support from aquael. No response to emails. No availability of spare parts… once shit happens you are on your own…. I did love the filter though. One or two flaws but worked great.

[@marckando1743]

Hello Pondguru!!! thanks for your very good and interresting job. Please, what do you think about the aquario media pure?

[@ThousandYardStare]

(my other account) Sorry, that's something I have no experience of so I can't comment on how good / bad it is.

[@tfns2021]

Please try and pimp ferplast bluextreme 1500. It's a nice filter. .

[@UNAL0504]

Is it possible you can do videos on uv sterilisers and tell us what is your thoughts on them.

[@hallamnet]

Quick question for you. With the pre filter tube upgrade using 21.5mm over flow tube, can I fill the end with hot glue rather than foam rolled up? This will make a perfect seal on the bottom and will fuse with the plastic. Just want to make sure it will be safe for my fish.

[@dr.ravishekharsinha2193]

Avoiding products like UV rays application?

[@ericsontag8631]

Merci pour cette video, top ! Les biohome ultimate sont les meilleurs supports bacterien ? Ils ont quoi de plus ? Merci d'avance

[@ThousandYardStare]

Merci pour le commentaire. J'ai beaucoup d'informations sur mon site Web ici : filterpro.39.ekmpowershop.net/qa-24-w.asp J'espère qu'il existe une option de traduction sur votre navigateur Internet.

[@pdperformance1]

Have you tested flow rates on the Oase 850 Biomaster? It seems to flow a heck of alot less than the mfg says. I have it on my 80gallon tank and it seems to flow less than my Fluval 307 on my other 36 gallon. Thanks for any help you can provide.

[@pondguru]

Every filter flows less than the manufacturer says since the flow rate is calculated with the filter empty and the head (lift) being zero. Normal set ups and lifts from filter to tank will reduce the manufacturers claimed output by around 40%-50%. Flow rate is not very important as long as the muck is being drawn from the tank and processed in the filter. The most important factor is how much bacteria is living in the filter and whether it can process all the waste products being generated in the tank - that's why upgrading filters is so important ..... and sadly why I've spent thousands of hours making videos on this subject. I don't get out much....

[@astrotheultimate]

Which conditioners do you recommend? I use prime like pretty much everyone else on the planet haha

[@davedixon1637]

I'm having a terrible experience with air getting trapped. Will this 20mm tube stop that.

[@AquaPeet]

Wow that water conditioner advice really blew my mind!! I've always used Easy Life Filter Medium which has the white stuff inside that clouds the water.... indeed the bottle says it reduces ammonia! I think I'm going to switch to a conditioner that has none of that! Thanks Richard! :)

[@harp3899]

Did you settle on a new conditioner? I am hoping to find one following Richards above advice as well but haven't been able to find anything easily here in the U.S. yet.

[@ernadelarie4121]

Thanks for the clear explanation and the brilliant idea. What is your experience with the sound the biomaster makes? I know someone who took out all the sponges to make it quieter. I have a eheim that hums and am thinking of buying the oasis because of the convenience. But to end up with annoying noise again is a bit stupid

[@pondguru]

I don't run the filters as they don't belong to me but reports from users say they are quiet apart from the trapped air issue but that is vastly reduced by setting it up with media instead of foams. (foams trap far too much air after cleaning)

[@simonroberts7994]

Would this filter be ok as only filter on tropical juwel vision 450 aquarium

[@bonesawarm6987]

Awesome video as always dude

[@mattstahl05]

I have had a hard time finding good info for my issue in my setup. I have an Oase biomaster thermo 350 for a SW tank. I greatly under estimated its filtering capacity for a 75 g tank. I was wondering if you have ever tried using a separate pump to push or pull water through a canister filter to increase its GPH or filtering capability. Any idea if pushing or pulling through the canister would be better? How much flow could a 350 handle without blowing the seal?

[@Redaslt99]

What do you think, for 200-220l normal fish aquarium, take this filter or ultramax 2000?

[@pondguru]

The Ultramax 2000 certainly has a better flow rate but they are both very good filters - it comes down to personal choice and budget really.

[@BOOMBABY2020]

this is top info for us ,just what i needed to know

[@darktonio377]

Great video! Thank you very much. Just one question: if you increase dramatically the ease of water intake, does it mean the water outflows will also be increased a lot? Basically what is the reason of this: increase the flow or increase the life of the pump ? I ask this in case you do not want to strong current and limit the outlfow for fishes which prefer calm waters...

[@Storm-cy2xr]

The more flow you get in the more flow you get out. If you need to reduce the flow from the output use the spray bar and add extra holes

[@ampac]

You should never reduce the filter flow since you want to maximize the water turnover rate (you usually get an actual flow rate of ~50% or less of the advertised rate). If the fish prefer calm waters then you need to reduce the filter outlet velocity and/or pressure while keeping a high flow. For that, use a long spray bar, a wide lily pipe or a "spin" lily pipe. But keep the flow rate as high as possible. Another reason for this is that biological filtration is an aerobic process. The bacteria in the filter need oxygen to survive and to perform the nitrification process. If the flow is reduced, then the amount of oxygen available to the bacteria will also be reduced. In short: keep the flow as high as possible and reduce the water pressure and velocity using an adequate return outlet.

[@Guardian762]

hey I am looking for a new external filter for my 450l aquarium. I tend between the Biomaster 850T and the Eheim 5e 600t. After the filter is an 18W UVC water clarifier. What would you rather recommend?

[@siamerej]

can this suit a 150 gallon tank? just 1 arowana.

[@marcrite3435]

Ive just got the 850. They upgraded the prefilter sponge to a 10ppi. Do you thing that's a bit coarse..or should I put in the 30ppi sponge?

[@pondguru]

Just use whatever works best for you - some people prefer the coarse sponge and some prefer finer sponge.

[@ellza94]

Hi what dechlorinator do you recommend to not starve bacteria? Thx great video

[@jorkeggels52]

Thanks for this video.. i have just one question.. you are using the filter pad in the bottom.. but this peace of media will get dirty very quick so if i need to replace it maybe every 4 weeks ( i dont know) then i need to rebuild my whole filter?