Filtration Options

[JL15219]

Okay I have officially gotten tried of my canister filter for many reasons and thinking of trying other filtration types. I currently have a Emperor 400 that I was thinking of trying on the 60 gal but not really sure if it would be enough or not what do you guys think is it enough or should I add a sponge filter as well? Or just go with two sponge filters by themselves? Or was also looking at some box filters does anyone even use them on discus tanks? Okay well those are the 3 options I was thinking about please let me know what sounds better.....for a 60 gal tank with 6 discus approx. 4 to 6 inches, I generally do w/c every other day of about 90% sometimes I do them daily depends how busy I am.

[moon_knight1971]

the emperor 400 is good for discus tanks up to 90 imo. lots of room to add filter sponges. You can even add bio into the cartridges. I find them a little too noisy personally so I went with AquaClear on all my tanks instead but if the noise doesn't bother you then you're good already.

Joey!

[JL15219]

Yeah they are very noisy I had it on the same 60 gal tank long ago when I had African Cichlids....I emailed Marineland and they sent me a new impeller and the housing where the impeller sits in still have not tried it since I got the parts.....I also didnt like that the spray bars would always get clogged.....hmmmmm.....

[moon_knight1971]

Maybe you can keep it as a spare and get the AquaClear 110. Great hob and cheap


Joey!

[jcardona1]

Sump ;) I had a 10g sump on my 57g and it was awesome. I hate hang-on and canister filters.

[JL15219]

Maybe you can keep it as a spare and get the AquaClear 110. Great hob and cheap


Joey!

Yeah an AquaClear 110 does sound good but didnt want to spend too much more money if possible.

[JL15219]

Sump ;) I had a 10g sump on my 57g and it was awesome. I hate hang-on and canister filters.

How much did you spend to make it? You got the build instructions? How difficult is it to clean?

[Darrell Ward]

AquaClears are rather expensive these days. You could buy them online for about 5 years for $39.99 for the 110, then they almost doubled in price overnight a couple or so years ago.

[jcardona1]

How much did you spend to make it? You got the build instructions? How difficult is it to clean?

Here's a pic of it. A 10g glass tank goes for $10 anywhere. The pump is the only expensive part, my Quiet One 4000 goes for about $65. The rest is plumbing, which isn't too expensive. For the overflow, you can build a DIY PVC overflow which will also save a lot of money.

Sumps are much easier to clean and maintain compared to any other filter. I like using filter socks, when they get dirty, just toss them in the washer. With good mechanical filtration, I never have to touch my bio media.

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=512154&thumb=1&d=1279767546 (http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=512154&d=1279767546)

[moon_knight1971]

I got my AC110's for $49.99 each. Might want to check out the new Fusion Filters. They look promising and affordable

Joey!

[JL15219]

Here's a pic of it. A 10g glass tank goes for $10 anywhere. The pump is the only expensive part, my Quiet One 4000 goes for about $65. The rest is plumbing, which isn't too expensive. For the overflow, you can build a DIY PVC overflow which will also save a lot of money.

Sumps are much easier to clean and maintain compared to any other filter. I like using filter socks, when they get dirty, just toss them in the washer. With good mechanical filtration, I never have to touch my bio media.

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=512154&thumb=1&d=1279767546 (http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=512154&d=1279767546)

Do you have to constantly be cleaning all the tubing like canister filters to avoid the "snow" affect?

[JL15219]

AquaClears are rather expensive these days. You could buy them online for about 5 years for $39.99 for the 110, then they almost doubled in price overnight a couple or so years ago.

Should have bought one 5 years ago......

[JL15219]

I got my AC110's for $49.99 each. Might want to check out the new Fusion Filters. They look promising and affordable

Joey!

Where did you get yours? And what Fusion Filters never heard of them?

[jcardona1]

Do you have to constantly be cleaning all the tubing like canister filters to avoid the "snow" affect?

I don't. It has happened to me sometimes, but it doesn't bother me enough that I take apart the plumbing to clean it. It will all flow back down and get caught in the filter socks in a few hours anyway.

[JL15219]

Yeah really didnt want the snow affect again hmmmm.....So no one uses the other two options sponge and/or box filters?

[JL15219]

Anyone?

[roundfishross]

ati sponges and you cant go wrong! if you didnt feel like fiddling with a sump, but they really are whats up.

[JL15219]

ati sponges and you cant go wrong! if you didnt feel like fiddling with a sump, but they really are whats up.

Are they(sump) really why is that? And on the sponges how good are they in regards to mechanical filtration will I always have particles floating around between water changes?

[roundfishross]

the sponges will pull out extremely small particles and keep the water good and clear! you have to make sure not to get the one with reticulated foam they are mostly for bio only and dont pull out much particulate.

I like a sump because it hides all the equipment as well as adding to overall capacity. they provide supierior surface area for oxygenation..... they are just the best way to go whenever possible

Leo

[JL15219]

the sponges will pull out extremely small particles and keep the water good and clear! you have to make sure not to get the one with reticulated foam they are mostly for bio only and dont pull out much particulate.

I like a sump because it hides all the equipment as well as adding to overall capacity. they provide supierior surface area for oxygenation..... they are just the best way to go whenever possible

Leo

Oh okay I see if I do end up going with the hydro sponges would I need 1 or 2? And Hydro Sponge IV or V?

[ericatdallas]

I got my AC110's for $49.99 each. Might want to check out the new Fusion Filters. They look promising and affordable


Yup, I bought mine a little over a month ago for about $50 each. Local LFS had a buy one get one deal on them with regular price of $90 (plus sales tax). You can buy them at Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/AquaClear-110-Aquarium-Power-Filter/dp/B000260FV6) for about $62 each/shipped.


Oh okay I see if I do end up going with the hydro sponges would I need 1 or 2? And Hydro Sponge IV or V?

Go with two, you can always use the other one to seed a new tank or quickly spin up a QT if needed.

[JL15219]

Yup, I bought mine a little over a month ago for about $50 each. Local LFS had a buy one get one deal on them with regular price of $90. You can buy them at Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/AquaClear-110-Aquarium-Power-Filter/dp/B000260FV6) for about $62 each/shipped.



Go with two, you can always use the other one to seed a new tank or quickly spin up a QT if needed.

With two okay which two the IV or V? Sorry never used sponges just canister and HOB

[roundfishross]

get tha big ones

[JL15219]

get tha big ones

Okay got it....if I decide the sump how many gal per hour does the pump have to be minimum? Just curious

[roundfishross]

something like this ought to be fine
http://cgi.ebay.com/Lifegard-Pentair-Quiet-One-2200-Aquarium-Pond-Pump-594-/400210683999?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d2e6a685f

you should be able to shop around the net and get a better deal on it too, I think I gave $40 for the last one I bought

Leo

[ericatdallas]

With two okay which two the IV or V? Sorry never used sponges just canister and HOB

i think if you're deciding between a IV and a V, just go with the bigger one. But be careful, they're big. Is this a display tank? You might want to look at the dimensions and consider how it will look in your tank...

[JL15219]

i think if you're deciding between a IV and a V, just go with the bigger one. But be careful, they're big. Is this a display tank? You might want to look at the dimensions and consider how it will look in your tank...

Yeah it will be in a display tank in my living room....are they really that big? I was thinking that I could maybe try to cover it with some watersprite.

[JL15219]

something like this ought to be fine
http://cgi.ebay.com/Lifegard-Pentair-Quiet-One-2200-Aquarium-Pond-Pump-594-/400210683999?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d2e6a685f

you should be able to shop around the net and get a better deal on it too, I think I gave $40 for the last one I bought

Leo

Okay Thanks Leo

[moon_knight1971]

Where did you get yours? And what Fusion Filters never heard of them?

I got mine from Lucky Ocean Aquarium in San Francisco. He always tries to stay competitive with online prices. just checked Amazon and you can get them there for $49.99 too.....

The Fusion Filters are brand new so they might be hard to find right now. Here's a link to one place that seems to stock them already: http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/246807/product.web

Joey!

[JL15219]

I got mine from Lucky Ocean Aquarium in San Francisco. He always tries to stay competitive with online prices. just checked Amazon and you can get them there for $49.99 too.....

The Fusion Filters are brand new so they might be hard to find right now. Here's a link to one place that seems to stock them already: http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/246807/product.web

Joey!

Thanks for the info Joey about to go check both out.....

[ericatdallas]

just checked Amazon and you can get them there for $49.99 too.....


I consider shipping when pricing at item on Amazon. The one being sold for ~$50 has a $10 shipping charge. So still about $60. For $2, I would rather have it sent by Amazon (via third party vendor, but stored in Amazon Warehouse). I probably order 100's of items from them a year and the only time I ever have a problem is when it's through their third-party vendors.

The sizing for the Hydros are pretty easy to understand.

From Hydro II-V, they have a height of 4" and a diameter of series + 3/4"... So a Hydro IV has a diamter of 4.75" and a Hydro V has a diamter of 5.75".

Whether that's 'big' or not is really up to you... But two 6" diamter sponges takes up a lot of realestate... a footprint/Area of 8.26pi sq-inches per sponge. I couldn't find a 60G dimension, but for a 55G, that's almost 10% of the bottom of the tank!

[JL15219]

I consider shipping when pricing at item on Amazon. The one being sold for ~$50 has a $10 shipping charge. So still about $60. For $2, I would rather have it sent by Amazon (via third party vendor, but stored in Amazon Warehouse). I probably order 100's of items from them a year and the only time I ever have a problem is when it's through their third-party vendors.

The sizing for the Hydros are pretty easy to understand.

From Hydro II-V, they have a height of 4" and a diameter of series + 3/4"... So a Hydro IV has a diamter of 4.75" and a Hydro V has a diamter of 5.75".

Whether that's 'big' or not is really up to you... But two 6" diamter sponges takes up a lot of realestate... a footprint/Area of 8.26pi sq-inches per sponge. I couldn't find a 60G dimension, but for a 55G, that's almost 10% of the bottom of the tank!

Wow! When you put it that way that is a lot of space taken up.....hmmm

[moon_knight1971]

I took my Hydro out for that exact reason AND because food was always going under it and the fish could never reach it. Went with 2 "clip-on" style sponge filters that have suction cups so they can be out of the fishies way but still provide oxygen and beneficial bacteria.

Joey!

[JL15219]

I took my Hydro out for that exact reason AND because food was always going under it and the fish could never reach it. Went with 2 "clip-on" style sponge filters that have suction cups so they can be out of the fishies way but still provide oxygen and beneficial bacteria.

Joey!

So you have those 2 "Clip on" style sponges and an Aquaclear 110 on your tank?

[ericatdallas]

http://www.kensfish.com/spongefiltpic/elitedouble.JPG (http://www.kensfish.com/jungleandelitespongefilters.html)

Something like this mgiht work... you can get it at Kenfish.com (http://www.kensfish.com/jungleandelitespongefilters.html)and a few other places. I bought a knock-off on eBay. Works okay I think... I ended up cannibalising it to make pre-filters for my AC110s though. I used to hide it behind decorations.

[moon_knight1971]

Yup! 2 of the ones Eric posted the image of. One on the left and 1 on the right attached to a Fusion 700 air pump.



Joey!

[Cambik]

Also remember if you haven't already you can sign up for amazon prime shipping and 2nd day shipping is free. Next day is only 3.99. I that also included Saturday delivery. Just a side note. I have been able to find most everything I can get this way. It may seem more expensive but during the free 30 day trial the first one is free next day. The item is sometimes a couple dollars more but free 2nd day delivery makes up for that.

Stephen

[JL15219]

yeah but two of those wouldnt work for the main filtration right?

[moon_knight1971]

yeah but two of those wouldnt work for the main filtration right?

No they are there to supplement the main filteration that comes from a HOB or canister.


Joey!

[JL15219]

No they are there to supplement the main filteration that comes from a HOB or canister.


Joey!

Oh okay thats what I thought......

[JL15219]

So no one had tried the box filters?

[Darrell Ward]

http://www.kensfish.com/spongefiltpic/elitedouble.JPG (http://www.kensfish.com/jungleandelitespongefilters.html)

Something like this mgiht work... you can get it at Kenfish.com (http://www.kensfish.com/jungleandelitespongefilters.html)and a few other places. I bought a knock-off on eBay. Works okay I think... I ended up cannibalising it to make pre-filters for my AC110s though. I used to hide it behind decorations.

LOL! Sounds like some of the stuff I do. Cannibalizing parts from one thing, for something else! :D

[ericatdallas]

Also remember if you haven't already you can sign up for amazon prime shipping and 2nd day shipping is free. Next day is only 3.99. I that also included Saturday delivery. Just a side note. I have been able to find most everything I can get this way. It may seem more expensive but during the free 30 day trial the first one is free next day. The item is sometimes a couple dollars more but free 2nd day delivery makes up for that.


Yup, I used to pay for it but they give it to students for free! Another reason why I'm going to be a lifelong student :P


So no one had tried the box filters?

I used to have one or two box filters. Someone else may be able to answer which is better, sponge or box filter. I know it's faster to clean a sponge filter though than to mess with the box filters. I think it's cheaper since you don't have to buy the box...


LOL! Sounds like some of the stuff I do. Cannibalizing parts from one thing, for something else! :D

Yeah, I'm so cheap, I'm always trying to think of ways to buy one thing and use it for another. I bought some reusable filtration material for HVAC and I cut it up to use for my HOB filters. Not only does it cost like 1/100th that of the stuff the manufacturer sells but I think it works better! I actually noticed a significant difference between using it and the stuff the mfg sold.

[JL15219]

Yup, I used to pay for it but they give it to students for free! Another reason why I'm going to be a lifelong student :P



I used to have one or two box filters. Someone else may be able to answer which is better, sponge or box filter. I know it's faster to clean a sponge filter though than to mess with the box filters. I think it's cheaper since you don't have to buy the box...



Yeah, I'm so cheap, I'm always trying to think of ways to buy one thing and use it for another. I bought some reusable filtration material for HVAC and I cut it up to use for my HOB filters. Not only does it cost like 1/100th that of the stuff the manufacturer sells but I think it works better! I actually noticed a significant difference between using it and the stuff the mfg sold.

Really do you remember how good it was in regards to biological and mechanical filtration?

[Darrell Ward]

Someone mentioned box filters, I have made sponge filters out of box filters I had lying around, by filling the box full of sponge material. Works fine.

[JL15219]

Someone mentioned box filters, I have made sponge filters out of box filters I had lying around, by filling the box full of sponge material. Works fine.

Yeah was thinking about trying the sponge filters but it seemed like it would take up too much space the box filters are a little smaller so was think that.....but now I really dont know......