RE: Medium in outside filter

Hi Discus Lovers, Recently Carol made a good post on sponge pre-filter. She did not say anything about medium inside filter. Some time ago I got tired of using sponge inside filter. Had to clean at least once a week. Got some hollow ceramic pieces (Noodles), to use as filter medium. Bio worked out great. Clean once a month. Has this worked for anyone else or can anyone suggest a better medium ???????

BOB ;)

I use those ceramic pieces and they work great for me.

I'll second the ceramic noodles. I use them in my fluvals ( >:() and the Biowheel as well.

Cell-Pore also makes a good product. I use it inside one of the aqua clears on the african tank and rarely need to clean it.

I think the sponges keep the tank water clearer as they trap the fine particles. With the noodles the fine particles can circulate more freely.

I agree, it is a pain squeezing the sponges.

Carol :heart1:

Hi Carol, Maybe you can answer a couple of ?? for me. You recommend Aqua Clear on your posts, I have not used one. Why do you recommend them???? Do you have any tanks were you only use this filter without any inside separate sponge filters???????

Thanks for all the good advice, BOB

Bob,

Aquaclears are inexpensive, easy to use, reliable and they can house two big sponge blocks for great biological filtration.

I love them!

John

PS. You could go with just an AC and no sponge filter as long as you're not overloading the tank.

Carol,
I have a HOT Magnum 350 (it came w/ my tank used) and it has a sponge prefilter on the intake, a fiber filter on the outside of the inside of the canister(does that make sense???), and a very fine plastic mesh that the water goes to before it reaches the ceramic, so i don't really need the sponges in there. It works for me...lol

Hi Bob:

John is 100% right on the reasons to use aqua clear filters.

I have 4 big tanks (50 - 135 gallon) that have aqua clears only - no air driven sponge filters. (The aqua clears each have two sponges inside plus a sponge on the intake tube acting as a prefilter. )

The 50 - 65 gallon tanks have one AC500, the 135 gallon has two AC500.

I use airdriven sponge filters only in two 29 gallon breeder tanks.

On the two 20 gallon baby tanks I run an airdriven sponge + an aqua clear 200.

You can use many different type of filtration. Some are just a lot more work and a lot more expensive than others.

Carol :heart1:

Carol gave me the idea for a prefilter, man what a stroke of genius! I use the cell pore cartridge too in my emperor 400's. I clean the prefilters every other water change, how did I manage without them? Thanks Carol ;D ;D ;D ;D


Ken

Hi, BOB here again. I am working on my 75G tank. My wonderful wife dislikes the inside sponge filters. So I plan to use your good advice and get a couple of AC filters. Big Al appears to have best price.


Thanks again, BOB ;) ;) ;) ;)

You're welcome ;D ;D ;D

Carol :heart1: