Prefilter Sponge

[thebaglady]

Ding, Ding Ding ;D ;D Carol wins!!!

Something Tyler posted a while ago interests me now...it was about extensions for power filter lift tubes. If ya gotta change all the water in their world, ya gotta have the cage opening area down as low as possible. Right.

Instead, I've just been doing multiple changes, multiple times during the day, but wonder about extensions. ???

Any thoughts Carol?

[Carol_Roberts]

I don't think the intake needs to be a the bottom of the tank - besides it makes it harder to pull and rinse the prefilter. I use extensions on the AC 200, but not the 300 or 500. I vacumn feces, etc. off the bottom daily. I figure the prefilter is just so things don't get sucked inside the filter.

[thebaglady]

I have an Aqua clear 200 on the smaller discus tank and I'm realizing that if I was gonna take the water level down way low...to change a larger percentage at one time, it would break the action of the power filter and I would have to re-prime the thing.

Instead, I've been changing 20-30% morning, 20-30% mid day, 20-30% in the evening to get around this. not as good as doing 90% all at once i'm thinking??

Maybe just fine...??? Thanks for your quick response Carol. Jen K.

[Carol_Roberts]

Lol, that is exactly why I have the extensions on the AC 200. I can change water in a 29 gallon tank with the filter running and it won't lose suction.

[Shari]

[quote author=Carol_Roberts link=board=21;threadid=7853;start=45#105795 date=1054667321]
Hi Shari:
Nope, I leave the pointy filter tip on and slide the sponge over it.

Perhaps your filters are too small if you are worrying about flow rate? What size filters do you have on what size tank?
[/quote]

Thanks for the info as well as the pics!! I have am Emperor400 on each of the 55's, and an Ehiem Wet/Dry on the 120. The Emperor's have those larger square 'cages' on them which is why I asked.
As for my flow rate question guess I just thought a sponge over it would slow it down - obviously not enough though if so many of you do this. dahhhh this site and you folks are such a wonderful wake up call for me. ;D p.s. why is your choice filter better than the Emperor if I may ask - I just know these so stuck with them I guess.

[Shari]

I've gotta get in on this issue about the water level and intakes...been driving me nuts. I'm ok on the 120 and go a full 1/2 way down with no worry, but on the 55's if you use the regular intake it's only about a foot down in the water, I added the attachments to lower the 'cage' to almost the bottom but alas the filters go down as soon as water level hits the little crack in the plastic - was thinking maybe aquarium glue would close it up - course it would have to stay that way forever...but I really need to do the tank change just once in a day. Think my idea is ok - or do we see problems with it?

[Carol_Roberts]

Hi Shari:
Aqua clears are easier to clean than the emperors and they are less likely to break down. The AC 500 has a big open box and room for 2 big sponges. The emperor is split into two boxes that hold less media.

I turn off the bigger filters when I do water changes. To refill the tank I place (wedge) one end of the hose in the AC 500. This refills the filter and the tank

[Kap]

Carol is right - the Emperor IS a bear to clean, though I cannot contrast it with the Aqua clears personally. Just from observation, the depth of the Emperor appears narrower when looked at from the top, which might be relevant for placing aquariums in confined spaces. Also, the Emperor's filtering power can be cut way back when feeding while the aeration on the bio-wheels still continues to work. Because of the intake size of the Emperor tube that transports H2O into the filter, you need a big sponge to keep the water flowing.

[ozone]

Nice column on the prefilter I will implement it. 8)

Thanks

[Fishin dude]

Hi, If you are looking for max aeration and efficiency, I must defend the emperor. If you include the wheel with both inserts, the total sq. inches of water contact, is according to my calculations 20-30 percent greater than any filter in the class....also I do not recommend the use of a prefilter as it will slow the flow through the media...with fresh water tanks, the faster the flow through the filter box enable the "friendly sticky" bacteria to obtain more O2 and therefore convert more. DL

[Carol_Roberts]

Discus are different than other tropical fish. We are looking for the cleanest tank water. That means no solids clinging to the biofiltration media (sponges) inside the filter, daily water changes and clean tank interiors.

[ronrca]

Carol!

Absolutely clean! In discus tank with aeration and surface agitation, 02 isnt really a concern. Perhaps water flow thru the filter to convert is a concern. Definitly better to be vacuuming the feces out rather than having with decay inside the filter.

Another thought! The aquas prime themselves dont they? So if the water level drops below the intake of the aqua, its not a big deal. Once the water level reaches the intake again, the filter starts moving water again.

With the LARGE water changes(and vacuuming) we all do..there would typically be alot less ammonia and nitrite in the water column as compared to a "community" type aquarium....So a slower water flow shouldnt hurt anything, and IF the prefilter is cleaned at each water change....the flow is restricted VERY little anyhow.
Without a doubt...use a prefilter.

Ron

The Aqua Clears will restart if the water level in the filter box doesnt fall below a certain level, which it typically doesnt. But on occasion it will...its easy enough to restart just by pouring some more water in the filter box.

Tony

[Fishin dude]

Another denitrator crash-and-burn!
by eethomp-at-welchlink.welch.jhu.edu (ELAINE THOMPSON )
Date: 8 Dec 1994
Newsgroup: rec.aquaria
Well, after the DIY coil denitrator stories that George and others
(sorry...I forgot who else) posted a few months ago, I should have known
better. But, I tried installing a Nitrex box in my 29g planted tank,
thinking that maybe something that was commercially available would work.
NOT! So here's my sad story that will hopefully convince you not to try
Nitrex.

I put the gadget in at the start of October. It's an almost sealed box
with a medium that is supposed to selectively grow denitrifying bacteria
and allow only a slow flow of water through. Nitrates did drop within a
couple of weeks to below 25 ppm--the bottom of my cheap test kit. Before,
they were between 25 and 50. Great, I thought. It works, and the algae
growth has slowed to a virtual standstill.

The problem? Fish diseases. After one round of killer Ick, one round of
bacterial stop-eating-hang-out-at-the-top-and-die-in-24-hours disease, and
two rounds of Columnaris, I had had enough. Water tested fine; pH 7.0, no
ammonia, no nitrites. And all of my other tanks have been WAY healthy.
What finally convinced me to yank the Nitrex box was when I added a new
clown loach from another healthy tank and he got Columnaris too.

So, I pulled the box out of the tank. I opened it up and was greeted by a
foul rotten-egg odor. So much for the Nitrex stuff not allowing
sulfide-producing bacteria to grow. Immediately, the fish looked
healthier, and that evening my angelfish ate his first healthy sized meal
in a while. The clown loach is healing up too.

The moral is: don't try denitrification. It's not worth it. Really,
it's not.

[ronrca]

Thanks Fishin Dude! I have always wondered about those units! Im a little leary about them. Personnaly, Id setup an algae filter to combat nitrates if I had a problem with them.

Just curious though, how does the story relate to the prefilter sponges that we were discussing. This is a great bit of info that I would recommend starting another thread in the General Section so that we all can read it!

Thanks!