Prefilter Sponge

[William Palumbo]

All sponge is NOT the same. A lot have chemicals, such as fire retardant chemicals, which will kill fish. More than a few people on here thought they were going to "save" a few dollars and use "cheap" foam, only to wipe out their fish collection, even tho they were warned!...Bill

[mastermamo]

Has anyone tried pre-filter on FX5? I have two in my 150 gallon discus tank and reading it is good idea to have but and would change it very frequently (probably easier to do that than to change out the canister which I plan to do every 3 months or so). I'd like to keep it looking good so would like it to be black too. Has anyone had success? I've also read the "strainer" is enough on the FX5. Can anyone comment if decreasing the flow rate by adding pre-filter effectively preventing extra gunk in the canister is better overall than not adding it? I have a school of coreys who constantly search for uneaten food in the sand but they of course poop so yeee....

Thanks!

I'm using 2 FX5's with one as a pre filter. Works really great. In prefilter the medium are:
Peat Pellets
Ammonia Reducer
A small bag of activated carbon

It's really effective as my WC's are down to once a month or more but I do a 30% WC EACH week for safety. I give the Fluvals a mild drain (about 60%) and clean medium etc every month (again not necessary but just for safety), reseed a little and I'm good to go.
I have 2x1.2m tanks, each with 9 semi adult fish in, feed them 4 times a day and all my levels hold stable.
Mu flowrate on the Prefilter is around 70% and on main Fluval I'm at 50%. Works for me.
I also have a Biolife HOB with a powerjet with some nice media in as I firmly believe that at least 2 media baskets should be submerged in the tank itself. Contrary to popular belief Discus, especially juveniles love the water stream and they can be seen constantly swimming through it.

Hope this helps

Fluval over Eheim any day

[lx2077]

Hey Carol I have the fluval G3 filter should I still add a sponge to the inlet tube? Or is my mechanical pre filter is sufficient? Thanks

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[ct3737]

The prefilter sponges are life savers and save on alot of maintenance of cleaning the cannisters so much. Still have to make sure its clean but you wont get as much gunk in there as this takes most of the food particles out.

[skie]

Fluvial edge prefilter is what I have on my 2 fluvial aqua clear 70

[skie]

Fluval ...damn spell check

[Wes]

Hey Carol I have the fluval G3 filter should I still add a sponge to the inlet tube? Or is my mechanical pre filter is sufficient? Thanks

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

Carol is is out of the discus hobby, she is breeding bull dogs. A sponge on the intake tube lets you see the waste and you will remember to clean it. I use aquaclear 50 or 70 sponges as prefilters. Poke a hole with a pair of scissores and your ready to go.

http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/n622/xeriod/filter_zpsaa981965.jpg (http://s1143.photobucket.com/user/xeriod/media/filter_zpsaa981965.jpg.html)

[lx2077]

Thanks wes and I have also been told due to the amount of WC's we do there is no need for carbon use in our media do you yourself agree with that?

sent from my Galaxy S4

[Wes]

Thanks wes and I have also been told due to the amount of WC's we do there is no need for carbon use in our media do you yourself agree with that?

sent from my Galaxy S4

yes, I only use it to remove meds after done treating for illness. Here is a good thread on carbon. post #12 by Yogi is really intresting.
http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?107697-No-carbon-for-Discus

[DISCUS STU]

I made one by cutting the plastic foam sponge from an Aquaclear filter sponge, the one that usually goes inside the filter. Originally I did this so the fry didn't get sucked into the intake of my Eheim. It can also be used for the Aquaclear intake.

Yup, they should be wrung out under the tap every few days.

[jim LI]

I used these Eheim pre-filters. a bit expensive, but they look better to me than a plain sponge. they are easy to clean. i use them on my 2- 2217 filters on my aqaurium.

http://petus.imageg.net/PETNA_36/pimg/pPETNA-5073853_main_enh.jpg

[sajeevv]

I got a whole stack of nice pre-cut and grooved sponge, black from some server and hard drive equipment packaging that came in. I put them in the Fluval 405.

[Skip]

I made one by cutting the plastic foam sponge from an Aquaclear filter sponge, the one that usually goes inside the filter. Originally I did this so the fry didn't get sucked into the intake of my Eheim. It can also be used for the Aquaclear intake.

Yup, they should be wrung out under the tap every few days.

i did the same thing.. i got the sponges wet.. than put them in the freezer.. WAY easier to cut or drill :)

[ericNH]

Glad this was stickied. So simple an idea, and yet I never thought to do it! +1 to my overall tank care...

[yim11]

I got a whole stack of nice pre-cut and grooved sponge, black from some server and hard drive equipment packaging that came in. I put them in the Fluval 405.

Be careful that isn't fire retardant material, if it is you may have problems with the fish.

[BinaryRun]

Brief question, (hopefully this topic still get's read ;))

Do I place the pre-filter over the inlet strainer:

99598

Or remove the inlet strainer and place it on the inlet tube itself?

[Wes]

Brief question, (hopefully this topic still get's read ;))

Do I place the pre-filter over the inlet strainer:

99598

Or remove the inlet strainer and place it on the inlet tube itself?

Yes, I slice a hole in the sponge and use my finger to make it big/deep enough to slide it over.

[BinaryRun]

Alright, so you slide it over the strainer?

[Filip]

Alright, so you slide it over the strainer?

Yes , the sponge goes over the strainer . The strainer goes in to the hole of the sponge .

I wrap up the strainer with filter floss layers instead of sponge for prefiltration . Its a finer material than sponge so it traps the finer parts of debris , but it also requires more frequent changing/ cleaning than sponge does.

[discuspaul]

For those of you who might be interested, Pet Smart stores usually have available the Fluval Edge fine mesh pre-filters, which are very efficient and attractive. They readily fit well over most HOB & canister filter intake tubes - I've used them for years.
Check out the link below:

http://www.petsmart.ca/fish/filter-media/fluval-edge-pre-filter-sponge-zid36-5147341/cat-36-catid-300089

[CrazyAngels]

For those of you who might be interested, Pet Smart stores usually have available the Fluval Edge fine mesh pre-filters, which are very efficient and attractive. They readily fit well over most HOB & canister filter intake tubes - I've used them for years.
Check out the link below:

http://www.petsmart.ca/fish/filter-media/fluval-edge-pre-filter-sponge-zid36-5147341/cat-36-catid-300089

I used to get this also for mine, but here in the states they've stopped carrying it. so for the last year I've been unable to find.

It only shows up on the Canadian side of Petsmart.

[DJW]

For those of you who might be interested, Pet Smart stores usually have available the Fluval Edge fine mesh pre-filters, which are very efficient and attractive. They readily fit well over most HOB & canister filter intake tubes - I've used them for years.
Check out the link below:

http://www.petsmart.ca/fish/filter-media/fluval-edge-pre-filter-sponge-zid36-5147341/cat-36-catid-300089

These are the ones I use as well.

If you don't leave the strainer on and you push the prefilter all the way onto the intake tube, water will only be filtering through the bottom part of the sponge rather than being spread out, and it will quickly become clogged.

Oddly, the Fluval intake strainers are way too big for the Fluval prefilters. So I take the strainer off and slip the prefilter on about 3/4" inch. It would be better though if I found a narrower strainer that fits the tube.

[DJW]

I used to get this also for mine, but here in the states they've stopped carrying it. so for the last year I've been unable to find.

It only shows up on the Canadian side of Petsmart.

Amazon has them...

https://www.amazon.com/Fluval-A1387-EDGE-Pre-Filter-Sponge/dp/B002LL32RY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468683515&sr=8-1&keywords=fluval+edge+pre+filter+sponge

[BinaryRun]

Amazon has them...

https://www.amazon.com/Fluval-A1387-EDGE-Pre-Filter-Sponge/dp/B002LL32RY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468683515&sr=8-1&keywords=fluval+edge+pre+filter+sponge

I just saw that my store carries them as well. However I believe that it won't fit over my strainer either as it is meant for a nano-tank. So I'll likely go with the idea of a regular sponge with a X cut in it to make it slide over the opening, as suggested here.

[Clawhammer]

I just put mine prefilter the intake tube after removing the strainer. Nothing big enough to get caught by the strainer should make it through the prefilter sponge, so it is not even redundant.

Some strainers have a ball inside of them to prevent backflow. If yours has that, you may want to incorporate the strainer. Otherwise, its just a PIA

[Bc chick]

Amazon has them...

https://www.amazon.com/Fluval-A1387-EDGE-Pre-Filter-Sponge/dp/B002LL32RY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468683515&sr=8-1&keywords=fluval+edge+pre+filter+sponge

Is this one to small?
Size: 8.4*5cm/3.3*2.0inch
Inside Diameter: 2.1cm/0.8inch
Single Hole

[DJW]

Is this one to small?
Size: 8.4*5cm/3.3*2.0inch
Inside Diameter: 2.1cm/0.8inch
Single Hole

The fluval prefilter in that link has a hole diameter that is about 1.7 cm and is designed to fit over an intake or strainer that has a diameter of about 1.8 to 2.1 cm. They are 7.2 cm long. Check the diameter of the filter intake to see if its too small.

[SidJones]

These come with several different sized connectors that will fit on most filter tubes.
http://americanaquariumproducts.com/PreFilter.html

[Bc chick]

These come with several different sized connectors that will fit on most filter tubes.
http://americanaquariumproducts.com/PreFilter.html

yes thanks, but my site has the fluval ones for $2 - $5 free shipping so i was trying to find one comparable

[Bc chick]

The fluval prefilter in that link has a hole diameter that is about 1.7 cm and is designed to fit over an intake or strainer that has a diameter of about 1.8 to 2.1 cm. They are 7.2 cm long. Check the diameter of the filter intake to see if its too small.

did you notice in another post i referred you to another site? Did you check it out? If so did you find one suitable to your needs?

[DJW]

I found these

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/1pc-Sponge-Cover-Aquarium-Pre-Filter-Large-Size-Compatible-With-Filters-Vat-250-600-CF600-1200/32549113680.html?spm=2114.01010108.3.203.igmIFk&ws_ab_test=searchweb201556_8,searchweb201602_3_100 57_10056_10055_10049_10017_405_404_10059_407_10058 _10040,searchweb201603_2&btsid=272768af-7558-4a96-b938-0f8d8b9e2b23

Boy at that price if they don't fit you could use them for packing material or something. Stocking stuffers.

[Bc chick]

I found these

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/1pc-Sponge-Cover-Aquarium-Pre-Filter-Large-Size-Compatible-With-Filters-Vat-250-600-CF600-1200/32549113680.html?spm=2114.01010108.3.203.igmIFk&ws_ab_test=searchweb201556_8,searchweb201602_3_100 57_10056_10055_10049_10017_405_404_10059_407_10058 _10040,searchweb201603_2&btsid=272768af-7558-4a96-b938-0f8d8b9e2b23

Boy at that price if they don't fit you could use them for packing material or something. Stocking stuffers.

Ewww even better. That site is so cheap for everything. As long as you have the patience

[Bc chick]

Ewww even better. That site is so cheap for everything. As long as you have the patience

lol actually probably better than any packing materials they use to send us stuff

[100fuegos]

Been using compatible ones for years for a fraction of the price marked on the originals. See this link (http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-Pcs-Pre-Filter-Foam-Sponge-Filter-for-Fluval-Edge-Aquarium-Fish-Tank-/222163195403?hash=item33b9f5560b:g:HUIAAOSwzJ5Xa2r I)

[Clawhammer]

Been using compatible ones for years for a fraction of the price marked on the originals. See this link (http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-Pcs-Pre-Filter-Foam-Sponge-Filter-for-Fluval-Edge-Aquarium-Fish-Tank-/222163195403?hash=item33b9f5560b:g:HUIAAOSwzJ5Xa2r I)

Wow, great deal! Thank you!

[Bizarro252]

Just an FYI to Fluval 306/406 users - if you grab an extra set of the rubber hose adapters that go from the ribbed hose to the intake/outlet you can use them to attach an Eihiem prefilter almost perfectly :)

[MarkGSmith]

Having now got my fish I realise that my prefilter sponge is too deep for me to service easily. I do like easy, it means I'll actually do it....so I've come up with two designs:
110238110239
See I want to be able to just pull the sponge from the surface when I open to feed or vacuum. First I thought I'd make it a rudimentary surface skimmer aswell but then a quandry...I want to pull water from the floor of the tank. Now my head hurts...any thoughts?

[Jason.M]

I like to put a ziplock bag over my pre filter sponge when removing it for cleaning, close it off allowing the water to be sucked out of the bag, then slip it off the intake and out of the tank without allowing any debris to escape from it and into the water column. I like your idea but can't think of a way to remove the sponge without releasing debris into the water.

Edit: thought of a way. Keep the prefilter box high in the tank and whole box removable (your first design)Slip bag over entire box and out of the tank. Keep a 90 degree slip on elbow with length of pipe that can be reach to the bottom of the tank for temporary install during water changes to not loose siphon on your filter or need to turn filter off during water change. Also make the tank look cleaner with out a long intake reaching down in the tank.

[MarkGSmith]

My tank is 30" deep, I have to put my head under water to reach! LOL, I'm only small! The boxes above are designed so that the top rim is above the water line and open top, just pull and plop into a jug.

[Jason.M]

I think it's a great idea and I might diy something like this myself. My worry is that when I lift out the sponge gunk will go in the filter intake. I'm OCD about stuff going in my filter. So an easily removable box will be what I come up with. If my kids will give me time to do it lol. Can't even get an update vid done these days.

[MarkGSmith]

I think it's a great idea and I might diy something like this myself. My worry is that when I lift out the sponge gunk will go in the filter intake. I'm OCD about stuff going in my filter. So an easily removable box will be what I come up with. If my kids will give me time to do it lol. Can't even get an update vid done these days.
My plan is to turn the filter off when doing this, I have a gate valve on the intake too. If I close this then nothing is getting in there.