HOB Filters insert what media

[seanyuki]

Have been spending sometime reading about filters.

Most people use bare bottom tanks and perhaps two sponge filters inside it. Just curious if also using HOB filter what media would you
put inside and why? Many thanks for sharing.


Regards
Francis

[RyanH]

I like the AquaClear filters. They are used with sponge media inserts only. No carbon or anything else.

The sponge media is easy to clean, lasts forever, and is an excellent substrate for nitrifying bacteria.

hth

-Ryan

[ed8t]

I agree...keep it simple. I use the media packed with the Aquaclear: sponge and ceramic rings, omit carbon. For the juvie tanks, I toss in a media bag of crushed coral with aragonite to help buffer our soft water and add calcium/carbonates.

[MSD]

Actually, I've read that sponges in AC filters do a minimal job at growing bacteria, and that bio-stars or other rock and ceremic media are far superior. I've just put prefilter sponges on the filter, taken out the big foam block which is a waste, and added maximal quality media in bags into the chamber. Just food for thought.....

[GrillMaster]

Actually, I've read that sponges in AC filters do a minimal job at growing bacteria, and that bio-stars or other rock and ceremic media are far superior. I've just put prefilter sponges on the filter, taken out the big foam block which is a waste, and added maximal quality media in bags into the chamber. Just food for thought.....

Thats why the sponge filters are in the tank!

This is a great read from an awsome source!


http://www.forum.simplydiscus.com/sh...ad.php?t=28937

tc
Mark

[poconogal]

I used an AC500 since 1993, on a tank with a heavy bio load, and later, on my discus tank. I used the sponge, along with either Chemi Pure, or with the Discus, Purigen and floss. I've never had any sort of bio issues, the AC did an excellent job for both biological and mechanical filtration. I'd still be using it now except that I got a larger tank in '06 and needed to save space. My canister filter allowed me to place the tank closer to the wall. As far as HOB filters, I think the ACs are the best. They're almost like having a canister filter, with the amount of media you can place in it, in HOB form.

As far as the sponge being a big waste, I have to disagree. If nothing else, it serves a purpose - mechanical filtration. However, when running a QT tank, I've used the sponge only in an AC filter, and had no probs with bio filtration.

[judy]

I've got two ACs, an old 610 and a newer 200, and a TetraTec 300 on my 78 gallon, using the AC sponges and ceramic noodles (no carbon, I put in a second sponge instead) in the AC filters, and the Tetratec has two sets of filter bags that you're supposed to put carbon in. I don't use the carbon-- I put in sheet sponge foam inserts in the first set of filter space, and mesh bags of bioballs and a little more sponge foam sheet in the second space, tucked in to take up space the bioballs don't fill.
I run a sponge filter in the tank as well. It will be going into the QT tank, as I'm expecting a couple of new arrivals, and a new sponge filter (the DIY design developed by one of the breeder guys on this forum- can't recall your name, guy, but that's one neat design and since I had to buy PVC pipe in a ten foot length, canmake many more) will go into the main tank.
Is there such a thing as over-filtering? Am I doing that? Should I use carbon? Do the foam sponge sheets you cut to fit work? Are those plastic bio-balls a waste of space and should I put foam sponge in there instead?

[Kindredspirit]

As far as HOB filters, I think the ACs are the best.

I agree! I have nothing but sponges in my AC's....all sponges. No bio balls, noodles or whatever else is out there! lol! Never had a problem ~ simple. Very simple. When I need a sponge I grab one from somewhere.

[MSD]

Sponge filters in the tank are fine, I use two Lustar III's, I just think in the filters its a better use of space to use a biomedia in a bag and a sponge prefilter on the uptake tube. Doesn't mean you can't have success with other methods, I didn't mean to imply that, there are many ways to skin a cat, or raise healthy discus!!

[judy]

Not meaning to hijack Seanyuki's thread-- but if he decides to use an HOB, like the AC, with two compartments, would it be, left to right, sponge, another sponge (which makes them like one big sponge, really), then finally the biomedia like the ceramic noodle thingies that come with the ACs, or those plastic bioballs?
Which work better: the ceramic thingies or the plastic bioballs?
Would a sponge filter on the uptake tube(presumably one of the AC sponges cut to fit) more easily enable the two sponges in the filter to serve strictly as biomedia instead of a sorta prefilter sponge followed by biomedia sponge?
I worry I'm not doing it right...

[poconogal]

Not meaning to hijack Seanyuki's thread-- but if he decides to use an HOB, like the AC, with two compartments, would it be, left to right, sponge, another sponge (which makes them like one big sponge, really), then finally the biomedia like the ceramic noodle thingies that come with the ACs, or those plastic bioballs?
Which work better: the ceramic thingies or the plastic bioballs?
Would a sponge filter on the uptake tube(presumably one of the AC sponges cut to fit) more easily enable the two sponges in the filter to serve strictly as biomedia instead of a sorta prefilter sponge followed by biomedia sponge?
I worry I'm not doing it right...

Hi Judy. A prefilter would keep the sponge in the filter somewhat cleaner, but I never noticed any difference in bio filtration, when I used a prefilter, and once the prefilter got even a tiny bit clogged, it affected the performance of my AC500. I don't feel that HOBs are really designed to have prefilters on the intakes. Also, I'm not sure what you mean by two compartments. In my ACs (I have a collection of them, LOL) there is only one compartment for media. The media runs bottom to top, big sponge on the bottom, followed by, in mine anyway, a thin layer of floss on top of the sponge (works great for fine particle filtration), then on top of that, a bag of Seachem's Purigen (they have some good carbon alternatives). On top of the Purigen I always kept a small bag of noodles so that I'd have removable bio filtration if I needed it in another tank.

In your case, you'd have sponge on the bottom, and on top of that the noodles or bioballs (I prefer noodles). I think there's a thread on SD that gave stats on what types of media gave the best surface area for the bio bacteria to grow on, but since I've never had any issues, I assume that what I've used was fine.

[judy]

Thank you! The (very) old AC 610 I use has horizontal compartments: left to right: uptake tube space, then open box space for sponges, then third space for biomedia and water return.

[seanyuki]

Hi Judy. A prefilter would keep the sponge in the filter somewhat cleaner, but I never noticed any difference in bio filtration, when I used a prefilter, and once the prefilter got even a tiny bit clogged, it affected the performance of my AC500. I don't feel that HOBs are really designed to have prefilters on the intakes. Also, I'm not sure what you mean by two compartments. In my ACs (I have a collection of them, LOL) there is only one compartment for media. The media runs bottom to top, big sponge on the bottom, followed by, in mine anyway, a thin layer of floss on top of the sponge (works great for fine particle filtration), then on top of that, a bag of Seachem's Purigen (they have some good carbon alternatives). On top of the Purigen I always kept a small bag of noodles so that I'd have removable bio filtration if I needed it in another tank.

In your case, you'd have sponge on the bottom, and on top of that the noodles or bioballs (I prefer noodles). I think there's a thread on SD that gave stats on what types of media gave the best surface area for the bio bacteria to grow on, but since I've never had any issues, I assume that what I've used was fine.

Hi Connie/Judy,

Thanks for all the informations.
I think there's a thread on SD that gave stats on what types of media gave the best surface area for the bio bacteria to grow on, May I know what is SD? I read somewhere in the forum that SHOULD NOT place an existing sponge to another a tank cos
If you were to use a filter media or any equipment from another tank or another culture, you might just accidently innoculate disease from the other fishes to your further discus and that disease may not be harmful to the existing because the fishes there already got the immune but introducing it to the new discus might just make the discus sick if not mortality. Please correct me
if I have mistaken the thread.

Cheers
Francis

[poconogal]

Hi Connie/Judy,

Thanks for all the informations.
I think there's a thread on SD that gave stats on what types of media gave the best surface area for the bio bacteria to grow on, May I know what is SD? I read somewhere in the forum that SHOULD NOT place an existing sponge to another a tank cos
If you were to use a filter media or any equipment from another tank or another culture, you might just accidently innoculate disease from the other fishes to your further discus and that disease may not be harmful to the existing because the fishes there already got the immune but introducing it to the new discus might just make the discus sick if not mortality. Please correct me
if I have mistaken the thread.

Cheers
Francis

Hi Francis, SD is this forum, Simply Discus.

Yes, you can transfer something to another tank with filter media, but if I need bio filter media for a QT/hospital tank to treat or QT a fish from my main tank, there'd be no issue using filter media that came from its original tank.

[poconogal]

Thank you! The (very) old AC 610 I use has horizontal compartments: left to right: uptake tube space, then open box space for sponges, then third space for biomedia and water return.

Wow, Judy, how old is that puppy? Mine is 15 years old now, and does not have that design! I never even heard of a 610!!!

So then in your case, on the left, (first) the sponge, followed by your noodles!