x2 on the Rena being easy...of course I follow Cristy's maintenance schedule too and only clean it when I really have to. So by the time I go to clean it I have long since forgotten any gripes or grumbles I had the previous time. :/
Sorry about your troubles John. Your post made me feel your pain!!!
Filters
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DonkeyFish
- Posts: 1783
- Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2007 4:42 pm
- Real Name: Jen Williams
- Location: Alexandria, VA
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Re: Filters
It is not murder if you're killing snails.
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Chriscoli
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- Real Name: Christine
- Location: Silver Spring, MD
Re: Filters
I do mattenfilters on everything that I can. I've had really great luck which them on my 40B tanks, too.
The CCA speaker last meeting showed an awesome picture of one of his mattenfilters covered with Java fern. It was gorgeous!
The CCA speaker last meeting showed an awesome picture of one of his mattenfilters covered with Java fern. It was gorgeous!
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turfboss
- Posts: 134
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- Real Name: George Cowan
- Location: Severna Park, MD
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Re: Filters
Wow - what a jump - this thread was a discussion in Sept 2012 - with no new entries till Sept 2013 -
So, as a follow on to some of the earlier discussions (and I have learned a bit since a year ago) - I - like Chris - use Matten Filters in all my tanks - the original discussions about sponges versus HOB's etc and a lot of research led me to the MFH solution - I have an overhead air system feeding the lift tubes in all of my tanks - and in all but my 40 Breeders I have the MattenFilters - basically no cleaning and the tanks are crystal clear.
I do have some 40 breeders with the large Hydra V sponges ( primarily since the installation of the matten filter materials in those tanks - with how they are dispayed and how my overflow for the automatic water changing system works - just made it easier to use the large sponges) - I am in fact working to replace those sppnges with the matten filters since they are such a dream to work with and do such a fantastic job of keeping the tanks clean.
The only negative I have found with the HM filters is that I use a lot of floating live plants - especially hornwort - to provide cover for fry - and the lift tube output pushes the grasses to the end of the tank - which is the end from which I view the tanks on the racks. For those tanks which are planted (not a lot of floating materials) that is not a problem.
George
So, as a follow on to some of the earlier discussions (and I have learned a bit since a year ago) - I - like Chris - use Matten Filters in all my tanks - the original discussions about sponges versus HOB's etc and a lot of research led me to the MFH solution - I have an overhead air system feeding the lift tubes in all of my tanks - and in all but my 40 Breeders I have the MattenFilters - basically no cleaning and the tanks are crystal clear.
I do have some 40 breeders with the large Hydra V sponges ( primarily since the installation of the matten filter materials in those tanks - with how they are dispayed and how my overflow for the automatic water changing system works - just made it easier to use the large sponges) - I am in fact working to replace those sppnges with the matten filters since they are such a dream to work with and do such a fantastic job of keeping the tanks clean.
The only negative I have found with the HM filters is that I use a lot of floating live plants - especially hornwort - to provide cover for fry - and the lift tube output pushes the grasses to the end of the tank - which is the end from which I view the tanks on the racks. For those tanks which are planted (not a lot of floating materials) that is not a problem.
George
Re: Filters
Thanks for reminding me of mattenfilters. I have seen a couple of things on the web about them, but they never looked like something for me. First, you have to start by gluing stuff to the inside of the aquarium--a job I don't think I wold be particularly good at. But for those of you who do use them: Do you have any photos of planted tanks with one of those filters?
John Godbey
Springfield, VA
Springfield, VA
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turfboss
- Posts: 134
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- Real Name: George Cowan
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Re: Filters
John -
I do not have any planted tanks with matten filters - lots of my tanks have plants in them but they are certainly not aquascaped which is what I think you are referring to when you ask for pics of planted tanks.
On the gluing issue - I have never glued any of the matten filters into my tanks - one exception is my 40 breeders where my stand pipes for the auto water changes come out the side of the tank - near one end so on those tanks I have inserted a 1" - aluminum "L" to hold the matten filter from "popping out" of the end). I spoke with Stephan Tanner (at Swiss tropicals) before I ordered my filters and discussed sizing - what I found is they come a bit bigger than the width of the tank and when compressed and arced a bit they fit into the end of the tank with no gluing necessary - cut a notch in the top of the filter - insert the lift tube (and also the heater and anything else you want to hide behind the filter - I have my tanks all set up for auto water changes with a standpipe and the tank drains through the end which is also hidden behind the filter) and attach the air hose and you have a filter that needs to be cleaned maybe once every 6 to 8 months - or as some have stated - depending on the tank stocking - once every two years or so.
George
I do not have any planted tanks with matten filters - lots of my tanks have plants in them but they are certainly not aquascaped which is what I think you are referring to when you ask for pics of planted tanks.
On the gluing issue - I have never glued any of the matten filters into my tanks - one exception is my 40 breeders where my stand pipes for the auto water changes come out the side of the tank - near one end so on those tanks I have inserted a 1" - aluminum "L" to hold the matten filter from "popping out" of the end). I spoke with Stephan Tanner (at Swiss tropicals) before I ordered my filters and discussed sizing - what I found is they come a bit bigger than the width of the tank and when compressed and arced a bit they fit into the end of the tank with no gluing necessary - cut a notch in the top of the filter - insert the lift tube (and also the heater and anything else you want to hide behind the filter - I have my tanks all set up for auto water changes with a standpipe and the tank drains through the end which is also hidden behind the filter) and attach the air hose and you have a filter that needs to be cleaned maybe once every 6 to 8 months - or as some have stated - depending on the tank stocking - once every two years or so.
George
