I just got this filter and i always heard people say you should switch the cartridges to sponges? should i just leave the filter as it is or put in sponges?
if sponges how would i go about doing this?
if cartridges you need to switch them out right? wouldn’t that mess with the beneficial bacteria?
help is much appreciated
https://www.reddit.com/gallery/1r752ag
Posted by spencerreidstiddies
5 Comments
I got a big filter sponge that i cut into perfect shape for my hob.
The thing with these cartridges is that they most o the time have only filter floss in them wich is not intended for longer term use. Floss has to be replaced at some point, and if that’s all you have going in your filter, you throw out all your filter bacteria on top of your money.
Yes, ditch the cartridges, for efficiency, flexibility, durability and ecological purposes. I can expand on that if you want.
Find out how the water flow is managed in the filter (in these types of hang on back it’s usually from the bottom to the top, so inverse the picture below) and set up mechanical filtration where the water is pumped through first (preferably multi-layered, so with a coarse sponge followed by a finer sponge and potentially as a last step fine filter floss), followed by biological media just before it’s flowing back out into the tank. Chemical filtration as a third step is entirely optional (I don’t use it myself). So something like this in the end:
https://preview.redd.it/rzncg44nz1kg1.png?width=640&format=png&auto=webp&s=1752833f3228db9c44c16922181068ec5d35786d
For the sponges, just buy a big pad from your local fishstore or online, cut down to size and voila. You don’t need to replace the sponges (unless they degrade or start breaking down, which usually takes years), just rinse them out with aquarium water when doing water changes.
The bio-media can go in a little mesh bag for convenience.
If you want to see some an example of what I mean, have a look at this: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwrD-o9t3_8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwrD-o9t3_8)
EDIT: Looking more closely at that specific filter, it might be that you need to set up media from left to right… Bit of an inefficient design I think. Perhaps best way to find out is to place the filter on a bucket filled with water, take out the cartridges and get the filter running, then put something in the water that is detectable when floating (perhaps some ground up coffee beans I am thinking?). Watch how it flows through the filter before making its way back to the outlet.
There’s been studies and 20-35ppi open pore foam grows the most beneficial bacteria. It’s a pretty perfect mix of bacterial and mechanical filtration
Great guide here I used for a similar post question – the cartridges are a waste, aren’t great at filtration and throwing them out = throwing away precious cycle bacteria.
From experience, I used cartridges in a hob filter early in my fish keeping career and upgrading it to sponges, floss and biomedia gave my tank the stability and robustness it needed (and me the jumpstart to a lifelong passion for fishkeeping).
Fishkeeping isn’t about keeping fish, it’s about keeping good water and happy bacteria. Happy bacteria need a happy home and they’ll do the work for happy fish.
https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/aquarium-filter-upgrade?srsltid=AfmBOoqf6hHU0iAq9mX3uk1KnZoCRlYEVA7ppXzAwFLtcUNlRXfuhM8y
I personally run 2 of these exact filters and it’s definitely possible but due to their design they’re kind of hard to fill with your own media. You can however easily take the cartridges apart, rinse the sponge inside and put it back together. There’s a black sponge kind of sandwiched in between 2 filter floss pads. What i do is rinse the black sponge and replace the floss pads with new floss from a big bag. You can also rinse the floss pads if you want tho