Adam_J Posted July 4, 2010 Share Posted July 4, 2010 i have a Aquaclear filter that hangs on the side of my 4ft tank... and was wondering if i could exchange the foam for bio balls? or something like that... the foam seems to restrict alot of flow.. i'm wishing i had of gone the powerhead filter like my 3ft... but you live and learn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CThompson Posted July 4, 2010 Share Posted July 4, 2010 i have a Aquaclear filter that hangs on the side of my 4ft tank... and was wondering if i could exchange the foam for bio balls? or something like that... the foam seems to restrict alot of flow.. i'm wishing i had of gone the powerhead filter like my 3ft... but you live and learn. Bio balls will not be good in that situation. If you do swap the foam (sponge) with anything, be aware that a large percentage of the tank's bacteria may be calling it home. You could use matrix, but the sponge may be better in HOTB filter. Two suggestions; If the sponge is reducing water flow, it may need cleaning. In water syphoned from the tank, clean the sponge in a bucket and put back in filter.Perhaps the sponge is too fine. Post up a photo of it. If it is too fine, use a coarser sponge, but you will need to keep the original sponge in place until a bacterial colony has been cycled on the new sponge. How's the "main man"? Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcloughlin2 Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 I agree with what Craig has said. You will need to be careful swapping the sponge for another form of media as it will hold bacteria which if remove may disturb the equilibrium your tank is at and result in a ammonia spike. Reason bioballs are ineffective in a hang on the back situation is because they do best in situations where they are not submerged completely under water. If you end up replacing the sponge I would replace it with matrix or ceramic noodles or coral pieces. Be warned though that the sponge does form an essential part in filtering the water as it is a mechanical filter which removes debris that biological filter medias cannot. i'm wishing i had of gone the powerhead filter like my 3ft... If your referring to an internal filter your lucky you didn't waste your money on it. AquaClear hang on filters are way, way more effective at filtering your water then an internal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam_J Posted July 5, 2010 Author Share Posted July 5, 2010 cheers for the replies.. i'm thinking maybe it's the carbon bag that is reducing the flow? it has the sponge , then the carbon bag , then the noodle bag. what if i added a power head filter as well to pick up the current? the aquaclear seems to push everything down 1 end and thats where it stays. where as the powerhead in my 3ft tank stirs everything up and picks up all the rubbish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam_J Posted July 5, 2010 Author Share Posted July 5, 2010 oh and my main man is doin great , producing lots of little men and ladies. haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcloughlin2 Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 That would be ideal if you can get a powerhead in there. Look on the age of aquariums website for 'wavemakers'. They are design to produce flow in marine tanks but would be a great addition to a freshwater setup requiring more current. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Link2Hell Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 Adam the carbon is only good to remove tannins & meds it has a limited life and will leach excess crap it has collected back into the water when it's maxed flick the carbon if you don't need it if the water flow is reduced you could need the impellor removed and cleaned as mulm builds up in there on the impellor magnet and impellor housing Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam_J Posted July 9, 2010 Author Share Posted July 9, 2010 cheers for all the replies kind people.. i took the carbon out , filter was reasonably clean , put it all back together , i then placed a 400L/hr powerhead off an old filter at the other end of the tank and put it as low as possible to the bottom.... 6 hours later the tank was crystal clear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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