anchar Posted December 15, 2003 Share Posted December 15, 2003 Hi, I utilize a large number of those blue corner sponge filters in my fry tanks. They are cheap, effective and easy to clean. That's great for small volumed tanks - but what about larger ones? Well, problem solved. I bought a heap of large block sponges from Clark Rubber and modified them. They work a treat. This is what I did. Since they dont have a hole in them already (the ones at LFS's do but these are cheaper) I had to work out how to bore them out neatly. Solution - put them in the freezer (yes, the freezer) and drill them out while they are still "frozen". I remembered reading it somewhere and it works. Now use the "guts" of the little blue corner sponges and insert this into the new block sponge. Connect to your air source as normal. A cheap way to filter large aquariums without using powerheads or cannisters. merjo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
23Skidoo Posted December 15, 2003 Share Posted December 15, 2003 Bewdy! Top idea mate, i'll be onto that one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anchar Posted December 15, 2003 Author Share Posted December 15, 2003 No worries Skidoo - just remember to put an icecream container (or similar) under the sponge as you lift it from the aquarium for cleaning, otherwise you'll end up dropping craPe back into the tank.merjo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bijengum Posted December 19, 2003 Share Posted December 19, 2003 BE very careful what sponge you use. The standard foam from rubber places is NOT suitable, it can release chemicals that are harmful. They do make a specific sponge that is OK but you have to order it in usually. Age of Aquariums also sells foam for filters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anchar Posted December 19, 2003 Author Share Posted December 19, 2003 Clark Rubber sells the blue rectangular block sponges which are identical to those in the LFS (just isn't bored out).merjo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onlyme Posted December 19, 2003 Share Posted December 19, 2003 It may look the same but I suspect it is not!Many foams used in the furniture trade have anti bacterial agents in them so they do not smell or rot with use. There are plenty of foams available without this treatment, it is just a matter of finding them, even if as with your method of trial and error. If they work OK then it must be suitable. Also most of the foam sold like that is closed cell and will have dead spots and will clog very quickly. Your idea about freezing is wonderful, I had to make a tool to drill mine.There are Australian made foams which are suitable for water filtration, problem is it is hard to buy in small quantities. There are also foams which look suitable but simply disintergate in 6 to 8 weeks.Craig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anchar Posted December 19, 2003 Author Share Posted December 19, 2003 Hi, IME the blocks that I buy have not been treated with anything and the cell size is the same as filters that are used on powerheads in aquarium stores. Being in the trade I know that certain wholesalers buy their sponges (which are bored out) from the same source :rolleyes: . I'm not saying that all sponges at Clarks are suitable - but I've never had problems of any sort with the ones that I buy. They last just as long as the aquarium bought ones. Just my opinion I guess!!merjops. At the risk of opening up another can of worms , you can save a fortune on filter wadding by purchasing it from Spotlight etc . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onlyme Posted December 19, 2003 Share Posted December 19, 2003 THe only filter wool I have ever bought was from spotlight, as far as I know dacryon is dacryon.Craig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anchar Posted December 19, 2003 Author Share Posted December 19, 2003 :D merjo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YeW Posted December 24, 2003 Share Posted December 24, 2003 Hi Merjo -When the corner sponge isn't enough - you can always get two corner sponge's .Sponge/Corner filters may not be most aesthetically pleasing - but they sure work!HTH - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discusdude Posted December 24, 2003 Share Posted December 24, 2003 I buy my filter wool from Spotlight. $11 for 1kg of "Craft fill" It works great :D Also I buy my gravel from a sand and soil place $5.50 for 25kg :lol: Cheers Alistair Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anchar Posted December 25, 2003 Author Share Posted December 25, 2003 YeW, two corner sponges are not enough for a 4' x 2' x 2' but two block sponges are! merjo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megalodon Posted December 28, 2003 Share Posted December 28, 2003 Last known Clark rubber only sells one type of foam for fish tanks. Its 5cm thick. everything else in the store is toxic to fish. If you ask them and they pause for a few seconds thinking, dont believe for 1 second they know what they are talking about. they should be able to answer your question straight away and take you straight to it. I wouldnt use anything from spotlight or any store like that because the shop assistants wouldnt have a clue about whats in it. a lot of these people only work in the stores a few days a week to keep labor costs down so know little about any specific product except how to find the price code. You might find these things filter fine but you might also find your fish die in 1/4 of there life span. Ya still have to remember in the end it aint their fish if they die. And it sure aint mine. With any product the name still stays the same even if it has anti fungal, anti mold or fire retardant in them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onlyme Posted December 28, 2003 Share Posted December 28, 2003 Your point about fire retardants is a good one! Does anyone know what LFS actually sell as "filter wool"? Craig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magica DiSpell Posted December 30, 2003 Share Posted December 30, 2003 Craig, It's dacron wool. I agree that I probably wouldn't buy just anything from any source and put it into my fishtank, but the dacron wool is ok. I have been buying it for years (I even recycled my old lounge filling for filtration) and my fish are still alive and happy. As for the sponge. I guess if your fish are still alived a few weeks after you introduced it, you must have been lucky enough to get the correct sponge. Being in the industry also helps, because you know exactly what to ask for I have heard of people having bad experiences due to inexperienced staff at Clark Rubber though. One person I know of bought sponge and specified that it would go into an aquarium only to have the sponge disintigrate in water (I guess it wasn't meant for water applications after all). So, don't necessarily trust the shop assistant. It helps if you know beforehand what the sponge should look like (the one the person bought was black from memory). I believe they are colourcoded up to a point. Anyway, you are pretty safe with dacron wool. Sometimes you can be lucky and pick up some offcuts from furniture restauration places. They only through it out anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onlyme Posted December 30, 2003 Share Posted December 30, 2003 Thanks Magica, I thought it was dacryon. THe black stuff, they call it charcoal, does disintergrate in water. Although it is a reticulated foam made for the purpose of filtration it's use is air filtration which is a shame because physically it is just the thing. I buy another reticulated foam in full sheets cut from the bun, and althought I would like more space in it, it does work well and it is very durable. I have corresponded with the manufacturer and I know it is safe from their specifications and my trials. I am happy to resell this stuff cut to size and with a stopped hole if neccessary. Craig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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