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fish tanks-freshwater

really? i dont need any carbon added to it? thats awesome


nah, carbon isnt really needed unless you need to pull meds out the water. it doesnt hurt to have it in there though.

i love these tyoes of hob filters https://www.aquariumcoop.com/collections/filters/products/aquaclear-filter-1 i have the fluval version, but same design. just pull the sponge and rinse in tank water and put sponge back in. i even add some filter floss below the sponge to help filter the water also.

good video on filters


i know i link alot of aquarium coop stuff, but i really enjoy the vids and prices they have lol.


and the poly fill from walmart / hobby lobby is great. but its very fine, i would replace every 2-3 days as it would clog fast, but that means its working lol. just meant more work for me :( . the prefabricated sheets at fish stores are more porous and don't get clogged as fast. i use the prefab stuff and cut to fit my filter. i can easily get away with changing it once a week with water changes. when i got behind on my water changes it never clogged and stopped my filter though, which is nice. the poly fill will lol. i have been debating on getting a small cheap hob and fill it with just the pillow stuffing floss in addition to my main filter lol. polish the hell outta the water lol. i dont have live plants, so not worried about pulling everything out the water column.
 
nah, carbon isnt really needed unless you need to pull meds out the water. it doesnt hurt to have it in there though.

i love these tyoes of hob filters https://www.aquariumcoop.com/collections/filters/products/aquaclear-filter-1 i have the fluval version, but same design. just pull the sponge and rinse in tank water and put sponge back in. i even add some filter floss below the sponge to help filter the water also.

good video on filters


i know i link alot of aquarium coop stuff, but i really enjoy the vids and prices they have lol.


and the poly fill from walmart / hobby lobby is great. but its very fine, i would replace every 2-3 days as it would clog fast, but that means its working lol. just meant more work for me :( . the prefabricated sheets at fish stores are more porous and don't get clogged as fast. i use the prefab stuff and cut to fit my filter. i can easily get away with changing it once a week with water changes. when i got behind on my water changes it never clogged and stopped my filter though, which is nice. the poly fill will lol. i have been debating on getting a small cheap hob and fill it with just the pillow stuffing floss in addition to my main filter lol. polish the hell outta the water lol. i dont have live plants, so not worried about pulling everything out the water column.
good info

my buddy used sponges in his filters when he had turtles, but them turtles are gross and **** a stupid amount in the water so he cleaned tanks religiously like 2 a week (he had like 12 or 13 set ups)

ive seen the large sheets of the filter medium in the stores; is there a brand you recommend?

also that filter looks like the same one i have on my 20 gallon
 
good info

my buddy used sponges in his filters when he had turtles, but them turtles are gross and **** a stupid amount in the water so he cleaned tanks religiously like 2 a week (he had like 12 or 13 set ups)

ive seen the large sheets of the filter medium in the stores; is there a brand you recommend?

also that filter looks like the same one i have on my 20 gallon

turtles are disgusting lol. no matter how big a filter you gotta do massive water changes twice a week or it starts to reek. even with only one turtle lol. the best turtle tank imo has some goldfish in with it. yeah the turtles will eat some of them, but they are cheap and easily sourced and replaced. and goldfish will help break down the turtle poo by eating it lol. helps the water quality stay better longer. if i ever got a turtle i would get a tortoise instead, much easier maintenance and the added benefit i can let it walk around on the floor lol.

just the cheapest poly-fill you can find is ok. just make sure its 100% poly and has no added chemicals or the flame retardant. this is the stuff i used https://www.walmart.com/ip/Poly-Fil-Premium-Polyester-Fiberfill-50-oz-Bag/17808670 and no matter what the bags say about it, just throw it away after its dirty. dont try to rinse/wash it.

they are the best hang on back filter type imo. everything is washable and reusable. and contrary to the instructions on the box, only replace the bio media (the bio balls you put in the mesh bag) when they start to physically break apart.and only replace about half at a time, dont want to get rid of all your good bacteria and cause the tank to cycle and kill fish.

and i wish i had a taller tank, as this filter is getting amazing reviews. need the highth of at least a 20 high to fit it. and i have a shorter but wider (thats what she said lol) 20 long. https://www.aquariumcoop.com/collections/filters/products/ziss-bubble-bio-moving-bed-filter i wouldnt replace a hob filter with it (if you had 2 of them in a 20-40g it would probably be fine though), bit it would make an excellent addition for filtering and surface agitation.
 
turtles are disgusting lol. no matter how big a filter you gotta do massive water changes twice a week or it starts to reek. even with only one turtle lol. the best turtle tank imo has some goldfish in with it. yeah the turtles will eat some of them, but they are cheap and easily sourced and replaced. and goldfish will help break down the turtle poo by eating it lol. helps the water quality stay better longer. if i ever got a turtle i would get a tortoise instead, much easier maintenance and the added benefit i can let it walk around on the floor lol.

just the cheapest poly-fill you can find is ok. just make sure its 100% poly and has no added chemicals or the flame retardant. this is the stuff i used https://www.walmart.com/ip/Poly-Fil-Premium-Polyester-Fiberfill-50-oz-Bag/17808670 and no matter what the bags say about it, just throw it away after its dirty. dont try to rinse/wash it.

they are the best hang on back filter type imo. everything is washable and reusable. and contrary to the instructions on the box, only replace the bio media (the bio balls you put in the mesh bag) when they start to physically break apart.and only replace about half at a time, dont want to get rid of all your good bacteria and cause the tank to cycle and kill fish.

and i wish i had a taller tank, as this filter is getting amazing reviews. need the highth of at least a 20 high to fit it. and i have a shorter but wider (thats what she said lol) 20 long. https://www.aquariumcoop.com/collections/filters/products/ziss-bubble-bio-moving-bed-filter i wouldnt replace a hob filter with it (if you had 2 of them in a 20-40g it would probably be fine though), bit it would make an excellent addition for filtering and surface agitation.
damn thats alot of good to know info

so that filter plus the polyfil stuff and its good for a 20gallon tank?

the filter i have now works good. i may want to add a sponge prefilter to it but other than the replacement filters being expensive i like how it operates
 
damn thats alot of good to know info

so that filter plus the polyfil stuff and its good for a 20gallon tank?

the filter i have now works good. i may want to add a sponge prefilter to it but other than the replacement filters being expensive i like how it operates

yeah. just tear enough off for about an inch layer at the very bottom of the filter, below the sponge. if your filter uses the replacement cartridges, fill up the section behind the cartridge with the stuff.

i like the prefilter sponge mainly because instead of any big pieces of food getting sucked up, it stays on the filter and the fish pick at it when they are hungry lol. and if there are any babies they wont get sucked up lol.

but there is a trick to removing and cleaning it without making the tank a mess when you take it off lol. with the filter running during a water change, when the water level lowers to the top of the sponge, have a cup big enough that the sponge fits into, put cup in tank around sponge, take prefilter sponge off and out of the tank in the cup. make sure the filter is running during all this. when you disturb that sponge when turning off the filter, alot of the crap inside is held by the water pressure of the filter and releases when filter turns off. it can turn a crystal clear tank into a mess in about half a second lol. it will take a few tries to get used to doing it without making a mess lol.
 
20190218_163129.jpg
 
yeah. just tear enough off for about an inch layer at the very bottom of the filter, below the sponge. if your filter uses the replacement cartridges, fill up the section behind the cartridge with the stuff.

i like the prefilter sponge mainly because instead of any big pieces of food getting sucked up, it stays on the filter and the fish pick at it when they are hungry lol. and if there are any babies they wont get sucked up lol.

but there is a trick to removing and cleaning it without making the tank a mess when you take it off lol. with the filter running during a water change, when the water level lowers to the top of the sponge, have a cup big enough that the sponge fits into, put cup in tank around sponge, take prefilter sponge off and out of the tank in the cup. make sure the filter is running during all this. when you disturb that sponge when turning off the filter, alot of the crap inside is held by the water pressure of the filter and releases when filter turns off. it can turn a crystal clear tank into a mess in about half a second lol. it will take a few tries to get used to doing it without making a mess lol.
some solid advice

thanks!!!
 
so im attempting to kill all the unwanted bladder snails

i read no planaria will kill them. its been 48 hours since the first dosage and havent noticed as many. (i removed all my nerlite and gold inca snails before hand, will introduce them in a week after 5 or 6 water changes to remove all the no planaria left)
 
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