Aquaclear 110 Mod

[Crazed Demasoni]

I'm away on an internship, and have a relative taking care of what I kept from my tank before I left (I'm in college). I'm debating the necessity of keeping carbon in my filter, or just doing the sponge on the bottom, then more bio media in addition to the ceramic rings that came with the filter. It's filtering a 29g tank with a fat pleco and a pictus catfish.

Do I really need the carbon/will more bio media be more beneficial?

 

[12 Volt Man]

you can leave the carbon in. it will act as a good mechanical filter and will also serve as a substrate for bacteria to live on.

I use carbon but rarely change it.

so it serves more as a substrate for bacteria as well as a good mechanical filter bag as it gets dirty than actual useful carbon.

I do change it after the addtion of meds though.

 

[johno27]

I stuck some pot scrubbers in mine and it works great. I just stacked them horizontally across the top of the sponge.

I also use mine as a back up filter and water flow on a 150 gallon which I also run an fx5 and a hot magnum

So it would be hard for me to say what if any effect the 7 pot scrubbers are having

 

[Crazed Demasoni]

I'm actually thinking of moving to a 40g breeder and doing a somewhat planted tank with some shrimp and a pair of german blue rams. my only qualm is that I feel like this filter would suck the shrimp up in a second... Might have to bust out a 5.5g for them

 

[bob965]

I'm actually thinking of moving to a 40g breeder and doing a somewhat planted tank with some shrimp and a pair of german blue rams. my only qualm is that I feel like this filter would suck the shrimp up in a second... Might have to bust out a 5.5g for them

I put one of these on the intake of my AC70 in my shrimp tank.

http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=21426

The fittings fit the AC's perfectly and the shrimp like to graze on the sponge and they don't get sucked into the filter.

 

[PostalPenguin]

Buy an AC30 sponge, make a slit on the narrow end and slip it over the end of the intake. Nice little pre-filter for about $2

 

[Crazed Demasoni]

That's an awesome idea. Think the AC 110 will make too much of a current for the shrimp? I may try to put something like plexiglass by the return so that it diffuses the water more.

 

[importracer]

I'm away on an internship, and have a relative taking care of what I kept from my tank before I left (I'm in college). I'm debating the necessity of keeping carbon in my filter, or just doing the sponge on the bottom, then more bio media in addition to the ceramic rings that came with the filter. It's filtering a 29g tank with a fat pleco and a pictus catfish.

Do I really need the carbon/will more bio media be more beneficial?

Throw out the carbon...........Leave the sponge in...........Then, fill the rest up with cermaic rings..............

 

[Crazed Demasoni]

That's the plan. I'll use carbon after I medicate, but that's probably it.

 

[importracer]

That's the plan. I'll use carbon after I medicate, but that's probably it.

Carbon is a waste of money..........Unless you are trying to get out black water extract, I see no use for carbon...............Be sure to do a water change beforwe the you leave.....