[HoneybadgerESQ]

I'm using a few differently sized Aquaclear HOB filters and I had a few questions about them:


How often do you swap out the three different filtration pieces? And should you swap only one at a time?

How often do you clean the filter casing and intake itself?

Do most people go with the recommended sponge + ammonia filter + ceramic rings configuration or is there a better way to run it?


Thanks for any and all comments and suggestions!

Stu

 

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

In all my filters and tanks, I run hydroton instead of bio-rings, biobeads, etc. I and my friends who have now converted to hydroton find it effective for Ammonia, Nitrite AND NITRATE control, which conventional bio-media does not do at all. You can check in a Greenhouse or Hydroponics shop. Unfortunately, they typically sell hydroton in large bags. If you were down in Metro Vancouver, I keep a couple big bags of Hydroton around for my future hydroponics project (growing Vegetables using water from my koi pond) and could sell you a gallon of hydroton for $10. In my experience, 1 gallon seems to handle 100g of bioload. Hydroton never needs to be replaced unless damaged. I've had some in my media reactors for 2 years now.

Activated carbon, on the other hand, only lasts a few days to a few short weeks before its all used up and needs to be changed out. ChemiPure is more expensive but typically is effective for several months and up to half a year.

You can reuse the sponge provided with a filter, but you can also replace with "pillow batting" from a fabric store. I usually keep 2 or more filters on a tank, so I can clean out thoroughly one filter at a time. If you only have one, then use tank water to rinse of the hydroton, replace completely your activated carbon and rinse out the gunk in your sponge. The hydroton should retain enough good bacteria to remain effective bio-media. The sponge then becomes mainly mechanical filtration and you don't have to worry if you rinse down the drain any good bacteria from the sponge.

 

[HoneybadgerESQ]

I have some hydroton laying around from an attempt at aquaponics. Does it matter what size it is? Mine is about the size of a marble, maybe slightly larger.

 

[Rogo]

Hi Stu,
I used a sponge on the bottom, filter floss in the middle, bio-rings / balls on the top.

I would rinse the sponge and bio-whatever with tank water and completely replace the filter floss on a monthly basis. The filter itself usually doesn't get very dirty, so I'd rinse it with tap-water as needed.

 

[Steve]

I had multiple AC70s and put a sponge over the intake which I cleaned weekly. I'd then layer sponge --> floss --> bioballs and rinse those out around everything month (I'd rinse in tank water that I put in a bucket so the bacteria didn't die off).