Biofilter Intake

[scott]

I am using some aquarium floss rubberbanded to the intake of my biofilteras a pre filter. I have twenty small holes drilled two inches up from the bottom of the intake. The problem is that after about six or seven days it clogs and won't draw water and the filter looses its prime. Even when the floss is brand new the flow rate is noticably deteriorated just because the media is so fine. I have started splitting the floss width wise and that helps a little but I was looking for a better solution that won't effect the flow rate. The cannister is a fluval 404. I tried a quickfilter for the 402 powerhead and the adapter was to large by about a millimeter. I was thinking of siliconing the adapter to the intake tube ( I think the quickfilter part will still disconnect) but short of this had no ideas. Anyone with suggestions?

[NJ Devils Fan]

I don't understand, why do you have the floss in the intake and not the filter itself?

[Aquafreak]

I think he's trying to prefilter his canister filter to delay the maintenece schedule, what I would recommend is using a coarser sponge to slip over your intake, something that's equivalent to aquaclear filter sponges, or you could even just buy one of those aquaclear sponges, cut a hole through it and slip it over the intake.

hth

[scott]

I am using the prefilter because the cannister is bio only, so I don't want any gunk down inside of it, so basicly not only delay but "eliminate" the maintenance schedule. I am not sure I understand the sponge suggestion. If I put a hole in ithe sponge it will not trap debris from coming in from the bottom only the sides and if I cut a piece of sponge to fit inside how will I get it out?

[RTR]

Look into FilterMaxIII. This was not available when the bio-only technique was first published, other than in too fine a porosity(FilterMaxI). The prefilter has to be rinsed routinely. Most folks can get away with weekly, but if the prefilter is overly fine, as with your floss, more often is needed.

http://www.aaquaria.com/aquasource/cannister.shtml

HTH

[NJ Devils Fan]

As suggested, I would just cut an Aqua Clear sponge and place it the intake tube to prevent debris from getting to the filter. That is probably the easiest way to do it.

[scott]

NJDF, can you pleas explain a little more. As I stated above I don't understand how that would work.

RTR thanks for the link, is this what you are talking about?

http://www.bigalsonline.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi

I couldn't find anything called filter max III. Another place to look?

[NJ Devils Fan]

Ok, there is an intake tube where the water from the tank is sucked up and goes through the filter. If you put something infront of the intake tube like filter floss or filter media from an Aqua Clear filter(sponge), no gunk will go into the filter. Just buy a small Aqua clear sponge and wedge it into the intake. If it is too large to fit into the intake, then cut the sponge until it can fit in snuggly. There really isn't any easier way to explain it. It's like putting a screen infront of the hose of a vacuum, you will pick up little debris, but not bigger things as the screen would stop them from entering.

[scott]

I understand that part but my original question was how do you get it out?

[NJ Devils Fan]

Just don't put the whole thing in in the first place. Leave enough sticking out so you can pull it out.

[scott]

That makes sense, I was invisioning having to stick some long pipe cleaner down the intake to push it out.:rolleyes:

[NJ Devils Fan]

Haha, that would be annoying to do that everytime you had to clean it. Any other questions?

[RTR]

An internal sponge in the intake is not going to work - if has insufficient surface area, rapid clogging will occur.

The link did not take me to any filer products. FilterMax is a brand, made by ATI, Aquarium Technology, Inc. It is locally available to me, so I have no info on what on-line shops would handle it. Try a Google search and see if somthing comes up.

[scott]

Sorry the link didn't work. I found some info on google, but the only online ordering was aquacave? Anyone heard of them?

The link was supposed to go to a eheim prefilter, this also came up on the google search.

[RTR]

I have and use a couple of Eheims prefilters, and they do not do the job nearly as will as the FilterMax, or the old Tetra Brilliant sponges ( which are no longer available). The Eheim is better than nothing, but I'd be more likely to DIY a sponge than purchase another Eheim unit...but that is all personal experience and preference.

[750t]

Big als sells the filtermax pre-filter.

[scott]

You don't happen to have a product number do you? I searched by keyword and manufacturer as well as gooing through all of the filter, media and fittings categories.

[750t]

Iam sorry it was not big als its www.petsolutions.com under sponge filters. Tim

[scott]

Got one. Thanks everyone.

[TTman]

lols I actually did this.... to save my jag fry fr being sucked up. found out this is way better then using panty hose, fry actually got stuck in the mesh on panythose.


Originally posted by Aquafreak
r you could even just buy one of those aquaclear sponges, cut a hole through it and slip it over the intake.

hth

[NJ Devils Fan]

When you get it, let us know how it turns out.

[scott]

Will do.

[scott]

It's been running for two days with no apparent reduction in the output. thanks for the ideas.

[NJ Devils Fan]

glad to hear it scott. :)