# What do you guys use in you filters? Canister/HOB/Etc...



## aquanut415 (Jan 21, 2006)

sponges (reticulated foam) and purigen.

sponges remove debris mechanically, then once established with bacteria its also biomedia... so it serves 2 purposes.

then, use purigen cause it works great in the planted tank, it doesn't remove nitrate from the tank... works wonders.

good luck!


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## Jolio99 (Oct 29, 2007)

Thanks for the input. Do you run purigen 24/7?

I might be mistaken but does purigen contain carbon? I'm pretty sure it does. 

All other input is appreciated. Thanks.


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## pk-sd (Feb 16, 2005)

Purigen does not contain carbon. To the best of my knowledge, its synthetic media. It can be re-generated also. So in long run its cheaper then carbon.


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## yoink (Apr 21, 2005)

I use poly fiber stuffing, sponges, and purigen in a couple tanks.


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## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

sponges (of different porocity), and whatever bio-media i can get my hands on. i also use carbon if im going to have people over, so the tanks look crystal.


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## Cheesehead Cory (Mar 30, 2007)

I use a HOB filter with a bio-wheel. I use the carbon filter cartridges that came with it. From what I've read, the carbon is only "active" for a couple weeks, so it's not a big issue. I use the same filter cartridge for six months, and just rinse it out in old tank water every month or so. Pretty happy with it so far.


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## Jolio99 (Oct 29, 2007)

*Thanks*

Thanks for the replies everyone. It seems that everyone uses just biological filtration with occasional carbon/purigen. I now have a better idea of what I will use.

Cory, Its good to see another Ohioan on here. Do you know of any good LFS around the NE Ohio area? I am just getting back into the hobby and need a GOOD one. Petsmart and Petland are just terrible.


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## Cheesehead Cory (Mar 30, 2007)

I thought Aquarium Adventure in Parma was pretty nice, saw some fish there that you can't get at the big boxes. Other NE Ohioans speak well of RMS, but I've never been. I only have one tank, so I'm not much of a shopper. See link for more LFS info. I've met and bought/swapped/received RAOK plants from several members who posted in that thread: Negatived, Pweifan, Geofied, Gseith. Nice guys. Right now, I still have a little narrow leaf java fern and java moss available for swap/RAOK, if you're interested. 

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/ohio/20418-northeast-ohio.html


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## Jolio99 (Oct 29, 2007)

Thanks for the info and the offer for the plants. I don't have my aquarium set up yet but plan on having it up within this month. Thanks again. I will keep you in mind when my plants need trimming.


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## BentZero (Oct 6, 2007)

From what I've read you do not want to use carbon b/c it removes nutrients that the plants need. You also don't want to use a biowheel because it out-gasses the CO2. Do a search on both to verify. In my Rena I use the sponges and filter floss it came with. I also use the bio-chem stars to hold additional beneficial bacteria. If you want to clarify your water use Purigen. The stuff is not cheap, but it can be recharged.


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## Cheesehead Cory (Mar 30, 2007)

BentZero said:


> you do not want to use carbon b/c it removes nutrients that the plants need.


Only for the brief period that the carbon is active. I would think it's the same difference as occasionally skipping a week or two of ferts, which Tom Barr says is fine in a non-CO2 tank. If you add any ferts at all, I doubt a couple weeks with active carbon could make ferts replace CO2 as the limiting factor in the tank. Remember, in a non-CO2 tank nutrient uptake is glacial.



BentZero said:


> You also don't want to use a biowheel because it out-gasses the CO2.


Yes, the biowheel accelerates gas exchange. But I would think this a good thing in a non-CO2 injected tank. With the plants sucking up all available CO2 in the water, more gas exchange means the water can more readily seek CO2 equilibrium with the air (.3ppm). I suppose at night, the bioload might be able to raise CO2 levels beyond .3ppm, in which case the extra gas exchange would cause some loss. Guess if we REALLY want to maximize CO2 in a non-CO2 enriched tank, we would want maximum gas exchange (i.e. biowheel in/aerator on) after first hour or two of light's on until lights out, and minimum gas exchange at night (i.e. biowheel removed/aerator off). After saying all that, I doubt it makes much difference either way in a non-CO2 tank.


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## BentZero (Oct 6, 2007)

I don't see the use of carbon in a tank when there's an alternative (purigen) that will clarify the water and not pull nutrients from the tank. I never thought about the affects of a bio-wheel in a non-CO2 vs. a CO2 enriched tank. I personally do not use a bio-wheel mainly because I've got a canister filter. My shrimp tank that I'm setting up will have an HOB, but also no bio-wheel. Bottom line is that if it works for you then who cares what others are doing. I guess my comment sounded more like a rule than advice. I should have said that the general practice is to not use a bio-wheel.


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## Cheesehead Cory (Mar 30, 2007)

Yeah, if they had purigen filled cartridges for my HOB, I'd probably go that route too. No biggie either way though.


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## SearunSimpson (Jun 5, 2007)

In this order, from first contact with water (up the intake through the filter then out) is a pretty porous sponge to trap large debri, floss, carbon, amonia remover, then another sponge.


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

Everybody's comments seem very good and useful!

I use HOB and sponge filters. There are tons of filters out there that are really effective. It depends on your needs and how much you're willing to spend I guess. The canister filter is a really good investment if you have $$$. 

One no-no I guess would be an undergravel filter. It's pretty old technology, though some people swear by it. IMO bad for rooted planted because there's too much water movement in the roots, takes away useful nutrients. Also, uneven suction in the filter might cause some "dead" zones and thus anaerobic pockets. Plus it's a pain to clean or to remove without disturbing the tank a lot.

For my HOB:

First layer: Porous Foam to trap large debris, mechanical + biological filtration
Second: Some sort of ceramic material (looks like 1-2 mm gravel) that I bought on sale when I was in Hong Kong for $20 HKD (about 2-3 dollars CDN) for bio-filtration.
Third: Large ceramic 'noodles' for more bio-filtration.

I used to have carbon material for chemical filtration... should get a back up for emergencies sometime when I have money. :icon_eek: IMO you don't really need carbon all the time if you have good biological filtration, though it's really useful for emergencies / removing some medication. It's pretty expensive because it stops working effectively real quickly anyway, thus lots of refills $$$. However, if you leave it in the tank even after its chemical part is used up, because of how fine the pores in the carbon are, nitrogen-converting bacteria settles very nicely in it, thus some added biological filtration.

I think other good, cheap media include filter floss--traps the really fine particles--"polishing" the water making it look really clear.

Peat filtration is good for adding tannins, and making water softer and yellow-er, lowering pH, creating blackwater conditions. Good for fish like tetras. But it's hard to control its effect because of the variability in the peat composition. Apparently the chemistry involved with peat is really complicated. Just don't use with carbon at the same time, kind of defeats its purpose.

Sponge filter = some mechanical + some biological filtration + air/water movement at night-time to release excess C02 (OR replenish extra C02 if your plants consume that much C02 during the day  .

In general, filter material with lots of surface area for bacteria to settle in is important, the nitrogen-converting bacteria also needs lots of oxygen to break down the waste. Everything else is pretty much extra $$$--it might give that added filtration, but your tank won't die without it.


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## Moneymike0311 (Nov 16, 2007)

I have a question. What about wet-dry filters? I have one for my planted Discus tank, in which I inject c02. I can see the plants improving, but does the wet-dry filter take out a good deal of c02? When the water comes back in my tank, it does so under the surface and creates no surface turbulence. However, I am wondering about the part where it trickles through the filter and the bio-balls. 

Anyone know about this?


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## wakemenow (Aug 3, 2007)

I use a Marineland Pengiun bio-wheel HOB filter, leaving the filter cartridge in for long periods of time (occasionally rinsing).


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## Naja002 (Oct 12, 2005)

aquanut415 said:


> sponges (reticulated foam) and purigen.
> 
> sponges remove debris mechanically, then once established with bacteria its also biomedia... so it serves 2 purposes.
> 
> ...





yoink said:


> I use poly fiber stuffing, sponges, and purigen in a couple tanks.



Agreed. 

Bottom up: Foam sponge pads (20 then 30ppi), filter floss, micro pads (2-3x), purigen. That's it.

With a properly sized filter--that should be all you need when combined with the substrate in the tank.


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## wakemenow (Aug 3, 2007)

I keep hearing about Purigen...had to go out and buy some. My *** at the price!


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## swylie (May 10, 2007)

wakemenow said:


> I keep hearing about Purigen...had to go out and buy some. My *** at the price!


Whatever. :icon_roll You can regenerate it at least a couple of times, and Seachem claims (and I believe them) that it's cheaper than carbon in the long run. Seachem makes quality products. Some of their stuff might be expensive, but it's generally worth the price. Just don't buy it at some mediocre LFS with 200% markup.


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## wakemenow (Aug 3, 2007)

Oh, I agree. Seachem is a great brand and I purchase many of their products. It's just that I heard it cost a lot but the LFS really had the price up there. Maybe it would be cheaper to order online next time...


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## neilfishguy (Dec 16, 2007)

how muchs is purigen?


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## swylie (May 10, 2007)

neilfishguy said:


> how muchs is purigen?


Seachem recommends a minimum of one ml of purigen per gallon of tank volume. There's 100 ml in a nice media bag for $7 at Drs. Foster and Smith and a 250 ml bottle for $11.50. You need to supply your own fine-mesh media bag for that, though. Other stores sell for less. Petblvd.com has the 100 ml bags for $4.76 and 250 ml for a bit under $8.

The 100 ml bags are less economical than the loose media, but the bags they use are really pretty nice, and they're permanently welded shut, so you shouldn't ever have to worry about the little beads leaking out.


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## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

i got 250ml at petco for like $6.19! its one of the best products i have ever used.


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## swylie (May 10, 2007)

I think it has a lot of the same appeal as bagless vacuum cleaners. People like seeing the dirt that comes out of their carpets, and they like seeing their purigen turn brown as it cleans DOCs from their tanks.


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## wakemenow (Aug 3, 2007)

My LFS charged $14 for one 100ml bag.


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## ValorG (Dec 27, 2003)

I only use biological and mechanical filtration in all my tanks. In my canister its basically 2/3 bio 1/3 mech.


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## pittiepride (Feb 13, 2007)

I use the sponges that came with my xp3 and I use pop rocks for hydroponics, the red roundish things, for my biological filtration. It's cheap and easy to clean.

I don't use carbon but have considered picking up some purigen. I just hate taking that filter apart, i only clean it every 5-6 months.

kara


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## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

pittiepride said:


> I use the sponges that came with my xp3 and I use pop rocks for hydroponics, the red roundish things, for my biological filtration. It's cheap and easy to clean.
> 
> I don't use carbon but have considered picking up some purigen. I just hate taking that filter apart, i only clean it every 5-6 months.
> 
> kara


xp's are a breeze to take apart and clean. if you dont like opening that up dont ever get a tom aquatic rapids mini cannister.


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## CrazyMidwesterner (Oct 19, 2006)

I simply use the sponges that came with my XP3 and a fine filter floss. I bought a bulk bag for $7 and has lasted about 6 months. I change it every other week at the water change. You can really tell when the floss is getting dirty. For being so cheap it makes a heck of a difference. All my biological filtration occurs in my tank and on my sponges. I don't use any chemical filtration.


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## NeonShrimp (Mar 9, 2006)

swylie said:


> Whatever. :icon_roll You can regenerate it at least a couple of times, and Seachem claims (and I believe them) that it's cheaper than carbon in the long run. Seachem makes quality products. Some of their stuff might be expensive, but it's generally worth the price. Just don't buy it at some mediocre LFS with 200% markup.


How do you regenerate Purigen ?


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## Sizz (Apr 28, 2008)

NeonShrimp said:


> How do you regenerate Purigen ?


Their website says to soak it in bleach overnight. Then you have to declorinate it with a water conditioner (like Prime) and then take care of the pH change due to the bleach. That's the part I don't get. I thought pH buffers were bad in planted tanks?


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

You don't use the pH buffer in the tank, just on the Purigen. The issue is that the bleach with dramatically raise the pH of the Purigen and this could affect the water parameters of the tank. 

Many ppl skip this step all together however. 

Or you can use white vinegar. The point is to avoid a potential pH swing in the tank. I think the bigger the tank the less likely it is for the Purigen pH to really matter.


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## Ozymandias (Jan 17, 2008)

my tank i use sponges, ceramic rings, bio-balls (will eventually be switched out, it just came with the filter), and filter floss. would use Purigen, but i can't find it locally and i don't think i would order it off line by it's self.


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## NeonShrimp (Mar 9, 2006)

> Or you can use white vinegar. The point is to avoid a potential pH swing in the tank. I think the bigger the tank the less likely it is for the Purigen pH to really matter.


What step is the white vinegar supposed to replace?


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

The buffer.

The vinegar is an acid so will bring back down the pH. I think 1 part vinegar per 20 water what what I read in a Seachem thread, but don't quote me on that? LOL


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## Sticky230 (Mar 30, 2008)

i use bio chem zorb. mostly becuase i had a tannin problem. it did clean it out in one day though. i haven't changed the bag yet.


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## Bugman (Jan 7, 2008)

Zorb is a carbon based product. If you are heavily planted you might want to consider swapping it out for a different media. Carbon product are said to remove nutrients from the water that are needed by the plants so you are adding ferts only to have some of them removed by the zorb. After the first week or so I swapped mine out with Rena Micro Filtration plus.


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## Sticky230 (Mar 30, 2008)

hmmm maybe i will try purigen in the future. though the dude at my lfs recommended zrob and said it was better. though regen of the purigen seems daunting. i have seen some threads here that i will check out with it. though my zorb wont need to be changed for awhile yet anyway so i have time. could you make a small bag with purigen in a zoomed 501 also? im assuming you can buy media bag with a good seal right?


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## Bugman (Jan 7, 2008)

Quite often you will find that the LFS's have limited or poor knowledge of planted tanks. It is a completely different beast from the standard aquarium and very specialized.


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## CAN_chic (Jan 21, 2008)

Has anyone ever used "matrix" biological filter media from seachem? Im thinking of switching out my old bio media for the matrix. I will do this in portions and over time of course 

ps- sorry for stealing your thread.


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## fshfanatic (Apr 20, 2006)

CAN_chic said:


> Has anyone ever used "matrix" biological filter media from seachem? Im thinking of switching out my old bio media for the matrix. I will do this in portions and over time of course
> 
> ps- sorry for stealing your thread.


It works well and is fairly cheap.


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## erthlng (Feb 8, 2008)

Fine Polyfiber. 

When I clean out a canister filter I'll cut the old media in half, flush out the large particles with clean water and put it back into the canister, replacing the the other half with a new batch of fiber. This helps restart the bio filtration.


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

I use a Fluval 204 with ceramic rings on my 20 long.


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## Homer_Simpson (May 10, 2007)

fshfanatic said:


> It works well and is fairly cheap.


I second that. I pretty much use it in all my HOB filters(I place it in some pantyhose to secure it).


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## Fat Man (Nov 2, 2006)

I don't really use a filter. Just the sponge that covers the intake on the return pump. That is there more to prevent any of my little sump surfers from getting into the impellers.


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## Fat Man (Nov 2, 2006)

The only filter I use is the sponge that covers the intake to my return pump. The only reason I use that is to keep any of my little sump surfers from getting sucked into the impellers.


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