Psychlist1972

I have an AquaClear 110 that will go into a 55g heavily planted tropical tank (I also have one in my newly established 55g goldfish tank). I've seen where folks sometimes cover their intakes with foam to prevent sucking up fry and also to help start bacteria

1. Is this really beneficial vs. the drop in flow you'd see as a result?

2. If so, what foam can I use? the LFS had nothing that, even when slit, would seem to work for that job.

Thanks.

Pete

aquarist48

Hey Pete. You can take a sponge made for one of the smaller aqua clears...slice the top and slide it over the intake. I actually had a round sponge from an old mag drive pump that I used to cover mine. I can't tell that it slows the current down at all. Too, it adds more surface area for good bacteria. I rinse it in siphoned tank water just like filter media.
Or you could wrap filter floss around it as many others have.
Hope this helps.
Ken

Psychlist1972

If it's the same media that's in my 110 (only smaller) it's a pretty stiff foam. I'd have to carve a hole in the middle to fit it over the intake.

Or are you talking about a different kind of sponge media?

Pete

MissMTS

I use the sponge that goes inside the aquaclear filters. Just carve out a little hole in the middle and slip it over the intake I agree with Ken, it doesn't really slow down the flow rate at all.

Psychlist1972

Thanks. I think I'll do that both to avoid sucking up any fry in the tropical tank, and to help in the goldfish tank (goldfish need all the filtration help they can get. heh)

Pete

redlessi

some people use a nylon (like a knee high or pantyhose)

Tony G.

i use regular hardware store sponges ( the kind you use to wash your car) i have them tied on to the filter and i have some floating around in the tank. My filter didnt have nough room for a sponge so i had to use it on the outside.

griffin

i've found that cutting an x into the sponge helps it keep a better grip on the intake than cutting an actual cylinder into it. easier too!

Psychlist1972

Good idea, thanks.

I found some foam at a different pet store today. Affordable and the right size.

Pete

Butterfly

I use the foam from an aquaclear also. This is what it looks like. There's one of my new albino BN sneaking into the pic the foam works really well and you have a sponge if you need it for another tank
carol

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Psychlist1972

Installed in my tank. It worked really well (sliced X made it easy, thanks). Beneficial side effect I hadn't considered is it should keep the sand out of the filter. The goldies do like to relocate sand

I did the same to the (empty at the moment) tropical tank.

Pete

griffin

glad it's working for you

Toddnbecka

I recently picked up some hollow foam cylinders on e-bay for the same purpose. They're bright yellow when new, but that won't last long. My main aggravation was the Najas clogging the intakes of the aquaclear 110's on my 75 gallon tanks. It helps out quite a bit, and it's a little cheaper than buying aquaclear filter foam. I've seen the same thing available at Wal-Mart sold as prefilters for pond pumps, only black rather than yellow. However, it's ony available in the spring, and once it sells out they don't restock until next year.