AnnaEA

The filter that came with my aquarium kit is a HOB filter - Whisper PF-10, with a 90 GPH flow rate. I was looking at it, and thinking 'my heavens, what an awful design! The water intake is right next to where the filtered water pours back into the tank'.

On inspecting the filter, I discovered that the slotted tube that is the water intake is a two part deal -- the main plastic tube assembly that attatches to the HOB body of the filter reaches down into the water, and is just an open ended tube, and the slotted bit is a slightly larger closed end tube that slides onto the open end.

So here's my question -- could I put a length of vinyl tubing between the slotted end cap and the main tube, so that I could put the slotted intake tube some place away from where the filtered water is going back into my tank?

The main risk I see would be that the tubing would pop off.... but I could probably keep that from happening by using either a clamp, or some of that silicone sealant gel.

The other thing I'm wondering is if adding a length like that would reduce the flow rate of the filter too much.

Any ideas?

Anna

atmmachine816

sorry cant help you but that is what all HOB filters are made and its perfectly fine to me at least as the tube is far enough done it still sucks up stuff

Butterfly

Sure you can add plastic tubing. I have added extensions to all of my HOB's so the reach almost to the bottom.
The reason the filters are designed this way is so the flow will reach the front glass and flow down it causing the water to circulate back to the uptake tube kind of in a circle. It really does circulate better than you think it will.
Carol

newbie101

if you do decide to add some pipe (you really shouldn't need to though, the design isn't as bad as it seems, as butterfly said) just make sure it is new and clean! You don't want anything poisonous in your tank killing all your nice fishies

AnnaEA

Thanks, Butterfly! I was wondering about the efficiency there. I'd definitely use new, Emma - vinyl tubing is cheap enough there's no excuse not too.

*chuckles* I'm probably getting ahead of myself anyways -- I'm fond of fiddling with things, and tweaking them to my liking.

I was thinking of moving the filter intake to the far side of the tank from the out flow -- the port on my hood for the filter is set to one side, and I'm vaguely concerned about how well it will filter.... I rather wish I could put it in the center.

In an ideal world I would fill a matching tank and filter to the ones I intend to use, then get the filter running, and add a dyed oil stream to the water to see what the current is doing, then fiddle with the filter placement, etc until the current was doing pretty much what I liked, and then re-create my fiddled masterpiece in my real tank....

Of course, in the ideal world, I would also be a multi-millionare, and able to afford such experimentation.

*lol*

I think I'll just leave it alone for now, and focus on getting a good basic understanding of what I'm doing before I start tweaking things.

Anna

Butterfly

When I set up my first 30G long I put a piece of flexibe tubing on the filter uptake long enough to run it down the back to the other end from the filter. basically pulling water from one end and putting it out at the other end.
The main problems I had was things getting stuck to the strainer on the end of the tube, huge algae build-ups in the tube(hard to clean), and things getting sucked in(plant leaves etc)and getting stuck causing a slow down in filtration. I eventually got disgusted and took it out
I too like to fiddle with things aquatic
Carol

swoozypoo

I have a 30gal tall hexagonal tank with a aquaclear power filter. My intake tube only extends about 6-8" from the top. I have watched the water circulate and it does seem to flow around quite well but it was suggested to me to bring the intake tube closer to the bottom and get an air stone. I have had readings of 0ppm ammonia, 0ppm nitrite and 5-10ppm nitrate for almost a week but I take the water from the top. Does anyone think the water readings would be different at the bottom? The reason I ask is I had another fish die of what seemed to be nitrite poisoning even after the water is better. It could be that the damage was already done to her and she was unable to recover. Any suggestions?