40 Breeder Build

So update:

I lost 3-4 rcs from my filter! So now I have about 18 shrimps I think. The 3-4 rcs are only from the ones I saw that died either on the sponge or felt pad. So I did 3 different ways! I first use a sponge from an AC. However I didn't have enough so there was a tiny gap between the sponge and holes. Next I used an actual sponge from a filter! However that restricted a lot of flow and I had a trickle from the out put. Next I went with felt pads which I had cut from one of those HOBs cartridge however that also restricted flow and some how a shrimp got stuck and died (happened this morning). Now I went back to the sponge and then cut the felt pad to wrap it over the top to cover the space. I hope that works. The flow is normal now. When I go to the pet store I will definitely by a bigger sponge so that I can carve it out.

 

you could look into filter max prefilters. I use those on my canisters and they are great.

 

I'm searching up the pre filters up on Amazon right now and I'm just looking at the size. Is you never seen an AC 110 intake tube they are huge!!! The diameter is 1 inch!!!

 

I believe the largest size will fit one. They come with several adapters

 

Just added the Filter-Max III Prefilter to my list. Next time my parents order anything or I need to get something I will add it to my cart!

 

I have two in my tank and I think they are excellent. I doubt I will ever set up another tank without a prefilter of some sort

 

Yeah! However I'm pretty sure if you had a goldfish tank you wouldn't need a pre filter since you would want your filter to take in the waste! LOL. Yeah I really need one if I want my shrimps to survive and breed.

 

Just got my shrimp pellets

 

I'm not a big fan of Wardley's - they use a lot of fillers. I like Omega One much better. You might want to consider switching when you run out!

 

Will do! Just added that to my list on Amazon!

 

Just realized I'm missing 5 rasboras. Looked around the tank hinking they could have died. Then I looked at my HOB and there are 3 or 4 living ones underneath the sponge! Now I have to take apart the filter!

 

So here is the update of the 4! One was completely shredded, one has been badly beaten but it's still alive while the other 2 are mainly healthy.

 

So sad! Sorry to hear!

 

After doing the math I definitely know I had 2 die to the filter and one is really beaten (hopefully it survive the night). I got 16 of them so that leaves 13 that should be in my tank however I am only counting 11. I have 2 missing??? Also with my shrimps I barely count 10 at a time. I ordered 20!!! I think the AC 110 took them all out!!! Which means so far I have had about 4 casualties fish wise and probably 6 not sure since some like to hide casualties shrimp wised. HUHHHHHH! Next time I'm ordering from Amazon I'm getting a pre filter but until then I can only hope for the best. I will probably get more shrimps later on.

 

I hope the survivors make it.

 

Yeah. Right now the other 2 survivors are doing fine! They just have a tiny nipped fin but the one without and caudal or dorsal fin isn't. Right now he's on its side but that's cause its probably sleeping but its still breathing. In about a week or so I hope there are more improvements!

 

Wow! That's rough! Hope the one fellow pulls through. We have a Platy who went up the filter at a couple weeks old (we were still learning I'm afraid), and while he's got an odd shape to his body, he's seems hale and hearty. We were planning to cover our filters for KuhlI loaches, but your stories are making me doubly glad of it.

 

Okay so here's an update! This morning the injured one died... . The good news is that I counted at least 12 rasboras in my tank possibly 13 which means I actually only loss 3 rasboras to my filter, however that is quite a lot.

 

Healthy fish don't usually get sucked into filters, even strong ones. I wonder if they were sick/stressed from shipping?

Did you get prefilters for the intake?

 

Healthy fish don't usually get sucked into filters, even strong ones. I wonder if they were sick/stressed from shipping?

Did you get prefilters for the intake?

All I know is I don't want to loose any more ! Since I retired my AC 70 do you think I should carve the sponge to fit the AC 110? I had carved a AC 50 sponge for my other filters but that didn't work for my AC 110 since there was a small gap.

 

Shrimps are great at hiding...

 

If the sponge on the intake slows down the water flow on the filter too much try using a properly trimmed down mesh bag (the one used for onions is easy, cheap, and perfect hole size), I had to do that for my siphon so I could suck poo chunks without snagging a dingy Tetra! Just a warning they can be a bit snaggy and pokey if not modded properly so take a min to do the little extras like blunt the pokey trimmed areas by slightly melting with heat.

 

Just bought a big piece of driftwood for $30! Its 15 x 8 inches!

 

Nice wood.

 

LOL, if you get the joke! But yeah I am soaking it in a 5 gallon bucket right now. With such a big piece of wood it might take 2-3 days or more till I get the tannins out. Sprayed it down first to get any loose piece of wood and dust off it! Now I will have to plan on how to fit it in my tank!!!

 

that is a great idea with the plastic flower pot with the holes! I'll have to steel that idea!

 

LOL, if you get the joke! But yeah I am soaking it in a 5 gallon bucket right now. With such a big piece of wood it might take 2-3 days or more till I get the tannins out. Sprayed it down first to get any loose piece of wood and dust off it! Now I will have to plan on how to fit it in my tank!!!

If you can, boil it. You'll have tannins in the water for a long time if you don't. As you know the tannins are OK on the fish, but look kind of ugly.

 

If you can, boil it. You'll have tannins in the water for a long time if you don't. As you know the tannins are OK on the fish, but look kind of ugly.

Actually today is the 3rd day and the water is almost clear!!! However won't be adding it till Friday since I don't have time during school time!

 

LOL, if you get the joke! But yeah I am soaking it in a 5 gallon bucket right now. With such a big piece of wood it might take 2-3 days or more till I get the tannins out. Sprayed it down first to get any loose piece of wood and dust off it! Now I will have to plan on how to fit it in my tank!!!

Yes...yes I did get that joke. I soaked my smaller peices in a bowl with boiling water for three days just to make sure it would sink. The large peice I had yeah he went into the bathtub in a plastic bag with boiling water. I had to keep boiling water from a large pot and dump it into the bag until it was filled. Lots of work, but it all sank!

 

I think I got lucky with my piece of wood! Some of the smaller pieces of wood took weeks for it to stop leaching tanins.

 

I would not boil the wood. Boiling it can burst the fibers in the wood and cause it to rot faster. Soak it in warm water instead.

 

Just checking out your build thread... saw your recent posts about the rasbora... sorry to hear. I lost a couple of rasbora to an Eheim Surface Skimmer I had installed in my 10 gal tank... the first time I was really upset with myself.. a rasbora went missing, and I thought, "oh must be hiding somewhere".. a few days later, water change time, clean the filter, find dead fish. I turned off the skimmer... then I needed it again a couple of weeks later because the tank had nasty surface scum.. I figured I will only run it during the day since the fish is "awake" and should be smart enough not to go near it.. then I forgot to turn it off at night... and sure enough, missing rasbora next day. I was really really upset with myself when I found the rasbora in the filter well. Anyway, they are small fish that will get sucked into filters if the flow is too strong, especially a surface skimmer where there isn't any mesh or prefilter... (I tried a few things but couldn't get any to work... though I didnt try pantyhose maybe worth trying that next time I use it). Post some recent pics of the tank when you get a chance. Btw, how fast did you stock your tank, or is this still work in progress? I started my tank last year, and I'm still not fully stocked!! argh!!!!

 

4th day of soaking!

 

Just added the driftwood, it is really big!

 

Got the pre filter! Got it from EBay instead of amazon. It only took 2 days

 

I've got two of those on my 75. They are great

 

Here's some more pics;

 

So pretty.

 

So pretty.

Thanks! Can't wait when the plants start to grow more so it will look more green.

 

Got the pre filter! Got it from EBay instead of amazon. It only took 2 days

Is the pre filter before it goes to the hob?