Confused by AC cartridges

Hello all, I’m new to this and still trying to wrap my head around filtration. I’ve decided to buy a 40 gallon breeder and looking at HOB filters for it, I have a couple questions. The 10 gallon kit tank I have now has a cheap HOB that came with it, and inside it has a coarse sponge material encased in a plastic cage. It also came with a carbon cartridge, but after reading that these replaceable cartridges are really bad in the sense that you are essentially throwing away your bio filter every month, I ditched it and bought a roll of a filter media https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01J5MV86S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_E2K2Eb3FHV8PB .
I cut out a square and am using that.

For the 40b I am thinking of an aqua clear (side note do you guys think this is a good choice?), and I was reading it has the 3 levels of filtration. It sounds like you stagger the replacement of each piece of media by a month. So my question is, Should I also ditch the carbon cartridge in that filter? Or because it has the sponge for mechanical filtration and the bio (ceramic rings believe) should I use the replaceable carbon cartridges? Just not sure if I should go stock or use different media, and also wondering if you think the media I bought in the above link is good.

I just don’t completely understand the difference between sponge and floss and all that.

I also heard carbon can be bad for planted tanks, so perhaps another reason not to use it?

Lastly would you recommend I supplement with a sponge filter?

 

Sponge lasts longer than floss. Either way you don't have to run carbon all the time. Whatever you choose just rinse it in a bucket of aquarium water to keep your bacteria alive and only throw it out when it starts to fall apart.

 

I don't run carbon on any of my tanks. I would just get an extra aquaclear sponge and put two sponges and bio rings on top.

 

Carbon is really only "active" for a couple of weeks, as once it's adsorbed a certain amount of whatever you are hoping to remove (medication, bad smells, yellow discolouration, etc), it will actually start releasing those things back into the water. It will also adsorb fertilizers, which is why it's not recommended for a planted tank.

I don't use carbon in any of my tanks, unless I've used a medication and want to remove it. In that case, I put a filter bag full of it into a HOB and then remove it again after 24 hours (in my personal case I remove the entire HOB, as I don't rely on the HOB for filtration, but if you want to use the HOB all the time, you can just remove the bag of carbon).

I don't supplement with a sponge filter- I rely on them as my primary filtration, along with tons of plants, and skip the HOB except as described above.

 

AquaClear is a great HOB filter. IMHO, one of the best filters out there for small-medium tanks. I have several of them on my various tanks.

I typically do not use activated carbon in any of my filters. The only time I do is when I suspect any type of contamination has occured in the tank or when I need to remove tannins or meds.

In place of the activated carbon, I usually place a relatively thin layer of filter floss. Too much can cause the AquaClear to have excess filter by-pass (due to the restricted flow). The sponge it comes with does a good job of filtering large to medium debris, but the filter floss is better at getting all of the smaller particulates.

A huge suggestion for the AquaClear though if you decide to get one- get a pre-filter sponge on the intake. Fluval makes one that can be purchased at most pet stores. It helps keep the inside of the filter clean, thus prolonging the need for cleaning it out. It also helps in the filtration process by adding another stage in mechanical filtration. Lastly, I believe pre-filters help the longevity of your AquaClear by mitigating or preventing the intake of hard debris (such as sand) which can damage the magnet surrounding the impeller shaft.

 

AquaClear is a great HOB filter. IMHO, one of the best filters out there for small-medium tanks. I have several of them on my various tanks.

I typically do not use activated carbon in any of my filters. The only time I do is when I suspect any type of contamination has occured in the tank or when I need to remove tannins or meds.

In place of the activated carbon, I usually place a relatively thin layer of filter floss. Too much can cause the AquaClear to have excess filter by-pass (due to the restricted flow). The sponge it comes with does a good job of filtering large to medium debris, but the filter floss is better at getting all of the smaller particulates.

A huge suggestion for the AquaClear though if you decide to get one- get a pre-filter sponge on the intake. Fluval makes one that can be purchased at most pet stores. It helps keep the inside of the filter clean, thus prolonging the need for cleaning it out. It also helps in the filtration process by adding another stage in mechanical filtration. Lastly, I believe pre-filters help the longevity of your AquaClear by mitigating or preventing the intake of hard debris (such as sand) which can damage the magnet surrounding the impeller shaft.

That’s super helpful thank you! I have a roll of filter media I believe it is floss so I will replace the carbon with that. I will def get a pre filter sponge.
kind of off topic but for a 40 breeder what Size aqua clear do you think (or two smaller ones)? Not sure my stocking yet but probably fully stocked community tank.

Carbon is really only "active" for a couple of weeks, as once it's adsorbed a certain amount of whatever you are hoping to remove (medication, bad smells, yellow discolouration, etc), it will actually start releasing those things back into the water. It will also adsorb fertilizers, which is why it's not recommended for a planted tank.

I don't use carbon in any of my tanks, unless I've used a medication and want to remove it. In that case, I put a filter bag full of it into a HOB and then remove it again after 24 hours (in my personal case I remove the entire HOB, as I don't rely on the HOB for filtration, but if you want to use the HOB all the time, you can just remove the bag of carbon).

I don't supplement with a sponge filter- I rely on them as my primary filtration, along with tons of plants, and skip the HOB except as described above.

Thank you! Could you explain the benefit of just using sponge filters and no HOB? I understand the plants really help but no HOB just because there is less to maintain?

Thank you all, you cleared it up for me

 

Hi welcome to FishLore!!
This link might help you understand what each stage does.
3 Stages of Filtration and What They Do. | 74651 | Filters and Filtration

 

Hi welcome to FishLore!!
This link might help you understand what each stage does.
3 Stages of Filtration and What They Do. | 74651 | Filters and Filtration

Thanks!

 

Thank you! Could you explain the benefit of just using sponge filters and no HOB? I understand the plants really help but no HOB just because there is less to maintain?

I stopped using HOBs because I keep fish that like very low flow in the tanks- Bettas mainly at the moment, which would be blown around a tank by the flow from a HOB- but since setting up four tanks with sponge filtration only, I'm a convert.

Sponge filters, properly maintained, provide a huge amount of surface area for biological filtration, far more than you can get into a HOB. They are also extremely low-maintenance- once every 3-4 months, I take out the filter while doing a water change, remove the sponge, squeeze the sponge out in the bucket of dirty tank water that I'm removing (which removes all the gunk that the filter has picked up over that time- the water usually turns black!), and then reassemble the filter and put it back.

In my largest tank, I use a specialised sponge filter called a Hamburg Mattenfilter. It's a huge slab of sponge at one end of the tank with an uplift behind it, which is connected to an air pump. Mattenfilters are somewhat "DIY" but they are incredibly effective, and can be set up to be unobtrusive- mine is completely hidden behind plants, all you see is the stream of water coming out of the outflow (it runs into a piece of wood, as I want low flow in the tank, but if I removed the wood and used a more powerful pump, it could give much higher flow). I've only needed to clean the sponge once in the year that the tank has been running.

The water in my tanks is always crystal clear and my fish and plants are incredibly healthy.

 

I stopped using HOBs because I keep fish that like very low flow in the tanks- Bettas mainly at the moment, which would be blown around a tank by the flow from a HOB- but since setting up four tanks with sponge filtration only, I'm a convert.

Sponge filters, properly maintained, provide a huge amount of surface area for biological filtration, far more than you can get into a HOB. They are also extremely low-maintenance- once every 3-4 months, I take out the filter while doing a water change, remove the sponge, squeeze the sponge out in the bucket of dirty tank water that I'm removing (which removes all the gunk that the filter has picked up over that time- the water usually turns black!), and then reassemble the filter and put it back.

In my largest tank, I use a specialised sponge filter called a Hamburg Mattenfilter. It's a huge slab of sponge at one end of the tank with an uplift behind it, which is connected to an air pump. Mattenfilters are somewhat "DIY" but they are incredibly effective, and can be set up to be unobtrusive- mine is completely hidden behind plants, all you see is the stream of water coming out of the outflow (it runs into a piece of wood, as I want low flow in the tank, but if I removed the wood and used a more powerful pump, it could give much higher flow). I've only needed to clean the sponge once in the year that the tank has been running.

The water in my tanks is always crystal clear and my fish and plants are incredibly healthy.

Ah that makes sense. I’m going to use an HOB on this tank but maybe I’ll try a sponge filter in it as well, or perhaps on the next tank I’ll use a sponge filter exclusively. Thank you for the info!

 

CTYankee79 , I think a ln Aquaclear would be a good choice for your 40b. I have AC's and I like them.

In my opinion, an AC70 would work well. Consider adding a 2and foam sponge block on top of the included one and omit the bag if carbon.

If you want to add an intake pre-filter, I use the ATI Filter Max III. It collects a ton of the larger muck, while keeping the media inside the AC a bit cleaner for a longer period of time. I don't really see any reduced flow when using them. I even have them on 2 of my canisters.

Consider placing a sponge filter on the opposite corner of the HOB filter. I like the ATI brand, but other makes good ones as well. They can also be stacked, so you have a lot if options. For example you can stack one with fine foam on top of one with coarse foam. The ones with coarse foam will provide more flow through them.

How is your tank going to be stocked? If you already stated this, I missed it.

 

CTYankee79 , I think a ln Aquaclear would be a good choice for your 40b. I have AC's and I like them.

In my opinion, an AC70 would work well. Consider adding a 2and foam sponge block on top of the included one and omit the bag if carbon.

If you want to add an intake pre-filter, I use the ATI Filter Max III. It collects a ton of the larger muck, while keeping the media inside the AC a bit cleaner for a longer period of time. I don't really see any reduced flow when using them. I even have them on 2 of my canisters.

Consider placing a sponge filter on the opposite corner of the HOB filter. I like the ATI brand, but other makes good ones as well. They can also be stacked, so you have a lot if options. For example you can stack one with fine foam on top of one with coarse foam. The ones with coarse foam will provide more flow through them.

How is your tank going to be stocked? If you already stated this, I missed it.

We must be on the same wavelength here, everything you’re suggesting is what I’ve decided to go with! I actually just bought an Aquaclear 70, and plan on putting a sponge filter on the other side of the tank which I plan on buying too funny, thank you for the advice.

So I have a roll of filter floss, and was planning on putting a piece of it in place of the carbon. Do you think that’s ok or do you think the second sponge is better?

I was also wondering if you think I would need multiple air stones in the 40b, or maybe one in addition to the sponge filter?

So as far as stocking—I’ve really been researching and trying to narrow down what I want. I went so far as to create a spreadsheet lol. Essentially I want a peaceful community tank with as much variety and color as possible, including centerpieces, schoolers, and bottom dwellers. And perhaps some snails or shrimp. One of my ideas would be to have large amounts of nano fish, such as CPDs, emerald dwarf rasboras, chili rasboras, ember tetras, Habrosus Corys. Thought that was kind of cool to do lots of small fish.
My other idea Is Pearl Gourami and Bolivian Ram, perhaps Apistos. Then for schoolers Harlequins, threadfin rainbows, runny nose tetras. On the bottom pandas or a Pleco or kuhli loaches.
Obviously not all those fish but those are the ones i pretty much have it narrowed down too. What do you think?

 

To answer your questions, in my experience if you double stack the foam blocks in the AC70, you can still place a layer of filter floss on top. I've bought thr exact same green roll of bulk roll filter pad in the past you gave a link to. Just cut a rectangle out and lay it on top, and your good.

Regarding the airstones, one airstone in your sponge filter will be just fine in your 40b. I don't recall exactly the size dimensions, but I would personally go with their large one to stick in the corner.

I use 3x Fluval Q1 air pumps to run my sponge filters in my larger tanks. I have 1 Top Fin 3000 air pump for the sponge filter in our 10g.

Each of those pumps have dual outlets that are joined with a "T" fitting, then one length of airline w/ a check valve runs a single sponge filter.

The Fluval Q1 is rated at 124lph of air per outlet. When the two outlets are joined together, the push a good amount of air through an air stone for a sponge filter.

I like the airstones from the Ken's Fish website. I get supplies and all my fish food from Ken's.

As for stocking, I dont have any experience with nano fish you mentioned.

For bottom dwellers, in our 75g community we have clown plecos that only grow to 3"-4" max, a lot of khuli loaches, assorted corydoras, and Bolivian ram. If you go with corydoras or khuli loaches go for 8-10 minimum. Kuhli's have a very small bio-load and they like to be in groups.

Check out Rainbowfish. Males have a lot more color than the females. I've got 2 Boesmani and 2 Australian Rainbowfish. The Australians at Petsmart are a bargain at $3 and they color up very nice after they put on some size. Also consider the Turquoise and Millennium variety.

I've got a dozen Serpae Tetras they look very nice as well. I also have Lamp Eye and Black Neon Tetras that have been very hardy as well.
With a 40b, you can actually get into Apisto's and African Shell Dwellers.

 

I have Serpaes and Lamp eyes in my 10 gallon and I like the way they look, Black Neons are cool looking too.

I will check out those other Rainbow fish as well.

Thank you for taking the time to give a detailed response—I really appreciate it. All the specifics as far as the air pumps and websites you use is a big help to me! I’m excited to get this 40 up and running but what an undertaking to do it right.

 

Due diligence now regarding setup of your 40b will save you both time and money in the future.

Looks like you're on the right track