Help Adjusting Hob To Sponges

So I'm watching my friend's 20 gallon guppy tank over the summer. She has a 20-40 aqua-tech hob filter. The cartridges for it aren't as expensive as some I've seen, but they still suck. They get dirty and completely clogged up so fast! I've got tetra internal filters that I adjusted to pretty much be canister filters on my tanks. I've had them for awhile and forgot how often you actually have to change cartridges. It is stupid. So I asked her if it was ok if I adjusted her filter to not need them anymore and she agreed.

Ok, well adjusting a hob is a little different than adjusting an internal. I wonder if anyone has any suggestions on how the best way to go about it is? I know I can just nearly fill the chamber with a sponge and that will work. But I'd like to also have a fine filtering layer and some bio media.

Here is what I've tried so far. So the water comes in from the top, back, right side. I try putting sponge vertically on that right side, fully from top to bottom. Then to the left of it some cotton fine filter layer. Then to the left of that bio media. But this doesn't really work.

Then I try keeping the plastic biogrid it comes with in the front of the chamber, then fine, then sponge. Which makes it easier to get out, because you can just pull the stuff out with that bio grid. Except then there isn't really a good place to put bio media. Tried it on top and bottom, it's problematic both ways. And I very much doubt the validity of bio grids, so I still want bio media.

I've decided screw the bio grid, it is a waste of space and idk that it even really works that well. Or I might be able to place it on the back of the chamber, where water flows in, just to keep a small space "open" for flow. Regardless of whether I keep it or not, I'm pretty much starting from scratch on the foam and cotton layer ideas.

Right now the best thing I can think to try is: biogrid at back of chamber, then foam. But cut the foam in a sort of L shape, with the bottom leg of the L pointing towards the front. This way water than makes its way to the bottom of the chamber will still get filtered, in theory. Then put the fine filtering layer over the L, I use quilt batting for this, so it will be easy to get it exactly the same size and shape. Then have a mesh bag with biomedia in the very front that sits within the bend of the L.

I really hope that makes sense, it was harder to explain than I thought. But if anyone does get what I'm talking about, do you think it'll work? Or if there is a way anyone has found to adjust hob with multiple filtering layers that does work, please share! Tia!

 

I am a little unclear of the post (I know the feeling of trying to explain complex things) but in my Fluval hob filters they come with a sponge that has a side that’s less dense then a side that’s more dense... so it doesn’t clog up easily... the big parts are stopped by the less dense side and the smaller particles are stopped by the more dense side... regardless of what you use (and this is where I got a bit confused) you need to make sure your sponge is the first thing that the water hits when it comes out of the tank... when placing your media it should be... mechanical (sponges and such) then chemical (carbon or stuff like that) and then biological (where your bacteria primarily live) so I wouldn’t change anything around so it falls out of that order...
But again I’m not really sure if that’s what your asking lol

 

Not familiar with your HOB filter in particular. Typically you want Mechanical (Sponge, FilterFloss, etc...) at the bottom. Then Chemical (Carbon, Purigen, etc...) Then Biological (Matrix Bio, Bio Rings, etc...). Some people use pre-filters as well. Sponges will also serve as bio filtration if you don't rinse them in tap water or let them dry when you do filter maintenance.

 

Ok, I don't think I explained well. I understand the order of filtration. Largest to smallest, bio media after smallest so it doesn't get clogged, water hits largest filtration first. Totally understand this. And it is easy to do in my internal filters, because there is only one chamber and the water comes up from the bottom.

But in hob, there are 2 chambers, one with impeller where water comes in and another mostly separate chamber where the cartridge or whatever filtering substance you're using goes. I'm refering to this 2nd chamber. And where the water flows into it from the 1st chamber is on the top, back, right side. This makes is difficult finding a way for the water to hit the largest pore(most open) foam first. And to get the water to travel through all the layers.

I've ditched the cartridges made for the filter and am trying to use my own stuff. And how to put the layers of filtering into the 2nd chamber is my issue. Not what order to put them in. There just isn't a very good way to put those layers in.

Like, normally you'd say, well the water comes in from the top, so have the largest pore sponge on top and then build your layers downward. Except where the water flows out into the aquarium is also on the top. So water most likely won't go down through all the layers, it is just gonna travel across that first layer of sponge and back out into the tank.

So my best option is a back to front layering system. But this is also problematic, because unless I get the sponge to fit super tight against the sides, there will be water that travels straight down to the bottom of the chamber, ergo not traveling through the layers. This is why I thought perhaps an L shaped sponge.

I also need a bit of space on the back of the chamber, so water will go all the way across the back, then through the layers and out the front. This is where I'm thinking I could stick the biogrid that came with the filter. Not to use it for biological filtration, but purely as a spacer.

I feel like I'm still not explaining this well. I might try to take some pics when I get home from work.

 

Ok this is my idea. Please excuse my drawings, they aren't the best. I did them freehand inbetween helping customers at work.

 

Sorry what kind of filter is this again?? I don’t mean like HOB but brand and model?

 

Sorry what kind of filter is this again?? I don’t mean like HOB but brand and model?

Aqua-tech 20-40. The kind they sell at walmart.

 

I like the idea but I feel like it will probably clog easy and or overflow readily. I would add a foam prefilter sponge in the intake. It will grow loads of biological bacterial. Then I would add either bio media like biomax or sponge to the filter chamber. The prefilter keeps the rest of the media clean. This is what I did on my filter. I never rinse the sponges in the chamber and only the prefilter at water changes. No more cartridges.

 

I like the idea but I feel like it will probably clog easy and or overflow readily. I would add a foam prefilter sponge in the intake. It will grow loads of biological bacterial. Then I would add either bio media like biomax or sponge to the filter chamber. The prefilter keeps the rest of the media clean. This is what I did on my filter. I never rinse the sponges in the chamber and only the prefilter at water changes. No more cartridges.

I totally forgot to mention that I do have a prefilter sponge on the intake. And the layers as I've previously had them still get dirty as all get out. And it was clogging and overflowing pretty quick after a clean. Which is why I decided to post this and see if there was any better way to do it. The drawings I posted are an idea, I haven't tried it yet. I've had it set up foam(1), fine(2), biogrid(3), and media in mesh bag on top. This didn't work well.

 

I even tried cutting a slot in a block of foam and putting it around the tube attached to the impeller in the 1st chamber to try to slow down the flow into the 2nd chamber. It didn't work. I still had overflow. At this point I'm considering asking if she'd be ok with taking one of my internal filters. I'm upgrading to exteranal canister on one of my tanks and will have an extra. And I can put the hob with an extra tank I'm gonna sell and get a little more money out of it and let it be someone else's problem.

Why go through all this trouble for a tank and filter that isn't even mine? Well I have the thing til august and I want it to work as well as my tanks. Stay as clean as my tanks. Make it as easy for her to take care of as my tanks. Because apparently her tank was so dirty, so overgrown with algae, and gets this way so quickly...that she takes everything out, every time she cleans it. All the water gets changed. All the rocks come out and get rinsed. She scrubs the walls with salt water to clean off the algae, because it will be so bad that scrubbing alone doesn't cut it. I'm like, whoa, your maintanence shouldn't be that hard! And you're destroying your bio filter every time you clean by doing that. No wonder all but 2 of her fish died. Not to mention how many filter cartridges she must be blowing through. Or not if she just didn't change them frequently enough. When I first got it from her, the cartridge was filthy and clogged in a week, maybe a week and a half. And she is a college student, she isn't rich, those cartridges add up.

I just really want to optimize this for her.

 

My friend had an empty 10 gallon that he had me help him set up. He never took care of it like I would. The tank was dirty and 3 out of the 4 fish died and the water was never changed. I rescued the fish and took the tank. I got on him as much as I could but he didn’t care. I thought about helping him set up how tank all awesome but he doesn’t want to so I just suggest either use the cartridges or don’t get a fish tank at all I got a free tank out of it. It now houses my baby ghost shrimp

 

My friend had an empty 10 gallon that he had me help him set up. He never took care of it like I would. The tank was dirty and 3 out of the 4 fish died and the water was never changed. I rescued the fish and took the tank. I got on him as much as I could but he didn’t care. I thought about helping him set up how tank all awesome but he doesn’t want to so I just suggest either use the cartridges or don’t get a fish tank at all I got a free tank out of it. It now houses my baby ghost shrimp

She cares. And she knows how she is supposed to take care of it, she's a biology grad student. But that means she just doesn't have the time. But of course, she has been going about things the absolute hardest most time consuming way possible. And being a grad student also means she doesn't have the money to invest in the items that would make caring for it easier and faster. She didn't own a gravel vac. She didn't have a heater or a light. She didn't have decorations. Just live plants, tons of pond snails and 2 surviving guppies. So I've been fixing it up while it is in my care. Heck, I already had most of this stuff lying around. And whatever I didn't, I got used off the fb marketplace for dirt cheap.

 

Also, I don't think she knew there was a better way to clean gravel besides taking it all out and rinsing it. Because when I picked it up I asked if she had a gravel vac and she looked at me like **** are you talking about. Lol! It frankly is surprising how many ppl with aquariums don't know about gravel vacs. Or know but don't have one.

 

I've used an AquaTech 20-40 before, they're basically old marineland penguin filters sans the biowheel. I just bought a cut-to-fit sponge pad, and cut it to fit where the cartridge used to go. I have a similar setup that I used in the AquaTech in my current Penguin 200(I also have a bag of purigen and a media bag filled with crushed coral behind the cartridge).



Though with just a couple of guppies, her bioload should clog up her filter that fast and she should have algae issues either. Is her tank in direct sunlight?

 

I've used an AquaTech 20-40 before, they're basically old marineland penguin filters sans the biowheel. I just bought a cut-to-fit sponge pad, and cut it to fit where the cartridge used to go. I have a similar setup that I used in the AquaTech in my current Penguin 200(I also have a bag of purigen and a media bag filled with crushed coral behind the cartridge).
View attachment 455350

Though with just a couple of guppies, her bioload should clog up her filter that fast and she should have algae issues either. Is her tank in direct sunlight?

Not in my house. But it was in hers. Because she has live plants but didn't have a light, she kept it in the sun. In fact, all her plants were growing sideways towards the window. Lol! But I'm donating a light to her, and she was moving before I took it for the summer. So hopefully in her new place she'll put it away from a window. It took me a month to get the algae back under control. Of course I used algae fix. And it decimated her pond snail population. Idk how she'll feel about that. But man it was necessary. So. Much. Algae. And this was after she had cleaned everything! I only put maybe 5 gallons of old water back in when I took it, because that's all she left for the fish and plants to be transported in.

 

Also now it has 4 guppies and 5 cory cats in it. So it is a larger bioload than before when she had it. One of her guppies died in my care, and it wasn't my fault, but I still felt guilty and bought 3 more. And I got the corys in there to help clean it, but I think their doing a bit too good of a job. I'm considering taking out the corys. I kinda think they are why her snail population isn't bouncing back. But I suppose that will depend what she wants to do.

 

First pic is pretty much how I got her tank. Except I added the prefilter sponge and heater. And it is clean in that one, because it was right after I cleaned it. Wish I would have took one with how bad the algae got in just a week or so. The 2nd is how it looks currently after I pimped it. Lol! And I think I only spent maybe $10 on it.

 

Not in my house. But it was in hers. Because she has live plants but didn't have a light, she kept it in the sun. In fact, all her plants were growing sideways towards the window. Lol! But I'm donating a light to her, and she was moving before I took it for the summer. So hopefully in her new place she'll put it away from a window. It took me a month to get the algae back under control. Of course I used algae fix. And it decimated her pond snail population. Idk how she'll feel about that. But man it was necessary. So. Much. Algae. And this was after she had cleaned everything! I only put maybe 5 gallons of old water back in when I took it, because that's all she left for the fish and plants to be transported in.

Ah, that's probably why the algae got out of control. Direct sunlight really accelerates algae growth.

First pic is pretty much how I got her tank. Except I added the prefilter sponge and heater. And it is clean in that one, because it was right after I cleaned it. Wish I would have took one with how bad the algae got in just a week or so. The 2nd is how it looks currently after I pimped it. Lol! And I think I only spent maybe $10 on it.View attachment 455386View attachment 455387

Nice work! Is the filter still running your customized setup currently?

 

Ah, that's probably why the algae got out of control. Direct sunlight really accelerates algae growth.


Nice work! Is the filter still running your customized setup currently?

Yes. But I'm still trying to adjust it. Just moved things a scosh this morning. Will see how it's doing when I get home.

 

I'm still having overflow issues. I seriously think once I get my external canister up and running that I'll give her my old internal. Because not being able to get this working properly is infuriating! Idk about anyone else, but I flipping hate hobs. I mean, I get the idea of them, and it is great in theory, just not so great in practice. And cartridges are so wasteful and expensive. Everytime I throw one in the trash I feel super guilty. I had an hob for all of 2 months when I first got into the hobby before switching to tetra whisper internal. Simply because I found their put it together yourself cartridges that were so much cheaper. And less wasteful since you reuse the plastic grid instead of chucking it everytime. But eventually I got tired of dealing with those too. Saw a youtube vid about adapting them to be like a canister filter. Been running them that way for awhile, has worked great! I'm just finally in a place in my life where I could afford to buy a legit canister filter, and they sound like they require even less maintanence than my diy ones. So shoot, I bought an external canister filter. I even went extreme and got one rated for a tank nearly twice the size of mine, just in case I ever want to upgrade to a bigger tank someday. Lol!

 

That’s why I like aquaclear. Nothing to throw away.

 

That’s why I like aquaclear. Nothing to throw away.

I wish I had known about aquaclear when I started.

 

That’s alright. That’s why I have two tanks that run penguin and Aqueon. They still work really well with just prefilter sponges and sponges inside the filter that I really have no excuse to get rid of them. I will replace them with aquaclears at some point.

 

That’s alright. That’s why I have two tanks that run penguin and Aqueon. They still work really well with just prefilter sponges and sponges inside the filter that I really have no excuse to get rid of them. I will replace them with aquaclears at some point.

Ya with my tetra internal filters, I don't like how much space they take up in the tank. But I also don't like hobs. Which is why I'm giving external canister a go. Absolutely nothing wrong with my other filters. But I got a steal on the canister. And I have 2 friends that can use the tetras. Or I can sell them.

 

Hello, just barely read your post & hope its not to late! I have a aqua-tech 5-15. I took a razor, cut off floss & emptied out carbon so I could use the screen as devider.
Back to front of hob setup, bio sponge, filter screen, ploy fiber, bio grid & even rm. in front of grid. Hope this helps!