Improving HOB Filter?

I have a TopFin 30 filter that came with the tank. Very quiet. I was originally going to supplement this with a sponge filter and air pump, but I'd like to keep the noise down. I am wondering if it is possible to greatly improve the function of this HOB?

All the filter does is move water through a mechanical filtration pad, then through a small biological grate. The majority of the internal volume of the hob is unused.

What if... I put a mechanical filter (floss) on the input of the HOB, and filled the insides with ceramic bilogical filter media? It seems like this would quadruple the biological filtering capacity and move mechanical filtration to the input.

This is a budget build. I certainly could buy a larger HOB or cannister. I could also go with the original plan to run a large sponge with an air pump, but I think it should be possible to improve the HOB to where the sponge isn't needed.

Opinions?

 

Yes that will work fine. many people do it and increase their filter's efficiency.

 

I agree. Modding filters is a fun way to squeeze out more performance for little money.

You can also look at putting a sponge on the intake to the filter to add more mech/bio stages and really crank up the performance.

 

I was at Petsmart yesterday, and they have these small packages of Fluval Biomax, around 2.1 oz. Small enough to fit into most HOBs that are not already designed to take their own packages of Biomax or other similar media. Of course you can also buy the larger size/quantity and then put them in your own media bags into the HOB.

 

My concern is that unless there is a "wall to wall" filter, that the majority of the water will find a short cut around the bio media. Water will find the path of least resistance. The reason they work is because the filter pad goes across the whole width, there is no way for water to go around it so it must push through.

I think a wall to wall sponge will work very well. Not as optimistic about loose media in a bag.

Also, if the new filter does not flow well enough, the water will spill over the top and the filter will essentially be doing nothing.

I think it will take some trial and error to find the right filter sponge.

 

More like, get a filter sponge and cut it down to the right size.

You can put some of the bio media into a cartridge that you have opened up. Basically they would take the place of the carbon that used to be in there.

That way, the filter pad spans the length of the filter and you have other media in there. At the same time, you can fill in the vacant space in the reservoir with other things, too.

 

I have a Marineland Penguin 100B filter.

It also has a lot of empty space between the "wall to wall" filter media and the area where the water falls out to spin the bio-wheel.

I picked up an AquaClear BioMax 30 filter insert that fits perfectly in that empty space.

 

That's what I did with My Aqueon 20 Quiet Flow. Got rid of the blue grate added 2 layers of Aqua Clear 50 sponges, mesh bag filled with Biomax, and added a Fluval pre filter on the intake. Works great.