Mechanical filter in substrate?

[Theulli]

I am shortly going to start the process of converting a small quarantine tank I have into a display tank of sorts. I took a shot at imitating a sort of inert substrate (to maximize surface area but avoid soaking up treatments) by putting a liner of filter sponge at the bottom of the tank, because I don't have as much space in the HOB filter as I'd like for media. Now I'm planning on putting in actual sand substrate, and my question is - to avoid re-cycling the tank, can I get away with burying the filters in the sand? I assume water can move through them just like, if not better than, sand itself, and they won't degrade...

Thanks!

 

[Cherryshrimp420]

I am shortly going to start the process of converting a small quarantine tank I have into a display tank of sorts. I took a shot at imitating a sort of inert substrate (to maximize surface area but avoid soaking up treatments) by putting a liner of filter sponge at the bottom of the tank, because I don't have as much space in the HOB filter as I'd like for media. Now I'm planning on putting in actual sand substrate, and my question is - to avoid re-cycling the tank, can I get away with burying the filters in the sand? I assume water can move through them just like, if not better than, sand itself, and they won't degrade...

Thanks!

It needs access to oxygenated water so burying it wont work. The more water that can flow through it the better