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Shrimp safe filter for 35l tanks

BarryH

BarryH

Member
Joined
25 Feb 2017
Messages
608
Location
Derbyshire
My large tanks have external filters but on my smaller 35l Scapers tanks I use Aquael Mini Pat filters running through two round sponge filters. Not sure if the sponge filters I'm buying aren't up to the job but within a short time of replacing them they start to bow in at the centres, even within a few days of cleaning them.

Can anyone recommend something they're happy with on a similar sized tank please?
 
Hi all,
Konsa said:
posted recently about them
Click to expand...
I've used them <"for a long time">. You get a lot of sponge for your money.

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Stephan Tanner (<"Swiss Tropicals">) <"sells similar"> in the States as "Cubefilters".

cheers Darrel
 
Konsa said:
Hi
you can buy coarser sponges and that will solve the problem rather than buy new filter.20 ppi sponge should be good.Look into pond predrilled sponge blocks.
@dw1305 posted recently about them
Regards Konstantin
Click to expand...
Darrel, do you have a link at all? Can't seem to find the post Konsa mentions
 
Konsa said:
think he uses these
www.ebay.co.uk

COARSE FILTER FOAM BLOCKS 6", 8", 10", 12" SIZES.Drilled 30mm hole. Pond Media | eBay

COARSE FILTER FOAM BLOCKS. Sits on plastic inserts for many popular pond filters. 6" - 4"x4"x6" tall, 30mm hole drilled 5" deep. 8" - 4"x4"x8" tall, 30mm hole drilled 7" deep. 10" - 4"x4"x10" tall, 30mm hole drilled 9" deep.
www.ebay.co.uk
Click to expand...
I do and mainly from <"Rainbow Koi"> (it is 5 minutes down the road from me in Melksham) but there are loads of sellers.

cheers Darrel
 
I’ve got a 37l Nano running on a Tetratec EX400 canister filter. I have stainless inlet/outlet with a sponge on the inlet.
 
As a bit of an update, I ordered a couple of the Poret Mini Pat replacement filters mentioned in a post above. As I only have one Mini Pat per tank, can I ask what would be the best way to colonise the new Poret filters please?
 
Hi all,
BarryH said:
As I only have one Mini Pat per tank, can I ask what would be the best way to colonise the new Poret filters please?
Click to expand...
Squeeze out the MiniPat filter sponge into a bowl and then swirl the new Poret foam in the squeezings. If you want belt and braces, fasten the old sponges to the new sponge with an elastic band etc.

cheers Darrel
 
dw1305 said:
Hi all,

Squeeze out the MiniPat filter sponge into a bowl and then swirl the new Poret foam in the squeezings. If you want belt and braces, fasten the old sponges to the new sponge with an elastic band etc.

cheers Darrel
Click to expand...
Brilliant, thanks for the help Darrel, really appreciated.
 
Another update. The Poret sponge blocks arrived safe and sound and fit the Mini Pat quite well. I've now set one tank up with the new combination before I go ahead and change the others too.

The Poret blocks come with a central plastic insert that is a good push fit on to the Mini Pat housing. I've used the 45PPI blocks for now but I did buy a couple of the 30PPI at the same time. The only problem I've had fitting the sponge blocks is that they are a little wider than the pump housing and when the suckers are pushed on to the tank, the sponge block squashes up a bit at the top but sticks away from the tank sides at the bottom.
 
Thanks Darrel. I was just a bit concerned that the 30PPI was a bit on the large side for shrimplets.
 
Hi all,
BarryH said:
Thanks Darrel. I was just a bit concerned that the 30PPI was a bit on the large side for shrimplets.
Click to expand...
It probably depends a little bit on the degree of suction. As far as I know I didn't have any problem with shrimplet survival with PPI20 sponge blocks, but they are really large, so I would guess that the actual suction at the surface is fairly minimal, because it is spread over a really large surface area and the shrimplets can always find their way back out through the sponge matrix.

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cheers Darrel
 
I have an Aquael Pat with an Envobee 45ppi on a 100L livebearer stock tank .. it's a powerful little filter, almost too strong a flow. At the opposite end of the tank I have a powered sponge filter. It's just one of the typical double sponge filters but has a small pump incorporated in the uplift tube. Two sizes, 5w and 3w. Come with a spare set of sponges. I suspect that the 5w I have in the 100L would do the job on its own .. having the Pat is maybe belt and braces. I'm about to set up a 35L tank and I've ordered the 3w for it. I've seen people using a Pat head to drive a twin-sponge filter, which looks as if it works fine, but the powered sponge filters are a neater solution for a similar price.
 
I use migon/Blau/any other number of the rebranded azoo hobs with a stainless mesh filter guard from aqua rebel.
 
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