ponyrandy

Thanks DBL, that is just what I was looking for. I tried the nylon route but it clogged up way too quick. The AC sponge is a great idea too, but I think I will be ordering one of these tomorrow.
Brian

DBL TAP

Man, I wish I got a commission! LOL -- Glad to be of a help. My friend swears by those intakes.

dgphelps

The only problem with the prefilters or panty hose etc, at least in my tank, is that they gradually fill up with detritus which impairs the water circulation. It's also a mess when you turn off your pump to clean it as everything dumps back into your tank. When I have something over my intake I typically have to clean it once every week or two or the water flow slows to a trickle.

DBL TAP

Same here. What I do with my Aqua Clear is I leave the filter running, lift the tube and when the prefilter breaks the surface I scoop it with a white/fine net. Some pieces fall off but I usually get most of it.

Prefilters are a PITA but a necessity when you have shrimplets.

MatPat

If you haven't ordered your pre-filter already, you may want to look at getting them from Ken's Fish. Ordering from Ken's should save you about $3 on each pre-filter.

Tex Gal

Matt- what's the difference in the #1, #2, #3. Do they each have the same size tubing intake? If it's just sponge size, wouldn't it make sense to get the largest so that it will clog the least fast- or would the drag be too much on the pump? I have a 29 HOB and have been using little nylon bags. Wonderig if these would clog less fast?

MatPat

I'm pretty sure they all have the same size tubing and adapters but I only have experience with the #1 on Aquaclear minis (Aquaclear 20 I think is what it is called now). I'd probably match it to the filter/tank size versus getting the largest size sponge they have. It does make sense to get a larger sponge but like you said, it may be too much resistance for the filter. I do imagine a larger sponge will decrease the flow quite a bit once it starts to clog.

What filter are you using on your 29g and is it a shrimp only tank? If memory serves me correctly, I only had to rinse mine out about once a month but I only had shrimp in the tanks.

Tex Gal

I have a 29g (with blueberry shrimp), which is one of those kits from petsmart. It's an HOB. On my 10g (cherries and crystals), I have an aquaclear 20.

Do you think they work better than the nylon bag? I too have to rinse the bags about 1 time a week or more.

MatPat

Hmm, I'd go with the #2 for the 29g since it is rated for up to 40g tanks. The #1 should work great with the 10g tank and Aquaclear 20. that was what I had on all of my shrimp tanks before I switched over to air driven sponges.

I've never used a nylon bag but I have tried old pantyhose and the sponges definitely work better than the pantyhose. I've never had much of a problem with removing the sponges from the tank like dgphelps mentioned. You do get some detritus/mulm that comes off of the sponge but in a very short time my Aquaclears had it filtered out of the water again and all I used in them was sponges.

Ken's prices are so good you could buy two of each size and try them out on the different tanks. If the larger one doesn't work out on the 10g tank you'll have a good excuse to go out and buy a couple more tanks since you already have prefilters for them

ponyrandy

Thanks for the heads up on the price Matt. And while you were posting the suggestion about buying the different sizes, I was doing just that. I bought a #1 and a #3 so when I get them I will post and let everyone know the difference. As far as a bigger filter causing more resistance, it should be just the opposite. I was thinking more surface area should mean less drag unless the diameter is quite a bit larger and it has farther to suck through. And a 90% clogged large filter won't have any more resistance than a 90% clogged small filter. It will be interesting to see how long each one lasts between cleanings.
Brian