[OhioPlantedtankguy]

I have a unique opportunity to become a breeder of live bearer fish for a Local Fish store.It is a good deal for me, the store will provide me with 4x75g tanks each with 3 dividers, air pumps etc.

i know a lot about breeding live bearers so no real questions there, these will not be planted Maybe some anarcis at most.And will rely heavily on Biological filtration.

Which leads me to the questions. I plan to set these up as low cost as possible, and im wondering about bio media, more specifically things not intended as bio media being used as such.

Cheap non treated Sponges, are they safe for Bio Filtration?

Plastic Scrubbers are they safe for bio filtration?

Things like this:

http://www.foodservicedirect.com/largeView.cfm?pic=BVPS800L.jpg

And the Big Cheap car washing sponges,Has anyone used these for Bio filtration?

 

[davemonkey]

Sponges and scrubbers will clog up with detritus/debris quickly and will slow the filtration (if you are putting these in a filter. The best bio-filter, IME, for fish-only is an undergravel filter with a powerhead rather than an air pump. You don't have to have the filter plate under the entire substrate, only part of it.

If you are going with no substrate, then anything with any surface area that will fit in a canister or HOB filter will have bacteria colonizing on it. You could even use some spare gravel or carbon as your bacteria-home. The scrubbers will work, but you may have to to swish them around once in awhile to unclog detritus and allow water flow through them.

-Dave

 

[CaptainNemo]

I would be cautious of any sponge not specifically intended for aquarium use, most are treated with mold inhibitors etc that will kill your fish. I can understand wanting to save money, but why mess around with trying to rig something up when you can go to http://www.kensfish.com/aticompletefilters.html
and just get 3 Hydro sponge 3's per tank. They work great, aren't expensive, and you don't have to mess around with trying to make something. I was able to grow ~350 Parachromis dovii up to 2.5" in a 75 with 3 of these and water changes every other day.

 

[OhioPlantedtankguy]

Sponges and scrubbers will clog up with detritus/debris quickly and will slow the filtration (if you are putting these in a filter. The best bio-filter, IME, for fish-only is an undergravel filter with a powerhead rather than an air pump. You don't have to have the filter plate under the entire substrate, only part of it.

If you are going with no substrate, then anything with any surface area that will fit in a canister or HOB filter will have bacteria colonizing on it. You could even use some spare gravel or carbon as your bacteria-home. The scrubbers will work, but you may have to to swish them around once in awhile to unclog detritus and allow water flow through them.

-Dave

No not in a canister sorry should have been more clear on that, i plan to put them in the tank itself and i do plan on it bare bottom and was just gonna use one divider for bio media and a power head and 2 for fish.I am planing to pre colonize the sponges/scrubbers in another tank and move them to the new tanks once they are up. To reduce/eliminate cycle time.

 

[Bert H]

I agree with Captain Nemo about not using regular sponges. It's not worth the risk.

 

[OhioPlantedtankguy]

I would be cautious of any sponge not specifically intended for aquarium use, most are treated with mold inhibitors etc that will kill your fish. I can understand wanting to save money, but why mess around with trying to rig something up when you can go to http://www.kensfish.com/aticompletefilters.html
and just get 3 Hydro sponge 3's per tank. They work great, aren't expensive, and you don't have to mess around with trying to make something. I was able to grow ~350 Parachromis dovii up to 2.5" in a 75 with 3 of these and water changes every other day.

ya that's why i was thinking the cheap plastic scrubbers that arnt treated.

 

[OhioPlantedtankguy]

I agree with Captain Nemo about not using regular sponges. It's not worth the risk.

The Cheap plastic Scrubbers from what i can tell are not treated, ya i agree also hindsight on the sponges being a bad idea.

i was also told Lava Rock? but i though that could leech, maybe that's just in SW though.

 

[OhioPlantedtankguy]

Anyone Know about Lava Rock? is it safe for FW tanks?

 

[aquabillpers]

If you are going to tank-raise the common livebearers commercially, you want fast growth. To get that you will need to provide enough room for the young fish to grow, a lot of appropriate food, and frequent large water changes, daily or every other day at least.

In such an environment I question how important filtration is.

Bill

 

[OhioPlantedtankguy]

If you are going to tank-raise the common livebearers commercially, you want fast growth. To get that you will need to provide enough room for the young fish to grow, a lot of appropriate food, and frequent large water changes, daily or every other day at least.

In such an environment I question how important filtration is.

Bill

Well i will be providing all the above except the water changes, Weekly at most is all my back can handle more than likely bi weekly.

 

[dawntwister]

Cheapest filter media is floss that can be bought in fabric section area. I tried it in a small tupperware box. Found using filter media, which is sold as a large square, works better in HOB filter. For breeding tank I prefer the sponge filters. I found a bunch for free on craigslist.org

What did you end up doing for filter for the breeding tanks?

 

[Fortuna Wolf]

People don't believe me when I tell them that I use upholstery foam. Its perfectly safe, though you can boil it first to get rid of the new foam smell (which is also present in larger celled foam). Its very fine celled and can clog easily though it can filter the green out of green water. I usually clean mine every few days because of this.

If you want biological filtration I'd suggest getting a sump that can sit out in the sun and you can put some riccia and frogbit in it.

 

[Minsc]

Anyone Know about Lava Rock? is it safe for FW tanks?

I use crushed lava rock in my canister, and it has not affected the water at all, as far as I can tell. It does not seem to clog at all either. I'm not sure how you would use it effectively outside a canister though.