Setting up new Tank; UGF Filter?

[Richard Sexton]

Canister filters are the best for freshwater without question.

Now a bold statement like that just invites comment ;~).
How's your German? This design (Hamburg Matt filter) has a lot of
advantages going for it.
http://www.tuttas.de/aquaristik/konstruktion.htm

Neat, but a DIY like that is not always practical for a lot of setups.
I'd happily use something like it on a group of tanks at the store in
tandem with a sump for cost effective uninterrupted biological filtration,
but it is far too visible for me to ever want to use in one of my show
tanks. I like my own equipment to be as discreet as possible.

Stick a big plant or some rocks ow wood in front of it.

I can't imagine a big foam block being as effective and enduring at
breaking down waste as a tall canister packed with ehfimech/substrat and
floss.

Two things make up a filter: water flow and amount of filter substrate.
This thing wins hands down over all but ther largest and most extreme
of canister filters. You guys need to get out more. :-)

In North America we as aquarists are I think spoiled; we march into a petshop
lonk down a credit card for a tank and bunch of plastic made in Taiwan or
italy and call it a day.

Look at older German books, especially killi books. The not so old Barrons
book by Stefan Hellner has a design for an inside filter made from a margerine
tub with a funnel placed in it spout up. An airline is placed in the funnel
(under the wide end not through the spout and the tub is filled with
pea gravel. Presto, a filter. That works. Really.

Next step would be to build a false inside panel to create a 1" chamber that
you can fill with gravel as a filter substrate. Looking at the URL
referenced above, I thought that's what they had done too but I see it's
just a cork background. Ah well.

An inside sponge insert as shown is the perfect compliment to such a filter
design. Good call; I have 4 400L tanks to set up this year (did I mention
construction permits?) and will probably give it a go on these now-dry tanks
as they're already plumbed for a sump and have overflow boxes.

What also comes to mind is two inside chamber, one for substrate one for
airlifts, made from glass. Should look pretty good and be a decent way to
see what kind of flow you're getting.

As for cannister filters being the best for anything, they have their
place, around here it's mostly in a box on a shelf. They tend to suck
up fry and eat them; restrict the intake so they don't and they clog.
I hate the plumbing. I hate the noise and meltdown when they run dry.
There have been lots of them over the years some through here and I
still use sponge filters. Small ones, big ones, sometimes several of
them.

[NetMax]

<snip>

Post by Richard Sexton
As for cannister filters being the best for anything, they have their
place, around here it's mostly in a box on a shelf. They tend to suck
up fry and eat them; restrict the intake so they don't and they clog.
I hate the plumbing. I hate the noise and meltdown when they run dry.
There have been lots of them over the years some through here and I
still use sponge filters. Small ones, big ones, sometimes several of
them.

For someone who appreciates sponge filters.
Loading Image...
Powerhead with quad sponge set-up for a 120g (being built into the back of a
structure).