Another Sponge Filter Setup Question

kangy

Pssh I don't need super human strength. I'll just bribe my pregnant wife with Jack in the Box taco's she'll do anything for a dozen of those haha. Wife texted said a box came for me *does a little jig*. I feel retarded for being so excited about some plastic tubes and 2 sponges lol. If my car wasn't at the dealership today for warranty work I'd be out of here early.

Byron, if my plants don't double in size in 3 days I'm holding you personally responsible lol j/k

Byron

It would take me days to figure out how to draw pictures on the PC, so here are two photos I just snapped of the Elite in my 33g and 20g. I don't have these as close to the substrate as the one in my 10g, not sure why; hadn't even thought of that until now. Anyway, you can see how the return is partly above the surface so the water flow goes down the tank past the heater, rather than having bubbles. Both these filters happen to be vertical; the one in my 10g is horizontal but behind a log and I'm not going to pull the tank apart for photos.

Attached Images

	Elite sponge.jpg (75.9 KB, 38 views)
	Elite sponge2.jpg (81.6 KB, 37 views)

Calmwaters

Thanks Byron that makes it so much more clear. Mine are completely under the water so I need to move them up some.

kangy

Thank you Byron for the pictures! The extension tube with mine wasn't long enough to get the sponges "at the substrate" but I mounted the sponges as low as possible while still having the tube as shown in your photo's. Maybe I was way to used to a 330gph HOB sucking the hell out of the water and swishing it around like a whirlpool but it doesn't seem as though the sponge has much suction. Pulling off the HOB, moving the heater, trimming back one stem of my "baby's tears" and replanting the stem stirred up some debris. The anacharis actually floats now though lol. I love how calm the water is with the sponge but looking at the debris in the water it looks like there is NO movement at all. Debris even slowly floats by the sponge but doesn't get sucked in. Here are a couple pictures of the setup (please excuse the bio-wheels, that was my trade-off between leaving the HOB and just removing it completely, I'll leave them in a week or so just for peace of mind) I have a two way gang-valve (no secondary airstone yet so it just putters haha but I turned the open end up enough to slow the flow a bit. That Whisper 40 on full blast to the sponge filter makes the exhaust LOUD. I found a nice balance between noise and flow. I lifted the exhaust tube slightly above the water and it is pouring out but very very slowly. Is this enough flow for a 29g, I know it's mostly just for mechanical but it doesn't seem to be doing that very well by my watching debris floating by the sponge without getting pulled in. I was thinking I have the air too high and that is taking up too much space in the tube and actually slowing the flow?? I have no idea what I'm rambling about now so here goes the pictures and anxious waiting for Byron's expertise :)

Exhaust


Mounted to Wall (notice the yellow leaf on the Sword, that leaf was sucked up to the HOB intake, should I cut it off or see how it recovers?)

kangy

What are your thoughts on possibly cutting down to a single sponge filter. My thoughts are that it will still be pulling the same amount but through a single sponge rather than spread out over two? How do the Hydro's perform, I've read great reviews on them? I went with this one since I liked the lift tube, built in air line, and low profile wall mount rather than a stand on the substrate. Could I get away with going with the Hyrdo II (says for 20g but I like the smaller sponge size? Or even two single Elite's, one in each corner?

Sorry, the very very still water makes me nervous. This morning the water was still filled with floating particles that just seemed to hover, I see zero water movement at all right now.

Byron

First on the sword leaf, cut it off at the base. A leaf yellowing like that is dying. Most of those oval-shaped leaves will do the same, they are the emersed leaf and as the submersed leaves arise from the centre of the crown the outer emersed leaves will yellow and die off.

I prefer the elite over the Hydro, I have both. And both do excellent jobs of filtration in my experience. I have a dual Elite in my 29g, the first of those photos was it, and the tank is crystal clear. Mind you, it has few fish at the moment. The larger particles should settle into the substrate if left alone. I have a single Elite in my 10g, and the amount of stuff it picks up is quite remarkable.

kangy

Thanks Byron, I was just nervous, especially with the debris still hovering this morning. I think I should just "embrace nature" and let it do it's thing, I made a huge transition from bubble bars, multiple HOB's, and fake decor so still getting used to it. I'm about as natural and lowtech as it gets without going topsoil filterless lol.

With that said, I may try the single hagen (or one on each corner just for piece of mind) do you know if they sell just the 90 degree adapter to convert the single to a double? Any sites for "spare parts"

What are your thoughts on my output flow? Too much? From your pictures it looks like there is very minimal bubbles coming from the exhaust.

Byron

A steady stream, but not a raging torrent, of bubbles. I wouldn't mess around with Hydro if you have the elite dual sponge. You can't direct the flow out of the Hydro, unless there are parts; it doesn't come with any.

kangy

I'm thinking of taking out the internal filter from my 2.5g at work due to the heavy current it creates in that little tank and going with a hagen single. The tank is an oval shape and I'd like to put the filter on the left wall (you can see in the photo where the old one was) but the pictures of the packaging make it look as though on the single the only direction the sponge goes is horizontal. Is there an adapter or swivel on the 10g so the sponge can mount vertically like it does in the double sponge?

Byron

No, but you can get around this. Attach the filter to the tank wall almost horizontally, by which I mean near the top just below the water surface at a slight angle with the sponge extending down toward the bottom and the return can be turned to face out across the surface.