Best filter material for AC70?

[JoeBoxer]

Hi all,

Is the sponge/carbon/bio inserts as recommended by the manufacturer the best way to do it, or some other variation?

Read a few posts where people put 2x bio and 1 sponge and no carbon. Also read one person who cut the sponge in half lengthwise to fit another bio.

Let me know your thoughts.

I have one on my 30 gallon community tank (tetras, barbs, etc...not a huge bioload).

J

 

[freak78]

I take that sponge and cut the thickness in half, I don't use the carbon either. Then all the rest of the space is Biomax.

 

[JoeBoxer]

Whats the reason for not using the carbon? Im not even sure what the carbon does other than remove some chemicals, smells, etc.

 

[that_fish_Guy]

Carbon is pretty much useless....aside from being able to remove odors and medication...I would much rather have more bio rings than carbon any day.

 

[ECW]

Yup. Throw the carbon away (it does become colonized with bio bacterial, but doesn't have anywhere the surface area of a good biomedia). Sponge, some polyfill mat/roll, and bio (in that order). That is all. If you need to use something like carbon. Get some Seachem Purigen.

 

[JoeBoxer]

Carbon is pretty much useless....aside from being able to remove odors and medication...I would much rather have more bio rings than carbon any day.

Yup. Throw the carbon away (it does become colonized with bio bacterial, but doesn't have anywhere the surface area of a good biomedia). Sponge, some polyfill mat/roll, and bio (in that order). That is all. If you need to use something like carbon. Get some Seachem Purigen.

Thanks! What does the polyfill do? More mechanical filtration?

I was looking for some earlier in the year actually....built a subwoofer for my home theatre and needed some to stuff the box, but I couldnt find any, so ended up using a pillow...

Is this the stuff? http://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/8oz-227g-polyester-stuffing/6000115629962?rrid=richrelevance

 

[ECW]

Yea

Thanks! What does the polyfill do? More mechanical filtration?

I was looking for some earlier in the year actually....built a subwoofer for my home theatre and needed some to stuff the box, but I couldnt find any, so ended up using a pillow...

Is this the stuff? http://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/8oz-227g-polyester-stuffing/6000115629962?rrid=richrelevance

Yes. It is like finishing mechanical. Cheap and keeps your water polished. I don't do the stuffing though unless I have a basket or something similar I do the mat. It's polyfill quilt batting. Looks like this buddy.

 

[xraycer]

I use Poly-Fil that's used for stuffing pillows in all my filters.

As others have posted, carbon is unnecessary......except to remove meds

 

[tlindsey]

I use Poly-Fil that's used for stuffing pillows in all my filters.

As others have posted, carbon is unnecessary......except to remove meds

+1

 

[that_fish_Guy]

JoeBoxer the best thing about AC HOBs is they are pretty much catered to you.....you can put anything in them without having those slots for cartriges in a normal HOB. I have also put just the sponge,pot scrubbies,polyfil,then biomax in an AC110. When I had two or three running on one tank I even had one with just two sponges and that is all and another with all bio rings with the intake near the surface so it didn't pick up much debris. So so so many options with an AC HOB options are literally endless just play around and see what works best for your situation.