HOB Filters and Hystrix Growth?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
L

lnelms2

Plecostomus
MFK Member
May 27, 2008
663
76
61
Miamisburg, Ohio
I just read in another thread that you aren't supposed to use HOB filters with rays? Why is that? I've never had a problem with my rays and my ac110's...

Also how long does it take for a hystrix to mature? I'm probably going to get a smaller one, 6" or so and was wondering about their growth/maturity rate....

Thanks
 
From what i've seen and heard they mature around 10-11"..I'm pretty sure they grow slowly compared to most other rays...
 
MY qt tank is usually either 40 breeder or 75 gallon. I've had 16" ray on a 40 breeder with 2 AC 70's or a single AC110 and 2 sponge filters to keep up. The key is flow and bio media size. I wouldn't do it as a permanent solutions, but for temporary grow out or qt tank, they will work just fine.

Stan
 
I use my ac110's for growing pothos as I have canisters to do the heavy lifting. But the post I read was: "For the observant: yes, those are Emperor filters. I know you're not "supposed" to filter ray tanks with them but I think I know what I'm doing."

Which posed the question because I had never heard this before... Thanks for the replies
 
Yes, that was me. I have ray tanks only filtered by Emperor filters with no canister. My point was, as John noted, that with the amount of bio you need for rays it's east to under-filter a ray tank with HOB filters and I don't want to give less experienced ray keepers the idea that you can skimp on filtration.

But one of my Emperor-filtered tanks has a nice pair of Hystrix.
 
As mentioned good ray filtration is lots of extra water volume and bio media. HOBs are good for mechanical and that is about hit. Even the biggest ones that say they are for 100 plus gallon tanks are too small. Just because it has a high flow rate does not mean you are over filtering your tank. You could turn you water over 20 times an hour with a mechanical filter and it will do you no good unless you have to bio media to support the flow rate.
 
PeteLockwood said:
Yes, that was me. I have ray tanks only filtered by Emperor filters with no canister. My point was, as John noted, that with the amount of bio you need for rays it's east to under-filter a ray tank with HOB filters and I don't want to give less experienced ray keepers the idea that you can skimp on filtration.

But one of my Emperor-filtered tanks has a nice pair of Hystrix.
Click to expand...

Ok, that's cool. As an experienced Hystrix keeper how are their growth rates in comparison to other rays?
 
They're definitely slower than my other rays (Motoro and Henlei). But not infinitely slow as some reports I've seen. Mine were around 5" when I got them in Jan 2010 and are probably 9" or so now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom