The reasoning I see to use K1 in this scenario is because it has a very long service interval. Aside from a box filter I'm not sure of any other air driven filters that have both mechanical and separate biological media's. I always look at ways to make this hobby easier. Usually when using air driven I chuck form out the window and focus on function. They are all noticeable and don't look natural. So the bottle with k1 isn't an issue imo. Alot of people who use them say they are oddly satisfying to look at aswell.
Looking at converting fish room over to linear air pump filters
- Thread starter Lollum96
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Sure, the cute little bouncy widgets are virtually maintenance-free...but the stubby little sponge filter underneath them is flowing essentially the same amount of water through its petite volume that would be pumping through a much larger sponge if that's what were being used. The bigger chunk of sponge has the water moving through it more slowly, and clogs up much more gradually than the little one...so the maintenance interval for the big sponge is much longer than that for the small one. While you are busy squeezing and rinsing the little sponge over and over you won't get any comfort from the fact that the K1 pieces don't need any attention.
Satisfying to look at? Yep, they are that; I have a large quantity of them swirling gracefully in my big sump...but they are there only because I got them for nothing, and my granddaughters love to watch them. Otherwise, I wouldn't give them a second look.
the beauty about the standard sponge is they generally fit into a medium size ziplock bag. once your familiar with standard sponge filters you know the top just pops off with the air line still attached. so you can pop the bottom of the unit completely off into a submerged ziplock bag so no detritus falls back into the tank. the k1 is stays in the bottle with the top of the sponge unit attached. it doesnt matter how big your sponge is. surface area means it will clog slower but the detritus is still there breaking down on that sponge. from my experience they dont clog faster then you need to do maintence anyways. the point is just to eliminate an entire process in not needing to clean the bio media at all. imo mattenfilters are more gimmicky. youll have excuses to prolong cleaning. when its time to clean your stuck with a giant sponge thats going to dump a ton of broken down materials back into the tank when you try to pull it out. but to each there own.
I run all 8 of my tanks under 55 gallons off of air just using UGFs and box filters in combination (my 2 nano tanks just use UGFs). Basic box filter is $7-$8 on amazon and you can usually find deals for 4 packs and such that get them lower (I think I got 4 for $25 last year).
Air pumps are never nearly as powerful as they claim in my experience. Go big.
Air pumps are never nearly as powerful as they claim in my experience. Go big.
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UGF are starting to grow on me again. Aquascape assisting in them making a comeback. kinda wana set a giant one up on the 320 just for science purposes lol
I love them. Even my large tanks with power filters and sumps have them, though my largest tank currently is only 135.
long shot on the pics i know.. from the last post you commented on LOL
My standard sized tanks have cheap ones off Amazon (mostly Lee's and Penn Plex if I remember right, whichever was cheaper at the time I ordered them). I DIYed the ones in my nano tanks and an odd shaped 20 gallon with light diffuser, a plastic mesh used for knitting I think (got from Michael's) and spare lift tubes from the UGFs I bought. Cut the light diffuser and mesh to fit the tank (try to get the mesh in tight to avoid stuff going around it) I used some spare suction cups to lift the light diffuser layer off the bottom, then cut a hole for the lift tube in the plastic mesh layer that goes over the light diffuser. The lift tube sits on top of the light diffuser, mesh keeps the gravel from falling through. If you want to use sand, get some weed barrier used for lawns (just make sure it's an inert one and not one with fertilizers or weed killing chemicals) and cut a top layer. The holes in that stuff are too small for sand to get through. Also, if you're worried about digging fish exposing the UGF and rendering it ineffective, put a layer of light diffuser or the plastic mesh in the substrate about an inch from the top. They won't be able to dig any deeper than that.
This is the type of mesh I used. Comes in handy for a lot of things. Very easy to cut to what you want.
Weed guard can find at any hardware/yard store. I'm not sure if this is what I used, but it came in very similar packaging. Just be sure it's just plastic with tiny holes in it. Basically a finely perforated trash bag plastic sheet.
Vigoro 3 ft. x 50 ft. Weed Control Film 2.0 Roll 204138 - The Home Depot
Looking for a long term solution to preventing weeds from popping up and invading your beautiful garden. Vigoro Heavy-Duty Landscape Fabric keeps weeds out and maintains soil moisture. The Vigoro Landscape
www.homedepot.com
oh, to be clear, the suction cups are sitting on the bottom, with the light diffuser on top of them, not stuck to the sides expected to hold all that weight.
