Sponge over HOB filter always clogging?

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BassetsForBrown

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Dec 2, 2012
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Boston
My aquaclear hob filter often got leaf and other particles stuck on the intake, not to mention sand that stalls the impellor. I cut a hole in an aquaclear sponge media piece and slide it over the intake tube to prevent this. It works well for about 5 days before the filters output noticeably decreases, and eventually becomes so slow I need to take it off and rinse everything.

Any suggestions on another sponge like material I could cover the intake tube with that wont clog as easily?

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tank size and filter size?
 
pops said:
tank size and filter size?
Click to expand...
Tank is 90g, HOB is rated for 30 I believe, but I also run a 125g/hr cascade canister as the main filter. The HOB only has the sponge on the intake, and purigen inside.


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The both filters are on the same side of the tank, but the canister intake is at the very bottom of the tank so I'm sure they aren't competing for water. My air pump is on the other side of the tank, no chance the HOB is stalling from bubbles

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I had the same problem on my Aquaclear 50, tried using a piece of women's hosiery held on with a rubberband, it clogged up just as fast...
So there's one idea not to try... lol.

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I have an aquaclear 50 on my 40 gal tank and used the sponge same as you as a prefilter to prevent fry and or plant matter and sand from getting into the filter. So far is been working great for me, but I'm only using one of the two joinable intake tubes so the sponge sits up higher in the water colum to prevent sand getting sucked into it. If it's purpose is just to run water over the purigen, pulling water from near the surface like mine is set up should help keep the sand out. If you find sand is still getting into the filter you can try putting a cotton sock over the sponge to prefilter even more and when it clogs you should just have to rinse the sock and not disturb the beneficial bacteria on the sponge.
 
Fluval makes a sponge intake shield (so to speak) for their HOB filters. I have one for my AC-50. I would say depending on your conditions it could probably last a little longer between cleanouts. Or just remove one of your intake tube extensions so that it doesn't have to pick up so much stuff. Also too, if your AC is just for bio, like the above comment said, no need to be pulling water from down in the tank. Let your cannister do the mechanical filtration.

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I use a sponge from a sponge filter - slides right over the intake. They are like $2 on Dr Foster & Smith.

The clogging just means its doing its job - preventing some junk from getting into your HOB filter media. I just take mine off between water changes if it looks nasty & rinse it under the tap.
 
Any mechanical filter, whether it is sponge or polyester filter pad, is supposed to get clogged up if it is doing its job. How often it gets clogged up depends on the bio load. If it doesn't get clogged up, the water is bypassing the media or the media porocity is too large to catch paticulate matters. The water will be cloudy of suspended matters. I change my filter pads on my Penquin HOBs about twice a week to keep the water crystal clear. If I notice any HOB that isn't clogging for a long time, something is wrong as water is leaking and short circuting the media.
 
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