Substrata and Filter setup Q's

[nitrofish1]

Hi all. I am going to be setting up my 12g nanocube and a 20L or a 29g tank in about 4 months or so. I have a few questions for the sand gurus on the forum.

Any issues with Black sand in the water pump in the nanocube? Locate it high up on the glass to prevent impeller damage? Siphon it at water changes?

As for the 20L or 29g, I can't afford a canister filter as much as id like to, and I think that my FX5 would make it a hurricane, HOB style is fine, so what brand is best? or undergravel? sponge? And would white sand be compatible with these style filters?

Thanks

 

[pjsmetana]

Hi all. I am going to be setting up my 12g nanocube and a 20L or a 29g tank in about 4 months or so. I have a few questions for the sand gurus on the forum.

Any issues with Black sand in the water pump in the nanocube? Locate it high up on the glass to prevent impeller damage? Siphon it at water changes?

As for the 20L or 29g, I can't afford a canister filter as much as id like to, and I think that my FX5 would make it a hurricane, HOB style is fine, so what brand is best? or undergravel? sponge? And would white sand be compatible with these style filters?

Thanks

Use a sponge filter on the filter inlet and you'll never get impeller damage from anything. I have one on every filter I have except my betta tank.

Gravel vacs work on sand. Get the medium sized one with the flat scraper end.

For a 29g tank, get an aquaclear HOB filter. The 110 should be a little overkill, which is perfect... if your worried about that, than the next model down should be ok too. Do not forget to put a sponge filter on the inlet. Sponge filters are underrated... and should be on every filter IMHO. It even made my crappy Aqueon55 HOB work like a decent filter.

 

[nitrofish1]

Use a sponge filter on the filter inlet and you'll never get impeller damage from anything. I have one on every filter I have except my betta tank.

Gravel vacs work on sand. Get the medium sized one with the flat scraper end.

For a 29g tank, get an aquaclear HOB filter. The 110 should be a little overkill, which is perfect... if your worried about that, than the next model down should be ok too. Do not forget to put a sponge filter on the inlet. Sponge filters are underrated... and should be on every filter IMHO. It even made my crappy Aqueon55 HOB work like a decent filter.

I dont need an actual sponge filter to go with this do I? Just a sponge to guard from the sand? (Wouldnt have to be big at all....)

Thanks for the input, I was also looking at an aquaclear filter, I like the idea of the filter media baskets, so I could just clean the foam pre-filter and not disturb the bio-mass on the other media. Also because of their price, and the fact that I've owned multiple Marineland filters which became a real chore to maintain (they dripped everywhere if you wanted to clean them....), and since then I have always been a fan of Fluval products, especially when my ML heater conked out after a few months. But I will most likely get the Aquaclear filter. thanks