SPONGE FILTERS ON POWERHEADS

[goldrush]

Running a 55,all numbers are excellent,everything is doing well.I'm thinking of going from 3 average PH's to 2 more powerful (hagen 402's).All 3 currently have sponge filters that are a pain in the a** to clean.I have more than enough live rock,live sand,pre-filter on overflow,pre-filter at sump and an excellent janitorial crew.Do you all agree that the sponge filters are overkill.Someone previously suggested bio-balls on the intake of PH's to keep critters from being sucked in,I thought that was an excellent idea. Any comments

 

[jakob4001]

that sounds like a great idea, but I do not see how bioballs would fit...the bioballs would seem like more of a hassle to upkeep though when it came time...where as the prefilters you just rinse out & stick them back on...someone posted that sometimes they just pile LR closely around them depending on positioning in the tank

 

[keitho]

wow...that does sound like a good idea. i don't think you would really need the sponge filters except, like you said, to keep the critters out. i've had a problems with turbo snails committing suicide on the intakes of my hagen aquaclears. hmmm...i think i will give that a try. the thing i hate about the sponge filters is that whenever you disturb them or remove them for cleaning, the goop on the outside of the sponge goes back into the water....yuck!

 

[jester]

Once you lose 1 fish to a powerhead intake, you will never take that chance again. I now have sponge filters on mine and accept the cleaning hassle.

 

[jakob4001]

you solve that problem, kietho, by placing ziploc bag of some sort around the prefilter while removing it; will no catch all the goop of course, but most of it...

 

[predator]

I have heard horror stories of animals being badlt injured or dying in powerheads. I used to have a 402 and do not remember any spounge filter coming with it. I also never experianced any problems with them and my fish or critters. But the idea of taking a zip-lock and getting them out is a really good idea.
I had a friend take a platic mesh and use plumbers "GOOP" and make a little stopper. He lost a pair of true percs in his ph in one day<a href="http://hometown.aol.com/flmeangl44/index.html" target="_blank">CLICK HERE TO SEE MY REEF. </a>

 

[oneflysi]

predator--your tank and setup is the coolest thing i have ever seen. nice work!! i don't even want to begin to think of what you have spent on all that <img src="graemlins//urrr.gif" border="0" alt="[urrr]" />
just thought i'd give ya a compliment.
-One