Box Filter?

[Jamilw1989]

Hey Gerwin do you by any chance sell these or can you get me one? I was talking with my Pastor and he used to breeding angels and Cory's for a living a few years back and he suggested that I use that instead of a UG filter he said it would be easier on the fish and wouldn't disturb and of the eggs. Just wondering if you had a clue what they where. I looked them up online and they look simple enough but then again they didn't give much description of the filter and how it works.
Any clues?

[Doug]

Box filters were just simple mechanisms that used air to draw the water thru filter floss and carbon. Back then it usually wasn't even activated carbon, but what we called "cheap charcoal", and its usefulness was dubious at best. Even so, many breeders used them successfully, if they understood their primary function was as a bio-mechanical filter and didn't change out all the filter materials in them at once. I would recommend a sponge filter, like a Jungle Dirt Magnet, if those are still around. The good thing about them is there's no way fry can be sucked into them. You can keep one running in the back of your main FW tank, and it will become biologically active. Then, when you have a spawn, you can transfer the slate with the eggs, the sponge filter, and water from the main tank to your brood tank, providing the least amount of shock. When the sponge becomes coated with detritus, you can clean it by gently squeezing and rinsing it out it some water taken from the tank for a partial water change, and it will remain biologically active.

[Jamilw1989]

Box filters were just simple mechanisms that used air to draw the water thru filter floss and carbon. Back then it usually wasn't even activated carbon, but what we called "cheap charcoal", and its usefulness was dubious at best. Even so, many breeders used them successfully, if they understood their primary function was as a bio-mechanical filter and didn't change out all the filter materials in them at once. I would recommend a sponge filter, like a Jungle Dirt Magnet, if those are still around. The good thing about them is there's no way fry can be sucked into them. You can keep one running in the back of your main FW tank, and it will become biologically active. Then, when you have a spawn, you can transfer the slate with the eggs, the sponge filter, and water from the main tank to your brood tank, providing the least amount of shock. When the sponge becomes coated with detritus, you can clean it by gently squeezing and rinsing it out it some water taken from the tank for a partial water change, and it will remain biologically active.

Ok thanks Doug. I wasn't sure like I said I had never heard of them. I will look into sponge filters I have heard of those. I will do some research.

[Doug]

The wholesale operation I ran had over 600 tanks, all running Jungle Dirt Magnet filters, "senior" size, 2 per tank. Density in these 15-20 gallon holding tanks was usually the equivalent of 75 adult swordtails.

[Jamilw1989]

wow ok thanks. I am trying to get the final things ticked off my list so I go into the shop and walk out with everything I need to hopefully be totally successful at my new found venture.

[Gerwin]

sorry Jamie, I do not know how these topics get by me. Lucky we have other folks with experience to help out
yes sponge filters are great and we use them in the shop as well. AND I have them to sell.
The box filters are as Doug mentioned and we use to have those many years ago in all the tanks, pain to clean when you got a 100 of them. But they work and do allow for some chemical filtration.....but time has past them up and are rarely seen anymore.

[Jamilw1989]

its ok no problem.I picked a sponge filter up ther other day when i was looking for something on amazon.com. the problem is I don't have a clue how it works. its over my head. my dad doesn't understand it either. all i have figured out it that it won't work with out an air pump. i am confused completely.

[Doug]

Air rising in the lift tube causes water to be drawn thru the sponge, in the same way it does in the box filter and with an undergravel filter. (Yes, before there were powerheads, UG filters operated on air pumps.) Nitrifying bacteria colonize the sponge just as they do the gravel in a UG filter. Solid wastes are attracted to the surface of the sponge, where they dissolve somewhat and are drawn deeper into the sponge to be broken down. Gentle rinsing in water taken from the tank removes excess particulates, but doesn't kill or impact the bacteria colony like chlorinated or even dechlorinated tap water would.

When you first put the sponge filter in the tank, you want to squeeze it under water several times to force the air out of it and water into it to get it "primed".

[Gerwin]

adding one note to what Doug said,
it is not instant filtration, those nitrifying bacteria are gonna take about a month+- to establish before the filter works at its best

[Doug]

adding one note to what Doug said,
it is not instant filtration, those nitrifying bacteria are gonna take about a month+- to establish before the filter works at its best

Hence my earlier suggestion to keep one running in the back of the tank your breeders live in. A new sponge filter will cycle quite rapidly in that scenario.

[Jamilw1989]

Ok thanks guys. Looks like i am going to need two air pumps that day when i come in not just one. but the tank i have that i can move them into is 10 gallons so i won't need another giant one.

[Doug]

In a shallow tank, the air pump requirements for a sponge filter are minimal. Spend the money on a quality small to medium pump, rather than a large cheap one.

[Jamilw1989]

In a shallow tank, the air pump requirements for a sponge filter are minimal. Spend the money on a quality small to medium pump, rather than a large cheap one.

ok thanks doug