My DIY Hamburger Mattenfilter

[mattrox]

I ordered 4 sheets of 1mx1m x3cm thick sponge. I got 2 grades of sponge, Course 10ppi and Medium 20ppi. I also got 20 of these up-lift air-driven pumps.
Up-lift tube and coarse sponge

Medium pore sponge

I measured up a 30cm x 34cm piece of sponge. I cut it out with a box cutter.

I cut a length of PVC pipe to fit across the side panel of the aquarium (29.5 cm) Then I put it in the aquarium on the glass. I put the sponge in, resting against the PVC pipe but not against the heater. Then I put in the gravel to hold the sponge in place. I put in used gravel from my aquarium without cleaning it so I can see the Mattenfilter work. (I turned down the flow on the existing sponge filter.

I cut the top piece of the uplift tube in half. It needed to reach just beyond the edge of the sponge. I cut a notch in the top of the sponge for the outlet of the uplift tube. Then the airline was connected to the uplift tube and a suction cup and clip used to hold the uplift tube in place.

I am hoping this design helps de-clutter the fry tanks, no heaters or round sponge filters to bump into when catching fish.

 

[Bige]

Good idea. Seems like it would work great. Do you think fry will get in sponge? I guess they will grow quickly enough that that won't be a problem. Let us know how it goes. Maybe some pics with fry.

 

[mattrox]

I have African cichlids the fry are quite large. If I had gourami fry I would probably have chosen the fine sponge (30 ppi) and turn the air down as well.

There are fry in that tank, pics to follow.

 

[mattrox]

I have included the original page I read about the filter set up for reference.

Hamburger Mattenfilter

It sure does work. Plenty of surface aggitation and by the amount of dust settled out of the back side of the sponge it is clearing the water!

And the water looks clearer. (I do have the other sponge filter helping out too.)

And the fry don't seem to have suffered for having a bunch of gravel "dumped on their heads" and their water dirtied up.

 

[mattrox]

I first measured out the dimensions required and scored the foam with the blade.

I then used a metal ruler as straight edge to get the cuts as neat
and straight as possible.

For the width I used the tape measure and straight edge to make sure the sides were parallel.

I put a slice in the foam to fit the air lift tube piece into.

As this one is going into a 3'x14"wx20"h tank I used 2 pumps per filter sponge.

I put the heater and pvc pipe spacer in the tank then installed the sopnge with the ait lift pumps attached.

Then I put the gravel in.

 

[mattrox]

Just a lil vid of the filter in the 2ft tank to show the water flow.

 

[mattrox]

I can't reply to my original DIY Hamberger Mattenfilter thread so I made a new one.

Update... a long 'serated' bread knife used in a sawing motion works better to cut foam.

and a pic

Benga peacock fry feeding off the foam sponge.

 

[meegosh]

I merged your threads, not sure why you can't reply to this. Try now maybe?

 

[mattrox]

Thanks for that. Just wanted to update to show the added benefits of this type of filter.

It said the thread was too old to add to.... hmmm

 

[BillD]

A friend has converted all 40 of his tanks over to this type of filter. His biggest tank is a 350 gallon. He is approaching 4 years and has been wildly successful. There is virtually no maintenance. A local manufacture sells the reticulated foam in black (2" thick), and when you order a full sheet, they will cut it to sizes for you. He has also come up with an ingenius way of making lift tubes that never clog. Apparently if you angle the end of the return tube (cut it at 65 degree) it makes them virtually silent.