my filter won't sink

[JohnPaul]

Ok this sounds like a really really dumb question, but I was setting up a 10 gal as a QT and I got a great deal (tank, filter, heater, thermomter, air pump, etc.) for $14.99 at a lfs.

Anyways, the filter that came with it is one of those little plastic air-driven filters that you fill with filter floss & (if you want) loose carbon...

anyways, the darn thing won't sink! Try as I might, it always wants to float to the surface. I even tried running it overnight in a bucket, weighed down with a big rock holding it down, thinking it might just be air pockets in the filter floss that hadn't worked their way out, but when I took off the rock this morning, up popped the filter again.

Um...is there some trick that I should know about?

[Meredith]

The box filter I have is corner type. The air hose goes through the top of the container. To keep it down I put gravel over the base of the filter and I had an extra suction cup thing from an old heater. I stuck that to side of the tank and used the side of that to press down on the top of the intake. Its hard to describe so I will take a picture. What type of filter is it that you have?

[loganj]

I never could get those darn things to stay on the bottom either. I would shoot it (several times) and go pick up a small HOB power filter. You'll be much happier and you should be able to get one for less than $20. If you don't want to do that, weighting it down is the only way I ever found to keep them where they're supposed to be. Watch the heater you got with that tank as well. I'm guessing it's a non submersible that hangs on the back of the tank? Those are known for sticking in the "on" position and frying the tank.

[Meredith]

I do like the box filter because my betta was having a hard time with the out flow of the little hob I had. Here is how I keep mine anchored. (ignore the diatoms) That bottom picture is the filter lifted out of the gravel so you could what it looks like.

[Jchillin]

Originally Posted by Meredith

(ignore the diatoms)

Can't ignore those diatoms

My mother-in-law has kept a goldfish tank for the past ten years. She had to weigh hers down as well. You would think that the charcoal would be heavy enough to do this but alas, not.

[TomK2]

Darn, I just bought one for a QT too. NOW I hear about this. Oh well, it was about 3 bucks online, so no biggie. I just ran electricity and put some shelving where the QT will go, was going to set it up tomorrow. I was going to use some ceramic biomedia in the corner filter, In between some floss. Think that would hold it down?

My other thought was to use some airline suction cups on the bottom or side, with a short stretch of airline around the base? I Haven't got it yet, so its hard to visualize.

[RoK]

I had the same problem but then I read the directions on the box mine came with and it said to put some gravel in it to weigh it down, it worked!

[An t-iasg]

I have one of these corner filters and just use it when I need to run carbon, which was this week. I use those colored marbles that are flat on one side. They weigh the filter down nicely, and are easy to separate from the carbon when it's time to throw the carbon away.

[JohnPaul]

thanks for the help all...yes, the filter you all are discussing is exactly the one I have. I'll try the "use gravel to weigh it down" approach until I can buy a cheapy hob filter.

[mattrox]

If you are running a QT. Have it bare bottom. Then it is an easy hospital tank too. If you 'age' some filter floss in another filter and have it 1/4 filled with small gravel it will stay down. Then put in the eged floss with some new floss and the filter will be on its way to being cycled. Gravel makes a good bacteria bed.

[FancyGuppyGuy]

Add marbles

[TomK2]

So I set up the "Lee's economy corner filter" with a layer of floss, some seachem biological substrate, and another layer of floss. It sinks, but is so close to nuetral boyancy that it drifts around a bit. I added about 5 marbles (thanks FancyGuppyGuy), now it stays put.

So how much bubbling should I allow this to have? It is the kind that does not require an airstone (I wanted it the simplest possible). Do I want to set it so that there are gaps between the bubbles that come out" or can I have a near steady stream of bubles. Which Would provide more flow through the filter, gaps or near steady stream? Since the air pulls the water out the exhouast of the corner filter, I was thinking I needed some gaps to ensure that I wasnt just circulating air through the filter?

Edit: I decided to put this question on its own thread
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=45870