Aqua clear 70

[xfactor6699]

So I have a aqua clear 70, 3 stage right now I'm running a sponge then carbon then pellets... Someone was saying do pollyfill as a stage what all can I do with this system

 

[xfactor6699]

Sry polyfiber not pollyfill lol

 

[toddnbecka]

I simply stack sponge blocks in mine, only use carbon to clear tannins from the water when I put new wood in the tanks. You can use polyfiber as a disposable or reusable media to trap really fine particles, but it's a pain to deal with. It clings to the sponge blocks and little clumps seem to turn up in the tank occaisonally.

 

[mfdrookie516]

My aquaclears have a sponge on the bottom, cermic rings on top of that, then a sponge on the top. The carbon is useless unless you're removing meds or some other specific purpose.

 

[Amicus]

Hate to ask but what do the ceramic rings do?

 

[ejaramillo01]

Hate to ask but what do the ceramic rings do?

Provide the surface for the good bacteria to grow. In other words, the ceramics are the biological filter.

 

[toddnbecka]

I never did see the point/advantage to the ceramic media. The same bacteria grows on the sponge blocks, and they collect debris as well.

 

[ejaramillo01]

I never did see the point/advantage to the ceramic media. The same bacteria grows on the sponge blocks, and they collect debris as well.

My understanding is that the ceramic offers extra surface, normally the ceramics are tubes, balls, etc. If you think, these shapes provides a lot surface area where the bacteria colonies can get established.

 

[toddnbecka]

Ya, but not significantly more surface area than a sponge block, and the ceramic is worthless for mechanical filtration. Using 2-3 sponges means I remove 2-3x as much debris when I rinse them in the buckets doing water changes. I do have heavily stocked tanks, most contain cichlids and pleco's, so there's plenty for the filters to collect weekly. In a lightly stocked tank there wouldn't be nearly as much of it.

 

[halfcent]

I agree about the sponges only system. Years ago when I was into aquariums I used two stacked sponges on my AquaClear. At clean up time I would put the top one on the bottom and rinse out the bottom one in a bucket of dirty tank water and put it back on top. Worked like a charm.
Now that I am back into it I am doing the same thing.

 

[xfactor6699]

If I stack it sticks out do I just cut to fit

 

[halfcent]

It should not stick out if you lose the pellets and carbon and use sponges only. You should be able to get 3 sponges in there, but I only use 2. The carbon you only want to use to get rid of medications that you have used, or tannins that are in the water.

 

[xfactor6699]

Ok so no pellets...i thought carbon was also for smell

 

[halfcent]

If you have a healthy tank there will be no smell.