Filtration

Filter systems can be purely a matter of personal prefernce. I have for many years favoured the use small box filters in all my smaller breeding tanks. They are generally cheep to buy and easy to maintain. More recently though I have taken to using a wider range of sponge filters to replace the box filters.

Box filter

Box filters work very well in the smaller breeding tanks and easily maintained, they can also be filled with moss peat or other water conditioning agents.

Small sponge

The "Poly filter" has been a favourite of mine for many years and are used in small fry rearing tanks.

Free standing sponge

Most of these are either 10 cm square by 5 cm deep or 10cm cubes and have a weighted base to help them hold position on the bottom of the tank. There are many adaptations to the basic system, which is to draw water at a steady rate through a piece of sponge to remove suspended particles, fish waste. It takes a little time for a new filter to mature and become colonyised by nitrifying bacteria, but once mature are very efficient.

Sponge Mat filters

An addition to my sponge filters I have also started to use a type of filter that has been used by German aquarists for many years. The system was first devise by aquarists in Hamburg and has bee know as the "Hamburg filter" ever since,. The German aquarists themselves refer to it as the "Maten filter" because that is exactly what it is. A medium grade open cell inert sponge of around 40 to 45 mm thick, is cut to fit snugly across the end or back of the tank, this is cut so that it is high enough to be above the water level when the tank is full of water. A hole id cut in the centre of the sponge at water level, this is to accommodate the top of a air driven uplift.

Mat filter in operation

The sponge is fitted into the tank alowing for a 12 mm space behind, this is to create a more even flow of water through the sponge. These filteres are very efficient and are very low maintenance.

Canister filter

For the larger stock tanks I favour outside canister filters, although each tank also has a 10 cm cubed sponge filter as a back up. Canister filters come in all shapes and sizes, with varying flow rates, again these are all a matter of choice . I prefer the Eheim Eco range, of which there are three basic sizes, a two, three and a four pod. One of the reasons I like these filters as well as thier efficiency and reliability, is because they are equipped with a handel, making it easy to hang them near to where they are needed.