Biorb's Filter

[Ryefish]

I have a 30L second hand tank. I tried to figure out just how this filter actually filters the water and I couldn't figure it out. I asked my mum, and she had no idea. The way I understand filters in the case of UGF, and please correct me if im wrong, is that the water gets pulled down through the gravel which itself filters out the larger parts, pulled inside the filter, through the sponges which picks up any smaller bits and is a home for the good bacteria, and back up into the tank again.

I have some pictures, just incase you haven't had the pleasure of seeing this wonderful contraption before

So firstly: The bit where the filter goes on, with brand new airstone fitted. You can see the holes where the water comes in

with the filter "box" inside

The stupid "box"

The whole "box" pulled apart: Air pipe, scabby bit of sponge layer, part where the carbon is supposed to be (I never bought a replacement), the box bit that it all attaches to

I don't get it. Is the water supposed to be pulled inside the filter through the holes, pulled UP and into the "box" where the sponge is.. and then... just sit there? (how does it get out???) or does the water just come through the holes and then straight back up into the air tube missing out the sponge and carbon bits?

After looking at all this, does anybody know if I can discard the "box" part and the part where the carbon is supposed to be? If I get new sponge and cut it into a similar shape as the current piece of sponge (may be a bit wider to fill in for the "box" being removed) and put two pieces of sponge in instead of one?

For example:

My mum says that if the box is there, then it must be there for a reason, but I am struggling to agree with her. An input is appreciated

 

[AdAndrews]

The air travels through and up the clear pipe, drawing water through the slits at the bottom.

 

[Ryefish]

but surely the water should be travelling through the sponge too?

 

[AdAndrews]

but surely the water should be travelling through the sponge too?

yes,

hence it being a filter...

what did you think a filter' job was?

The sponge will be a medium for bacteria that will support the life in your tank, look towards the beginners section for information on cycling.

 

[Celestial]

They are good filters to be honest, so I wonder, maybe if you got the power cable from it you could put sever filters from the 60l biorbs for cheap and put them in a normal tank, it also gives off bubbles.

 

[Ryefish]

but surely the water should be travelling through the sponge too?

yes,

hence it being a filter...

what did you think a filter' job was?

The sponge will be a medium for bacteria that will support the life in your tank, look towards the beginners section for information on cycling.

The the point i am trying to make - if the water is supposed to run through the sponge, how does it get inside the little box that the sponge is in inside the filter? (as pictured). The way i see it, is that the water would get sucked inside the vents, under the box that the sponge is in, straight up the centre and out into the air tube at the top, completely missing out the sponge because it is contained in a box.
I am not a complete idiot, i dont think a filter is there just to look pretty (even though the majority don't), i have had many filters in the past but this one completely baffles me. If the sponge wasn't inside this little box, then surely the water would run through it properly/better?

I think i may just throw away this little box and have the sponge on its own in there

 

[Haych]

i dunno HOW it gets in there, but keep the box!

its drawn down through the gravel (media) into the filter and back up out of the volcano/rocks that you should have too

 

[Ryefish]

I have no volcano rocks but thats ok

 

[Haych]

i mean something like these for the centre section:

to show just a few

 

[waterdrop]

I suspect the water is intended to flow through the marbles/large-gravel, then through those slits we can see I think in the top of the outer more clear circular box (were it would flow through the carbon normally?) and then surely there must be some way for it to make its way into the inner box (I suspect at the top somehow?) so that it goes perhaps -down- through the sponge, under the small clear tube that separates the airstone and is then carried up by the friction of the water molecules closest to the rising air bubbles.

Despite all your good pictures its the inner (whitish) box that I can't tell whether has appropriate openings...

The design intent will be for both substrate (large gravel) and the sponge to share both biofiltration and mechanical filtration duties.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Ryefish]

Haych, my friend gave me it with the volcano one. It is not so pretty though, and i think the plastic plants on it are a little too sharp. The volcane fits over the clear air tube thats on top of the filter where the bubbles come up, so it's not completely necessery. I thought you meant those lava rocks (the substrate) or something that its supposed to come with - i was falling asleep when i replied last night lol.


Waterdrop - you've got it! Its the inner white box that has all the questions around it. The space below and around it is about 3mm. It is a solid unit without any vents in the side or bottom of it.
The inner white box that i am thinking of discarding:

I did a quick sketch yesterday of how it all goes together. (sorry if it confuses everything more, and its not a technical drawing lol, nothing is measured)

The shaded part is where the water can go.
I don't think that the spaces around the inner white box are big enough to squeeze sufficient amount of water in there, and for the water to get back out after.

 

[Haych]

i'm 99% sure you need that box

 

[waterdrop]

Excellent sketch! The amount of water a small airstone can draw is small, so the cracks needed to allow the water its drawing from place to place need not be large. Are you sure that the 4 tabs at the top of the inner box cylinder are not lifting the top of that box off a bit? That would look like the perfect spacing to allow water to be pulled in to the inner box and -down- through the sponge and back out the crack where the inner box meets the bubble lift tube.

You might actually be able to watch the action by performing an experiment with food coloring. Get a nice clear glass holding bowl you can look through or such and set up the inner and outer boxes (not the tray I would think), get the bubble lift going and then inject some dark food coloring (hopefully this could be cleaned out of your sponge afterwards!) at the outer edge of the outer box and watch how it proceeds inward.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[AdAndrews]

You definately DO need the box, its part of the filter, it will work, just use it and see!

 

[Ryefish]

I shall leave the box in.

Would it be possible though to remove the carbon tray and replace it with a second layer of sponge? I am not planning on buying a new carbon tray, and i have to replace the current piece of orange sponge i have anyway