Box Filters?

[guppymonkey]

I know that box filters are basically useless for large tanks but whats wrong with having an internal box filter in a small tank like a ten gallon.

 

[StiX]

I think that they'r good only in small tanks upto about 5 gallon as they just dont have the power/capacity to cope with higher fish loads, maybe if u connected 2-3 up in a ten gal, like one in each corner?

 

[smb]

I don't see anything wrong with them at all if used properly. Like Stix mentioned, 5g or so.

They're the best when you have a fry tank.

 

[guppymonkey]

5 gallons? The corner filter I have has about 2 inches of water about the filter! I guess they don't filter that much.

 

[Lateral Line]

>>> They're the best when you have a fry tank.

Unless I have a special reason not to, I always use sponge filters in fry tanks. There are infusoria and rotifers that live on the surface of the sponge which the fry can get at supplementing the feed.

 

[suemack]

hi there

still have the box filters in my 5 gall tanks but took them out of the 2 x 10 gall as they weren't moving enough water through them - tried putting 2 into each of the tanks but that left little room for the fish

Have now replaced them with aquaclear minis which have made a big difference - bot to the water clarity and the amount of room for the fish

 

[Alien Anna]

I use an "adapted" box filter in my 12 gallon and it works just great. The modification I've done to it is to stuff it with dissected bits of Fluval sponge, topped with some filter wool. It was supposed to be a stop-gap after the original filter blew, but its so successful I don't want to mess with success and I've kept it.

The package said that it was suitable for a 10 gallon tank, depending on the power of the air-pump driving it.

 

[mrV]

What is "box filter"?

 

[Inchworm]

Personally, I like box filters. It's just too bad that they are out of style and it's hard to find any except the smallest sizes. I can use nothing else in my frog tank because it has a one piece, close fitting, cover but an air line will fit under it.

A box filter is only as good as the pump that is running it. If you have a tiny motor
and/or are running one or more airstones off it, its efficiency will be impaired.

 

[mrV]

So, it's some kind of box stuffed by cotton wool /wadding and air publes move water through the system?

I had one when I got my first tank.. I hated it, because those ari-pumps were always noisy.

 

[Alien Anna]

So, it's some kind of box stuffed by cotton wool /wadding and air publes move water through the system?

I had one when I got my first tank.. I hated it, because those ari-pumps were always noisy.

Yes, that's what it is - a plastic box with an air-line running into it that you can stuff with filter floss or whatever you like. A good quality air-pump won't be noisy, but then, a good quality air-pump costs as much as an internal canister filter anyway.

The advantage of box filters is that they're good for fry tanks and can be "transplated" with matured filter media from another tank, for instance tank start-up (as per our other discussion).

 

[cichlidmaster]

Well now............

Won't you all be suprised to hear this???

Prior to changing over to sponge filters, all I used in my tank were box filters!!

That's right.....even in my overstocked tanks up to 90 gallons!!!

I would use 4 or 5 of them in a 90 and it kept the water crystal clear as well as the parameters in perfect range!!

It all corners around good tank maintenance!!

Also keep in mind....I use a regenerative blower to operate all my filters. It is 1/3 HP and can handle up to 800 air valves.

I am slowly changing over to all sponge filters.....not because the box filters don't do a good job, simply because the sponge filters harbor more beneficial bacteria and are easier/quicker to clean.

At one point I had over 350 box filters and it took forever to clean them!!

CM

 

[Alien Anna]

CM,
are the sponge filters you use those simply ones I use with a plastic pipe and a large sponge over the top? I like them because they are so neat and easy to clean. I do sometimes wonder if half the aquarium stuff on the market is over-priced, over-engineered and over-the-top. Maybe we're being conned?

 

[guppymonkey]

I probably would use a sponge filter but they don't sell them in any of the stores in my area! I didn't want to use a power filter on the ten gallon because it was too powerful and getting a tiny one would seem kinda of silly for such a small tank.

The air pump that I have is very very quiet. I can't even hear it unless I am right next to the tanks. In fact, the power filter that I have on my 30 gallon tank makes more noise! I will see how well this box filter works. Its a penn plax clear free corner filter. Its not that ugly in my opinion, its just a little odd seeing a blue box in the corner when the rest of the tank is natural looking.

 

[Inchworm]

I do sometimes wonder if half the aquarium stuff on the market is over-priced, over-engineered and over-the-top. Maybe we're being conned?

You're darn right we are, Alien Anna!

I've seriously considered junking all the individual power filters I have and setting up a system using one big pump. Since you told me about the sponge filters, I've asked around and guess what? I've been looking at them in my lfs tanks right along! Except, these are bigger and are kind of industrial looking. They sell them in all sizes from small to great big ones, but it's the same thing that you showed me.

The advantage of one big pump is the flexibility of the system. You can hook up box filters, sponge filters, airstones and there used to be an outside filter that you could use too (but I haven't seen one of these in a long time.) Because each one is connected to a gang valve between it and the pump, you can totally customize the amount of filtration each provides and each airstone can be regulated to provide the amount of surface movement you want. The power filters I have cannot do this.

Another consideration is that with power filters, each tank takes up another electrical outlet. Even using power strips my situation is getting critical.

New and improved is not always best, I've found. Often it is just a way for someone to make a lot of money.

_________
The only thing stopping me from doing this is money. Every time I save up a little I wind up spending it on fish or getting a new tank. But, you know how that is.