Cantbesaved
Fish Fanatic
- Joined
- Aug 19, 2008
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So I have a marineland dolphin filter, and last night my bio-wheel was BARELY spinning, and then it stopped. So I tossed in a new filter media and went to bed. These medias clog up a lot, and they are so thick, that as soon as anything gets on them, the damn things stop flowing enough for the biowheel to work correctly. I believe it is because of the style of filter (the fibre crap), and the fact that it is hella thick. If The wheel ever did stop and all the bacteria died, I can't seem to clean these filters in water, and all my beneficials would die 
. So I wanted to make something easier to clean!!! I am going to try this custom filter I made today. Here is what I did!!
I went to my LFS and looked for sponge filters. I found Fluval ones, and I thought they would suffice.
I got home, and took the media I pulled out last night, and cut off the blue fibre crap, and kept the plastic cage:
I sized up how big to cut the fluval sponge filters shown Hmere:
It seems that with the bit that I cut off, I can use it for the smaller section where the impeller is located, and the overflow. I had to make a few cuts, but I took my time so as to not overcut and have a hole somewhere.
Now, this will not really work, since the sponges won't just stick on magically. So I layed them on top of the filter, how I wanted them to fit, and I sliced gently, half way down the sponge, where the cross members of plastic are located to keep it from being super flimsy (you can see in the pic )
When placed on, The slices line up and hold on the filter. I did this with both sponges, and placed them in their slots.
And finally, I am not sure if this is needed, but I shaved off about a quarter inch of the thickness, so it would get more flow behind it.
This will now allow me to remove the sponges from the plastic cage thing, and rinse and squeeze them out when it is clogged, keeping the good bacteria in case of a failed bio-wheel!
. So I wanted to make something easier to clean!!! I am going to try this custom filter I made today. Here is what I did!!I went to my LFS and looked for sponge filters. I found Fluval ones, and I thought they would suffice.
I got home, and took the media I pulled out last night, and cut off the blue fibre crap, and kept the plastic cage:
I sized up how big to cut the fluval sponge filters shown Hmere:
It seems that with the bit that I cut off, I can use it for the smaller section where the impeller is located, and the overflow. I had to make a few cuts, but I took my time so as to not overcut and have a hole somewhere.
Now, this will not really work, since the sponges won't just stick on magically. So I layed them on top of the filter, how I wanted them to fit, and I sliced gently, half way down the sponge, where the cross members of plastic are located to keep it from being super flimsy (you can see in the pic
)
When placed on, The slices line up and hold on the filter. I did this with both sponges, and placed them in their slots.
And finally, I am not sure if this is needed, but I shaved off about a quarter inch of the thickness, so it would get more flow behind it.
This will now allow me to remove the sponges from the plastic cage thing, and rinse and squeeze them out when it is clogged, keeping the good bacteria in case of a failed bio-wheel!
