Aqua Clear 20

[Ed Pursell]

Just a dumb question, been in this great hobby since early 1980’s and had a few of these Hagen, now Fluval Aqua Clear filters, HOB… I noticed my small 20 the water level was getting extremely high on the “left” side of the filter. I had cleaned the sponge filter and bio rings that came with the new unit a few months ago. For what ever reason, when I set this filter up early last year, I used the 3 stage, bio rings, carbon, and the sponge. I had no reason to use the carbon, but stuck it in the filter. Last time I cleaned.
/rinsed, I used tank water and squeeze the mess out, but forward to a few months later, the water level was getting very high. Tonight I removed the dumb carbon pack, rinsed the foam sponge in tank water and water level is great. My question is will the foam sponge filter an bio rings be fine, or should I throw some filter floss is between the bio rings and sponge now that I removed the useless carbon pack? Flow is good now but with the sponge, is this enough “fine” filtration to keep water crystal clear the way it has been? Add a handful of floss? Yes, No?

 

[Fishmanic]

when I was running my AC50, I would run 2 layers medium course sponge, then a layer of floss and then the bio rings. I would clean the sponge every 3 to 4 weeks in tank water , and replace the layer of floss. The floss would bet pretty gunked up so it was definitely performing finer filtration. You can get a big roll of floss on Amazon for fairly cheap and the roll will quite a long time seeing how small a piece you need for the filter.

 

[Ed Pursell]

So bottom line, to fill the “gap” between the foam on bottom, and bio rings on top, a little floss in middle, or just floss on top of the rings at the top? It was foam bottom, carbon, then rings on the top per Instructions, I eliminated the middle which was the useless carbon pack which in my opinion was the clogged filtration. Removing that seemed to correct flow now. Make sense? What‘s the layers now if I use floss or don’t it really matter? Sound dumb, want to get it right again,, Always had good quality clear water..

 

[Ed Pursell]

Sorry Fish! Missed it! Floss below the rings and foam, got it, thank you!
-Ed-

 

[Fishmanic]

the rings help weigh down the floss so it wont rise up since floss is so light

 

[Slaphppy7]

I have 5 AquaClear filters, and don't use the sponge in any of them

Poly floss from WalMart (quilt or pillow "batting") on the bottom of the media basket, and I fill the rest of the chamber with ceramic media...change out the floss when I do weekly WCs...no more nasty sponges to deal with, and all of my tank's water stays crystal clear

 

[FranciscoB]

I do the opposite- No floss at all, and no disposable stuff (including floss). Sponges all the way, and ceramic rings (in bags) in some filters, not all. All tanks have at least 2 filters. Sponges are squeezed in tank water weekly, and all filters have pre-filters that are also cleaned weekly.