filter foam

[simonbrown403]

hi all sorting breeding setups for my discus, and i want to make my own air powered sponge filters



Is there a special foam, whats it called , where do i get it from (I,M IN THE UK)
i would imajin it would have to be cfc free but i think all foam is cfc free theses days

any ideas anyone

 

[Tolak]

It's called open cell foam, you can get it in upholstery sections of stores. Make sure it has no fire retardants, they're not good for fish.

I would ditch the airstone, mine get better flow without it. The 90 degree bend at the top is not needed, drill a hole in the side of the straight pipe 1/2" down from the top & feed the airline through. This will hold it in place.

Another problem is there is no weight to hold it down, the way it is pictured, the foam block will make it float. Leaving the top pipe straight will allow you to put a small handful of gravel down the 22mm pipe, weighing it down to the bottom.

When I build mine, I put a cap at the bottom & poke it all the way through the foam, letting the cap poke out of the bottom about an inch. This keeps it from sitting flat on the bottom & trapping fry. It also gives the corys & plec a nice hiding place.

HTH!

Tolak

 

[simonbrown403]

It's called open cell foam, you can get it in upholstery sections of stores. Make sure it has no fire retardants, they're not good for fish.

I would ditch the airstone, mine get better flow without it. The 90 degree bend at the top is not needed, drill a hole in the side of the straight pipe 1/2" down from the top & feed the airline through. This will hold it in place.

Another problem is there is no weight to hold it down, the way it is pictured, the foam block will make it float. Leaving the top pipe straight will allow you to put a small handful of gravel down the 22mm pipe, weighing it down to the bottom.

When I build mine, I put a cap at the bottom & poke it all the way through the foam, letting the cap poke out of the bottom about an inch. This keeps it from sitting flat on the bottom & trapping fry. It also gives the corys & plec a nice hiding place.

HTH!

Tolak

Cheers Tolak

The sponge filter has a sucker on the back, like the one that you get on your heaters, you just cut a small slot in the foam and click it onto the 22mm pipe.

the bend just directs the water around the tank, creating better movement, without it the water tends to be static at one side of the aquarium IMO lol

 

[a.d.wood]

Hi Simon,

PM me your details and I will put you in touch with a UK foam company that suppied and cut all the foam for me (blue foam, same grade as the Fluval foam in their externals). I got a good deal as I needed 60 sponges for my own fish house.

Have a look at this forum thread, I've used it with all my tanks (without problems):

http/www.forum.ukdiscus.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=1512

Andrew