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Need a riparium compatible filter

2K views 2 replies 2 participants last post by  jpappy789 
#1 · (Edited)
I'm trying to convert my 40B into a riparium. It'll be ~50% full and have some emergent plants in suction-cup planters.

But I'm having a hard time figuring out which filter I could use. I just dropped $50 on a SunSun canister filter, but apparently all of the intake connections need to be below the water line for it to work...that is certainly not feasible. Now, no matter how hard I try to prime it, I cannot get the tubing to fill up completely with water because it's mostly just sucking air! I feel like an idiot...

Any suggestions? I'm having a hard time finding anything online. It doesn't need to be fancy, just something that can handle a fairly low bioload and provide some circulation/aeration.

Edit: a sponge/box filter would be cheap and easy, but I'd prefer something more elegant that doesn't take up needed floor space.
 
#2 ·
I know all about sunsun canister woes!
What i do after huge water changes that drain below intake of canister filter:
Fill canister filter with dechlroinated water before you seal it.
attach hoses but keep 'locked' so water from hose doesn't go into canister
use a funnel and cup in water from tank to fill hose
dip the plastic 'u' into the tank and put air out-attach hose to it lower part of intake pipes
let water from hose go into canister (unlock that lever)
make sure hands are dry and used primer button (did it with wet hands once and slid right off-nearly broken a finger)
plug in and go

I personally hate cnaisters-too much work but I have 2 sunsuns and 2 eheim 2211 (small eheim's are easier to prime-fill canister and suck on output hose to pull water through to prime it). I'm a fan of submersible pumps with intake attachments like you see on hob-can slap a sponge filter under it as filter.


edit: nvm below, you don't want this sort of thing
You could also look at making a sort of foam faux wall in the tank to hide pump and heater behind by back of tank wall and plant moss or emerant aquatic plats like stems on the foam so ti comes up just to the surface but isn't really visible.. if that makes sense?
Kinda makes me miss my ripariums.. want to convert one of my tanks back into one now >.>
 
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