What to put in my HoB filter?

thechibi · 07-12-2012, 02:40 AM

I definitely want to keep Humic in so I can start keeping CRS or CBS. I have in there currently: Charcoal, those white things in mesh from AquaClear and a couple of sponges.

I think I'll take the charcoal out for the humic and switch to purigen/keep the charcoal around in case of emergency or after medicating the tank.

But if I need to fit purigen and humic or charcoal and humic is it possible to squish things in?

I have an AquaClear 20 at the moment.

pejerrey · 07-12-2012, 03:07 AM

I have some ceramic rings, a bag of purigen and plants.

I used to keep and breed CRS SS in that tank but I moved them to my main tank because this one gets to hot as it is in a second floor. Just neos now.

Plants remove nitrate ammonia and other unwanted stuff as nutrients using the atmospheric co2 and as they are close to the light they grow quicker.... And look good:

There is more people planting HOBs:
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/sh...d.php?t=170324

thechibi · 07-12-2012, 03:37 AM

Oh how neat.

I'd love to do something like that. Though, is it hard to maintain? I change the sponge every so often and would like to use humic to lower my pH for CRS or tigers.

pejerrey · 07-12-2012, 04:59 AM

Tigers like it above 7, don't they?
I reccomend you to look for shrimp that match your tank parameters rather than trying to force your parameters to the shrimp. The best way to have lower ph is using a buffering substrate like ADA AS or akadama IMO.

It's not difficult to maintain because I only have to clean and rinse the intake fluval sponge. There is no need to be messing with it unless I really need to. I also have a canister tho

However, when I cleaned and placed a purigen bag in it, took me like 15 minutes. That was after like 6months from the original set up time. It's easy because the "cascade" is a detachable part and there is where I placed the moss and the plants are mostly growing in it. More details in the link I gave you.

thechibi · 07-12-2012, 05:15 AM

I thought super tigers wanted it below 7? And yeah... I found some CRS that could take higher 6 range. I sit at about 7.7ish at the moment. Maybe I should give up on CRS for now.

pejerrey · 07-12-2012, 05:32 AM

I would try BTOEs or OEBTs with supreme red neos. Those guys will like that.

About CRS, you can try them of course! Just care to acclimatize them well and you may be surprised.
IMO is better to just let your tank be what it is or start from scratch with the elements that will give you the parameters you want without having to mess with it too much.
Constant, steady and stable. You want to just have to add top off water and some lil food, that is all.
If you are planning to be messing around with the filter every so often then you will be messing with the shrimp.

I believe in at least 2 filters, one canister at least. I don't believe air powered sponges are needed, but intake sponges yes. *

Did you read this?
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/sh...d.php?t=176557

* I use the word believe because I'm not certainly of that as truth.

Disclaimer: I'm still a beginner, a bad @$$ beginner tho! Lol!

thechibi · 07-12-2012, 07:19 AM

I have pumpkins in the tank at the moment.

They seem to be doing very well. And I have sponges over my intake. And yup! I've gone from ~8-9 shrimps to LOTS. O_O And hmm. I've heard mixed results with humic. I'll eye the prices of those BTOEs. I may just keep CRS in my dream shrimp folder for now then.

pejerrey · 07-12-2012, 02:56 PM

You know, I really like my oebts, they are super dark except for one. I got them from Speedie. Maybe try those first as they're supposed to be hardy and easier. Speedie told me that I should wait on BTOEs now that I remember... Lol!

If youre already keeping a thriving colony then you're method is good as it is.

Good luck bro!

thechibi · 07-12-2012, 07:11 PM

The BTOEs would be okay at 7.7? :O Well, then! I just may be okay. I wanted to be sure I could keep neos for at -least- 6 months before I tried CRS or BTOEs or Super Tigers.

pejerrey · 07-12-2012, 07:46 PM

I would ask Speedie, jimko, mordapholus, plamski, etc for BTOEs.

I think you should try keeping OEBTs before BTOEs.

thechibi · 07-12-2012, 09:46 PM

Those're the blue ones correct? I saw a black variant that was kinda cool.

pejerrey · 07-12-2012, 09:48 PM

This is a Speedie's OEBT

In.a.Box · 07-12-2012, 09:49 PM

you put sea monkey in ur hob

thechibi · 07-12-2012, 10:40 PM

Hehehe.

And awesome. I may give the OEBTs a try. I was just going to buy some of h4n's CRS, but if low grade CRS are still too fragile, then that's how the meatball bounces. I just heard lots of good stuff about humic. Maybe before I get more scrimps, I'll get a canister and stuff the humic in there.

07-12-2012, 02:40 AM	#1
thechibi Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (9/100%) Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: San Marcos, Texas Posts: 1,861	What to put in my HoB filter? I definitely want to keep Humic in so I can start keeping CRS or CBS. I have in there currently: Charcoal, those white things in mesh from AquaClear and a couple of sponges. I think I'll take the charcoal out for the humic and switch to purigen/keep the charcoal around in case of emergency or after medicating the tank. But if I need to fit purigen and humic or charcoal and humic is it possible to squish things in? I have an AquaClear 20 at the moment.

07-12-2012, 03:07 AM	#2
pejerrey Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (12/100%) Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Oakland, California Posts: 1,912	I have some ceramic rings, a bag of purigen and plants. I used to keep and breed CRS SS in that tank but I moved them to my main tank because this one gets to hot as it is in a second floor. Just neos now. Plants remove nitrate ammonia and other unwanted stuff as nutrients using the atmospheric co2 and as they are close to the light they grow quicker.... And look good: There is more people planting HOBs: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/sh...d.php?t=170324 __________________ *A heavily planted shrimp tank is possible!*

07-12-2012, 04:59 AM	#4
pejerrey Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (12/100%) Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Oakland, California Posts: 1,912	Tigers like it above 7, don't they? I reccomend you to look for shrimp that match your tank parameters rather than trying to force your parameters to the shrimp. The best way to have lower ph is using a buffering substrate like ADA AS or akadama IMO. It's not difficult to maintain because I only have to clean and rinse the intake fluval sponge. There is no need to be messing with it unless I really need to. I also have a canister tho However, when I cleaned and placed a purigen bag in it, took me like 15 minutes. That was after like 6months from the original set up time. It's easy because the "cascade" is a detachable part and there is where I placed the moss and the plants are mostly growing in it. More details in the link I gave you. __________________ *A heavily planted shrimp tank is possible!*

07-12-2012, 05:32 AM	#6
pejerrey Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (12/100%) Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Oakland, California Posts: 1,912	I would try BTOEs or OEBTs with supreme red neos. Those guys will like that. About CRS, you can try them of course! Just care to acclimatize them well and you may be surprised. IMO is better to just let your tank be what it is or start from scratch with the elements that will give you the parameters you want without having to mess with it too much. Constant, steady and stable. You want to just have to add top off water and some lil food, that is all. If you are planning to be messing around with the filter every so often then you will be messing with the shrimp. I believe in at least 2 filters, one canister at least. I don't believe air powered sponges are needed, but intake sponges yes. * Did you read this? http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/sh...d.php?t=176557 * I use the word believe because I'm not certainly of that as truth. Disclaimer: I'm still a beginner, a bad @$$ beginner tho! Lol! __________________ *A heavily planted shrimp tank is possible!*

07-12-2012, 02:56 PM	#8
pejerrey Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (12/100%) Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Oakland, California Posts: 1,912	You know, I really like my oebts, they are super dark except for one. I got them from Speedie. Maybe try those first as they're supposed to be hardy and easier. Speedie told me that I should wait on BTOEs now that I remember... Lol! If youre already keeping a thriving colony then you're method is good as it is. Good luck bro! __________________ *A heavily planted shrimp tank is possible!*

07-12-2012, 03:37 AM	#3
thechibi Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (9/100%) Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: San Marcos, Texas Posts: 1,861	Oh how neat. I'd love to do something like that. Though, is it hard to maintain? I change the sponge every so often and would like to use humic to lower my pH for CRS or tigers.

07-12-2012, 05:15 AM	#5
thechibi Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (9/100%) Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: San Marcos, Texas Posts: 1,861	I thought super tigers wanted it below 7? And yeah... I found some CRS that could take higher 6 range. I sit at about 7.7ish at the moment. Maybe I should give up on CRS for now.

07-12-2012, 07:19 AM	#7
thechibi Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (9/100%) Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: San Marcos, Texas Posts: 1,861	I have pumpkins in the tank at the moment. They seem to be doing very well. And I have sponges over my intake. And yup! I've gone from ~8-9 shrimps to LOTS. O_O And hmm. I've heard mixed results with humic. I'll eye the prices of those BTOEs. I may just keep CRS in my dream shrimp folder for now then.

07-12-2012, 07:11 PM	#9
thechibi Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (9/100%) Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: San Marcos, Texas Posts: 1,861	The BTOEs would be okay at 7.7? :O Well, then! I just may be okay. I wanted to be sure I could keep neos for at -least- 6 months before I tried CRS or BTOEs or Super Tigers.

07-12-2012, 07:46 PM	#10
pejerrey Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (12/100%) Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Oakland, California Posts: 1,912	I would ask Speedie, jimko, mordapholus, plamski, etc for BTOEs. I think you should try keeping OEBTs before BTOEs. __________________ *A heavily planted shrimp tank is possible!*

07-12-2012, 09:46 PM	#11
thechibi Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (9/100%) Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: San Marcos, Texas Posts: 1,861	Those're the blue ones correct? I saw a black variant that was kinda cool.

07-12-2012, 09:48 PM	#12
pejerrey Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (12/100%) Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Oakland, California Posts: 1,912	This is a Speedie's OEBT __________________ *A heavily planted shrimp tank is possible!*

07-12-2012, 09:49 PM	#13
In.a.Box Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (9/100%) Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: New England Posts: 1,119	you put sea monkey in ur hob

07-12-2012, 10:40 PM	#14
thechibi Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (9/100%) Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: San Marcos, Texas Posts: 1,861	Hehehe. And awesome. I may give the OEBTs a try. I was just going to buy some of h4n's CRS, but if low grade CRS are still too fragile, then that's how the meatball bounces. I just heard lots of good stuff about humic. Maybe before I get more scrimps, I'll get a canister and stuff the humic in there.

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