Tank re-do filter setup

[mordalphus]

So I re-did a tank recently because the substrate was old, the filter setup was rigged beyond belief, and I had a few new ideas.

So on this 20 gallon long tank, the new filtration setup is:

1 double sponge filter rated for 40 gallons
UGF with 2 inches of seachem matrix on top, topped with amazonia and africana
UGF is hooked to an eheim 2213 full of bio media and some pads for mechanical filtration
then today I finished it off with a fluidized purigen reactor I made with parts from home depot. Anyways, I thought I'd show a picture of the thing and explain how it works:



This is the reactor, it's a drinking water filter casing with fittings to hook to my 2213 return line. Basically I hooked it up backwards, took out the "filter" part of it, and put in a piece of PVC that goes from the middle (input) down to the bottom of the filter. I then cut a piece of poret in the shape of a ring to put at the top of the filter (just to minimize the amount of purigen that may escape). I then put about 200ml of purigen in the bottom, screwed it all together, and then slowly turned the input on (this is key) and slowly but surely increased the water volume until water was shooting full blast out the spray bar. If you turn the water on all at once, the purigen becomes a giant mess inside the reactor, but if you turn it on slowly, it stays suspended without reaching the top of the filter casing.

I did this because those stupid 100ml purigen bags that they sell are a waste of money. Water just does NOT flow through those tight little bags since they're so jam packed with purigen. Now each piece of purigen is maximizing its potential, utilizing 100% of the surface area of each little piece of purigen.

This should work dandy for keeping down DOC's in the shrimp tank, much better than a baggie of purigen anyways.

[Moe]

I think you'll have some clean water! lol great idea, do you regenerate
your purigen when its exhausted, or buy new?

[doonie]

Did you add it before the tank cycled ? And would a tank even cycle with Purigen added? I would think you would have an issue once the Purigen was used up if the tank wasn't cycled.

I am planning on doing some thing similar but don't know if I should do it before or after I cycle the tank.

[mordalphus]

Added after cycle. I recharge purigen until it starts lookin ragged, which is usually around 4-5 times. Will be easy too, I can recharge in the housing!

[1aqumfish]

Mordalphus why do you use a ugf?

[mordalphus]

I use UGF to remove waste from the substrate, use as a prefilter to prevent babies from being sucked up, and as a gigantic beneficial bacteria growing surface.

[madness]

Originally Posted by mordalphus

I use UGF to remove waste from the substrate, use as a prefilter to prevent babies from being sucked up, and as a gigantic beneficial bacteria growing surface.

Is this a Taiwan Bee shrimp tank (where the extra beneficial bacteria is needed due to super low pH and the overall water parameters are so demanding) or did you go to all of this trouble for a standard CRS/CBS/Tiger tank?

[mordalphus]

All of my tanks are the same, ph of 5 or just below 5. Also making reactors for all of my tanks now since my idea worked so well. I'm thinking still about what to put inside. Right now its leaf litter and tangerine tigers, but I'm thinking of offloading the ttsx but im not sure yet

[madness]

What do you mean by 'off-loading' them? Getting rid of them?

Do you see significantly enhanced breeding of CRS/CBS and the TTs at such a low pH? I wasn't really aware of anyone running pH that low other than Taiwan Bee tanks.

[mordalphus]

Not having any problems with shrimp in low pH, something about aquasoil and my tap water = 5 pH. Even if I dump a cup of baking soda in the tank, its back to 5 the next day.

[DKShrimporium]

Here, Liam (HA - you see how many spare parts I have - spare tube already cut AND spare filter housing. That tube was cut for a different function, in your case I would drill round holes radially at only one level at the bottom):

[1aqumfish]

I haven't heard of anyone using a UGF for a long time on a planted tank. In reverse flow I could see some benefit.

[mordalphus]

It's not a planted tank, its a shrimp tank! All it has is a bit of moss

I dont think id put a purigen reactor on a planted tank either, lol

[mordalphus]

Here's a picture of the special ugf

[1aqumfish]

That makes more sense with the ugf but I know lots of people use Purgen in there planted tanks, and some make reactors. By the way I like your reactor.