[ermaclob]

hello, i just finished planting my new 37 gallon tank, and am going to make a DIY CO2 reactor for the tank tomorrow, but unfortunately i was forced to by a HOB Filter because of my budget even tho i new the drawbacks of having one. The guy at the suggested the penguin 200 hob filter, iv known him for a wile now and i know he has many planted tanks.

So know i want to know from you guys if any one has had success with HOB filters and if possible how to mod mine so that i dont loss all of my CO2 to quickly.

thank u

 

[markstanfill88]

Not much of a way to prevent losing your c02. But most people stick it in the filter intake and just deal with what you get. Penguin 200 is a decent filter.

 

[FSM]

Did you get the penguin 200? I had one of those on my 29 gallon, it worked fine, the biowheel sucks though.

You would be better off with an AC50 IMO.

Drape a sheet of filter floss across the waterfall part and there won't be nearly as much surface agitation.

 

[ermaclob]

Drape a sheet of filter floss across the waterfall part and there won't be nearly as much surface agitation.

where do i get the filter floss? and how do i attach it?

 

[redman88]

get it from wal-mart in the crafts section. (i say crafts because its slightly more manly ) and just put it in so that on end is under the main filter media cartridge, and the other is in the tank water.

 

[elihanover]

Keeping the water level up near the return will minimize surface agitation and CO2 loss.

 

[lauraleellbp]

And remove the biowheel.

 

[ermaclob]

And remove the biowheel.

why isnt the biowheel good?

I tried to put a peace of carbon pad in the water fall and hold it up with a suck-shun cup but it falls off ever 5 to 10 minutes. it worked well to stop surface movement , and quiet the filter, but doesn't stay on. need to find a similar solution

 

[lauraleellbp]

The biowheel breaks surface tension and will outgas the CO2.

 

[ermaclob]

The biowheel breaks surface tension and will outgas the CO2.

are there any draw backs to not having the bio-wheel?

it is a lot better from what i see, and quiet enough to sleep with

 

[lauraleellbp]

Biowheels are great for non-CO2 injected tanks; they help aerate/oxygenate water and are also great biomedia for the N-bacteria. But live plants help with both of these functions, too, so you can definitely do fine without the biowheels.

 

[ermaclob]

now that the bio wheel is gone should i still try to lower the surface movement, there is alot less now but theres still some braking

 

[lauraleellbp]

It's a judgment call at this point. You might also try adding some strips of duct tape to the waterfall to help smooth the overflow into the tank.

 

[ermaclob]

i think i will try a little less movement,

one of my plants i think its a Bacopa monnieri from what i can tell from the plant profiles has little tiny tiny bubbles all over it even the stems. what does that mean?

also the bacopa and Cabombas plant have what look like a spider web looking thing hanging to the leaves and stuff. i think its some kind of goo coming from the top of some of the plants i sniped

is that bad?

 

[lauraleellbp]

Tiny bubbles are usually pearling (producing oxygen) which is a good thing.

Spider web things? Algae?

 

[ermaclob]

Tiny bubbles are usually pearling (producing oxygen) which is a good thing.

Spider web things? Algae?

algae?..... i dont think so on the second day after planting, the webs are like floating up 5 inches of the plants and are white. i also washed the plants of very carfully yesterday before planting. it looks like a secretion from a plant

BTW now that the bio wheel is gone my little peace of filter/ suck- shun cup invention has reduced the splashing to nothing more then a few ripples in the water

very happy