What to put in my HoB filter?

2846 Views 13 Replies 3 Participants Last post by thechibi, Jul 12, 2012

thechibi

Discussion Starter · Jul 12, 2012

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.

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pejerrey

· #2 · Jul 12, 2012

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/showthread.php?t=170324

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thechibi

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jul 12, 2012

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.

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pejerrey

· #4 · Jul 12, 2012

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.

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thechibi

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jul 12, 2012

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.

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pejerrey

· #6 · Jul 12, 2012

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/showthread.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!

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thechibi

Discussion Starter · #7 · Jul 12, 2012

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.

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pejerrey

· #8 · Jul 12, 2012

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!

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thechibi

Discussion Starter · #9 · Jul 12, 2012

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.

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pejerrey

· #10 · Jul 12, 2012

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

I think you should try keeping OEBTs before BTOEs.

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thechibi

Discussion Starter · #11 · Jul 12, 2012

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

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pejerrey

· #12 · Jul 12, 2012

This is a Speedie's OEBT

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In.a.Box

· #13 · Jul 12, 2012

you put sea monkey in ur hob

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thechibi

Discussion Starter · #14 · Jul 12, 2012

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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