Apisto Filtration

[Tom S]

I'm just wondering what people use for filtration on their apisto tanks.

I currently use a Hydro-Sponge 3 sponge filter with a small powerhead on my 29 gallon tank. I like this setup because it is silent, but it does have it's downsides. The filter is pretty visible. It has a fine sponge on it, which I feel reduces it's efficiency as a mechanical filter. And, with the powerhead the current can be somewhat strong in certain areas.

I have been thinking of replacing the sponge with some poret from swiss tropicals. I may also look at a smaller powerhead. I don't really want to switch to an air pump, personal preference.

So what do other people on this forum use? Apisto's are not messy fish, so I'm guessing not a lot of people use sumps? HOB? Canisters?

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
I use a "maxi-jet 600" pump with a 30cm x 10cm x 10cm ppi10 or ppi 20 sponge block.

I've also used Poret foam blocks and HMF filters, all the details for the filters are here: http://www.swisstropicals.com/Poret%20Filter%20Foam.html

The sponge blocks are cheap from places that sell koi carp accessories.

I use a drilled piece of PVC 21.5 mm waste water piping for the insert, and I cut the blocks into 3 x 10cm x 10cm x 10cm blocks, so I can vary the amount of filtration and have an undisturbed sponge when cleaning the filter. I have 3 lengths of PVC pipe, 10cm, 20cm and 30cm.

I silicon the base of the waste pipe to a clear glazed tile (plain white bathroom tile 10cm x 10cm are best).

The bits you can get may be different, but here are some links to the bits (they are not recommendations for companies):

PVC piping.
<http://www.screwfix.com/prods/18180/Plumbing/Overflow-Waste-System/Pipe-21-5mm-Pack-of-10>

Maxi-jet 600
<http://www.charterhouse-aquatics.co.uk/catalog/maxijet-mp600-powerhead-p-430.html>

Sponge blocks (they are 12" x 4" x 4")
<http://www.ketteringkoi.com/acatalog/Filter_Foam_Blocks.html>

cheers Darrel

 

[Mike Wise]

All of my tanks use air driven sponge filters. Apistos live in relatively slow or non-flowing waters in the wild. Filters pushing 5-10 bubbles/second is sufficiently effective for filtration and don't add too much current. Sponge filters are easy to clean, and quick and easy to sterilize and inoculate with bacteria when needed.

 

[Brilliant]

My apisto tanks are planted with hardscape. Now I use a canister on one tank and an aquaclear on another.

I am moving relatively soon and I am looking forward to a basement. After I go bonkers maintaining separate planted tanks and filters will become nearly impossible so I must have a central filter system(s).

Right now I'm thinking of a three tier system with sump. Two rows of tanks and sump at the bottom. Single sump not for high filtration but easy maintenance and water change on all tanks at once. I will have a separate system/sump for each niche plus my display tanks. Thats the idea I just have to work it all out.

 

[Mike Wise]

... I must have a central filter system(s).

IMHO there is one major problem with centralized filtration. If a disease/parasite infects one tank, every tank on the system is infected. If you do use a central filtration system, it is even more important that you have isolated quarantine tanks and use them religiously.

 

[Bilbo]

I have a sump system running 4 x 70ltr tanks. As the water exits each tank it flows through a DIY wet & dry type filter and then a bucket of peat before it hits the sump. Then the return pump is a canister filter with all the best media I could get.
I still got camellanus through all my tanks after feeding one breeding pair with some pond collected live food.

I still like the single sump idea but maybe a UV inline perhaps?

 

[Mike Wise]

I'm not sure, but aren't there some parasites or their eggs that are resistant to short duration UV radiation?

 

[Brilliant]

IMHO there is one major problem with centralized filtration. If a disease/parasite infects one tank, every tank on the system is infected. If you do use a central filtration system, it is even more important that you have isolated quarantine tanks and use them religiously.

I understand. Thank you for the concern. Isolated quarantine is a must.

 

[Tom S]

I picked up some supplies to day to make a few small sponge filters. I love how cheap and easy they are. I think I may slowly switch my tank over to use two smaller sponges rather than one larger one. This should be less visible, and I'm hoping the circulation will be sufficient but not overpowering. Plus, I've got enough supplies to make more and set up a quarantine and a breeding tank.

 

[Tom S]

Just a personal observation since I switched my sponge filter from running on a powerhead to an air pump - my apistos now explore more of the tank and spend more time out in the open. It seems that since the current is greatly reduce they like to slowly float around and check things out (including me).

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Just a personal observation since I switched my sponge filter from running on a powerhead to an air pump - my apistos now explore more of the tank and spend more time out in the open. It seems that since the current is greatly reduce they like to slowly float around and check things out (including me).

I like air powered sponges, I've used them a lot for fry, Killies etc., Mike Wise uses them extensively and you couldn't have a better recommendation than that, but I don't think this has anything to do with the powerhead. I've massively over-filtered some of the tanks and I'm pretty sure this doesn't have any effect on Apistogramma behaviour. It may be that the flow speed through the sponge is now slower, allowing a larger bacterial community to develop and improving water conditions, this will have a positive effect on Apistogramma behaviour.

If you are worried that your current is too strong, you can always regulate the flow by using a ppi20 or ppi30 sponge, using a bigger sponge (this is what I like, a big ppi10 sponge), using a spray bar etc.

my apistos now explore more of the tank and spend more time out in the open

I like very complex weedy tanks, and within these even running a big external filter with x20 volume per hour turn-over there will be plenty of areas where water flow speed are low. I don't really have any open areas, but the fish will move all over the tanks, including the upper reaches via the the bog-wood tangles and Ceratopteris thickets.

Even rheophilic fish (I've got some of the smaller Loricariid catfish) don't tend to rest right in the full force of the current. During my work (on the biological re-mediation of landfill leachate) I've run a lot of different types of biological filter and one of the major problems with working with "water" with a high BOD is that oxygen often becomes the limiting factor long before the carrying capacity of the biological filter medium is reached. This is one great plus for air powered filters, oxygen is freely available. The most efficient filters in terms of their biological filtration (and producing highly oxygenated water) were the planted over-tank trickle filters, and these would always be my first choice for filtration where noise was not an issue.

I'm not sure if you can access this? but I wrote an article on "oxygenation and the aquarium" summarising some of the science from our leachate work. It was written specifically for L number keepers, but is applicable to all aquariums (maybe not if you keep Killis), it has had a few homes, but it is here at the moment.

<http://plecoplanet.com/?page_id=829>

cheers Darrel