Best Ppi for Matten filter

[Leo2o915]

For a breeding pleco tank ? With a jet lift tube ? 

[StevesFishTanks]

I buy full sheets of 2" 30ppi bulk reticulated foam from jehmco.

I cut it for my needs. I have full mattenfilters on my 5 and10 gallons, 20 highs and 20 longs, 29 gallon. On my 40 breeders I have corner matten filters. 

I made my own uplift tubes with 1" thinwall pvc using the smaller ziss plastic airstones. On the 10g or smaller I use 3/4" pvc. On 40b I use 2 of the 1" uplift tubes.

I use the scraps to make full tank dividers and small scraps to "hotrod" my hang on backs.

 

I have a group of super red bristlenose in one of my 40b and their fry in another 40b as a growout. On both of those I use hang on back filters in addition to the mattenfilters. The plecos are messy and are crap machines. Tanks are bare bottom and also have sicce voyager circulation pumps to keep the bottoms swept.

 

The corner matten still offers biological and lets me hide media bags of crushed coral, my heaters, and my auto water change overflow drain.

Edited November 5, 2021 by s1_

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

I have 20 and 30 ppi from Swiss Tropicals. I use it in my hobs, canister and I’ve made prefilters and sponge filters out of it.  Great material to have on hand. 

[Guppysnail]

I have found that 20-30 ppi to be best in all my filters. I also found different companies consider porosity different. I can order 20 ppi from several companies and the actual porosity can vary greatly. As an example  I think Cory said in a video coop coarse is maybe 20-25 (he also referenced companies actual porosity being different)  Compared to the aquaneat 20 matten pads I usually order the holes are huge and seems more like 10. I can tell you coop is too coarse for BN pleco babies. I had two wiggle in a coop prefilter one got out one got very stuck he wiggled in so far and could not retract his fins to get out. I had to cut the filter to get him out. I think the 30 from aquaneat would do well. Their 40 is a finer foam but not as fine as what you find in the foam sponge filters. Hope that helps. 

[tolstoy21]

On 11/4/2021 at 10:35 PM, s1_ said:

I made my own uplift tubes with 1" thinwall pvc using the smaller ziss plastic airstones.

If you're talking about the plastic air stones that come with the Ziss Artemia Blender. I also use these inside uplift tubes for matten or under-gravel filter, as they are nice and slender and the perfect size for 3/4" tubing. 

[HH Morant]

I use 30 ppi foam from Swiss Tropical in my canisters for biological (not mechanical) filtration. It works fine.

40 ppi and above will act as mechanical filtration, and you don't want that.

[StevesFishTanks]

On 11/5/2021 at 7:46 AM, tolstoy21 said:

If you're talking about the plastic air stones that come with the Ziss Artemia Blender. I also use these inside uplift tubes for matten or under-gravel filter, as they are nice and slender and the perfect size for 3/4" tubing. 

Not sure if they came with the brine hatchers or the breeder boxes but yes that is what I use.

I finally found them after some searching. The ones I use are called the ZAD-12. 

 

[tolstoy21]

The #10 is the one that comes with the hatchers. 

[OnlyGenusCaps]

I have 10ppi matten filters on my 20's on my rack, as well as on corner a corner matten in a 75, and then as homemade sponge filters with jetlifts.  I've got 20 and 30 for other purposes, but so far the 10's are nice in my mattens.

[Struggle]

I use 20 & 30 ppi Swiss Tropical HMFs and block filters.

[Leo2o915]

On 11/5/2021 at 5:51 PM, Struggle said:

I use 20 & 30 ppi Swiss Tropical HMFs and block filters.

What you like better the 30 or 20 ? 

[Struggle]

I like the 20 for larger fish / plecos and the 30 for smaller fish and shrimp.

On 12/7/2021 at 9:48 PM, Leo2o915 said:

What you like better the 30 or 20 ? 

 

[AndEEss]

Why not 30 behind 20?

[Zachs Fish Room]

@StevesFishTanks Is the bulk foam from Jehmco Black? I was thinking of using that for matten filters as well but when you look at that picture on the site it looks white. Which would probably looks pretty ugly after awhile I would think. It's about the cheapest I can find it. $70 for 39"x39"x2" from Jehmco. 

[StevesFishTanks]

The sheets I got were black.

[Brandon p]

I what type of plecos are you breeding? Plecos are one thing I have really good luck breeding. I use sponge filters with the lift tube at top removed. In the other tanks  with plecos that reAlly like flow I use power on and old fashion UGF with the lift tube cut down or wave makers to move the water. If you are doing someone easy I would do something simple. I think some times we do to much.