Anyone with Matten Filter Tips, Tricks, or Suggestions?

[memorywrangler]

I'm thinking about building matten filters for some 5- and 10-gallon tanks, since I've heard they are nice and quiet

It'd be great to benefit from others' experience building and use them.  So here are some questions:

1. How dense should the sponge be?  Can it be dense enough to keep small fry out of the back side of the filter?
2. Are "Jetlifters" worth it?  I don't really understand what they are aside from fancy lift tubes.
3. How do I make it as quiet as possible?
4. How large should be the tubing be?
5. Is it important to have a good "seal" around the edge?  Any tips for achieving that?
6. Any good (and preferably cheap) sources for sponge? (the coop sponge -- https://www.aquariumcoop.com/products/sponge-pad-coarse?_pos=2&_sid=ff32f4c7a&_ss=r -- has holes that seem to big to me and it's too small). I found this, but i'm not sure it's appropriate -- it looks very stiff: https://www.thepondguy.com/product/matala-filter-media-pads/?sku=110462&p=PPCGSHOP&gclid=Cj0KCQjw8NilBhDOARIsAHzpbLDaKOTh-uQ5yEXQi5o0Zg8pZ4c7vM9V_1q4twH2-TalXsVq9ZiYpWsaAr8AEALw_wcB

Thanks.

 

[murphy lover 101]

why not use a sponge filter or undergravel filter?

[DaveO]

This website should help. www.SwissTropicals.com.  

[memorywrangler]

On 7/18/2023 at 1:48 PM, murphy lover 101 said:

why not use a sponge filter or undergravel filter?

Two main reasons:

1.  I'm curious about them.

2.  Neither a sponge nor an undergravel filter suits my current project.

I'm breeding scarlet badis and I've had poor luck moving the extremely tiny eggs around.   My current plant is to thoroughly clean the bottom of the tank so I can see the eggs (so the undergravel filter is not an option).

I'm currently using a sponge filter, and it's fine, but it makes cleaning the bottom of the tank harder.  My hope with the matten filter is to hide the heater behind the filter so that the spawing/incubating/grow out area will be wide open.

Finally, the fish spawn near and around objects.  I'd like them to use some plastic plants I have for this purpose.  They do use them, but they will also spawn near the heater or the filter which is less convenient in terms of keeping track of the eggs.  So, again, having the filter be a 'wall' that hides the heater would be useful.

[murphy lover 101]

Alright makes sense. I don't know too much about diy, but I do know the flip aquatics matten filters are very good

https://flipaquatics.com/collections/filtration

flip aquatics also sells just the sponge if you wanted to make your own

[Tanked]

I had a DIY Matten for a while in the project tank.   Made from whatever I had handy, it seemed to work quite well.

Other than  providing aeration I don't see the point in jetlifters.  I used a small fountain pump, so the filter was almost totally silent. Good seals around the edges are very important. A bad seal will allow water to bypass the filter. The only downside I saw was when the time comes to clean the filter.  At that time I was playing with a dirted substrate and cleaning the filter muddied things up.  I vaguely remember someone using silicone to attach channels to the sides and bottom of the tank to accommodate the foam. 

Swiss Tropicals sells components, and recommends that the foam be .5-1 inch larger than the inside tank dimensions.  That was the detail I missed.

 

[Tommy Vercetti]

I have been using matten filters in the wife's fish room set up with one 20 long and three 10 gallon tanks. The pore size that works best for us is 30 to 40 ppi. The jetlifters (3d printed) make the lifter tube pump a much larger volume of water with the same amount of air. We use 1/2" pvc pipes for the lifters and it is plenty of circulation (enough to encourge her sterbai corydoras to spawn). The matten filter has a huge surface area and that really helps because no fry get sucked into the sponge. The filter should be 2 inches thick and about 3/4 of an inch wider than the aquarium to provide a nice snug fit. I bought the sponge on Amazon based on size that could be cut to fit her tanks and price:  https://www.amazon.com/ALEGI-Aquarium-Filter-Sponge-30PPI/dp/B08ZRTR4M5

[Odd Duck]

@Fish Folkuses matten filters as full on tank dividers in a couple tanks, I think, so he can raise fry in the water they were hatched in but separate from the parents.

[memorywrangler]

On 7/19/2023 at 8:54 AM, Tommy Vercetti said:

The jetlifters (3d printed) make the lifter tube pump a much larger volume of water with the same amount of air.

Do the 3D printed lifter work better than pvc angle fittings?

Could you share the design files or STL for them?

On 7/19/2023 at 9:20 AM, Odd Duck said:

matten filters as full on tank dividers

That sounds like a great idea!  Even my 5.5 gallon tanks are bigger than I need for my current project, so i could double my tanks. 

Oh, you could also move the divider as the fry grow to give them space while keeping them a little confined to make feeding easier.
 

Any tips @Fish Folk? 

[Tommy Vercetti]

 

On 7/19/2023 at 9:32 AM, memorywrangler said:

Do the 3D printed lifter work better than pvc angle fittings?

Could you share the design files or STL for them?

I am not sure what pvc angle fittings you mean.

 

Yes I can share the  stl file. What size do you need? I will post it on thangs.com 

https://youtu.be/fsaie50OGBw

[memorywrangler]

On 7/19/2023 at 9:36 AM, Tommy Vercetti said:

I am not sure what pvc angle fittings you mean.

Your video cleared it up for me. I had misunderstood with a jet lifter was I thought it was the curved tube at the top of the lift pipe, but now I see it’s how the air gets into the tube.

The size to fit 1/2 inch PVC would be great.

thanks.

[Fish Folk]

This is the matten I use for dividers, etc. I just cut it _slightly_ larger than the space so that it nestles into place...

[Tommy Vercetti]

On 7/19/2023 at 10:36 AM, memorywrangler said:

Your video cleared it up for me. I had misunderstood with a jet lifter was I thought it was the curved tube at the top of the lift pipe, but now I see it’s how the air gets into the tube.

The size to fit 1/2 inch PVC would be great.

thanks.

Here it is: https://than.gs/m/834123

[Andy's Fish Den]

I've used Matten filters in a couple of tanks, and they are great filters, but I would only use them in a fish room, store or breeding type set up. I wouldn't use them in a display tank. The problem with using in a display is that when they become dirty and need cleaned, and you go to pull them out of the tank, it is difficult to keep substrate out of the filter area, and it will dirty up a tank quickly when removing. I've found that it's easiest to clean when you have pulled all or most of the fish out of the tank, take filter out and clean, let the gunk settle to the bottom and then siphon it all out, then put the filter back in and refill the tank. 

[anewbie]

I use a couple and while pulling them out is a bit of a pain it isn't that bad - i thought of putting together a 'guard' - a raised lip at the bottom out of the tank out of some glass but not sure it would be worth the effort. I like @Fish Folksolution but you still need the jet thingy to move water.

 

One thing i don't understand is your comment that a sponge filter is not suitable - if a sponge filter is not suitable than a matten filter won't be useful. For tanks 10 gallon and smaller i just use sponge filters. My 10:

 

my 29 with swiss tropical corner matten:

[memorywrangler]

On 7/20/2023 at 3:52 AM, anewbie said:

- if a sponge filter is not suitable than a matten filter won't be useful.

The fish I'm trying to breed like to spawn on/near the top of the sponge filter, and I'd rather they do it elsewhere.   So the wall-like nature of the batten filter is attractive.

Mostly, though, I'm curious to try them out.

 

[anewbie]

On 7/20/2023 at 1:23 PM, memorywrangler said:

The fish I'm trying to breed like to spawn on/near the top of the sponge filter, and I'd rather they do it elsewhere.   So the wall-like nature of the batten filter is attractive.

Mostly, though, I'm curious to try them out.

 

Yea i know you said that - but you can always get a sponge that is finer if there is a concern about eggs falling into the sponge; having said that you should trust the fish to know what is best and i suspect having a gentle water flow over the eggs is a positive.... I've had fishes lay eggs on my matten filter...