Hob optimization

[Will Billy]

So i recently purchased from the co op some sponge pads and filter floss to optimize my aqueon quiet flow 20 filters. I wanted to keep using filter floss to help polish water without the need of activated carbon or purigen. Doing the math, co op filter floss is much cheaper than the aqueon cartridges. In my first attempt i sized up a piece of sponge and filter floss and placed it in the tiny (compared to other brand hobs) space the disposable cartridge would go and i had quit a bit of overflow. Removing the sponge did not reduce the overflow, meaning the filter floss was too much blockage just by itself. For now my latest work around (depicted below) is 2 small pieces of floss before the sponge instead of 1 big piece after the sponge. Would this setup work? Are there any flaws i should be aware of placing the floss in front of the sponge vs behind it?

[Fish Folk]

It looks great. We "jailbreak" all of our HOB. There's usually some problems to solve, but from our point of view, the waste of $ on cartages is worth it. We don't need carbon to pull out chems, so it's basically flow + biological filtration. Floss is optional. We usually jam a pothos stem down in there to grow roots, and get all grimy. I think all of our HOB have pothos sticking out of them now. Just a little added nitrate removal . . .

Edited January 26, 2021 by Fish Folk

[AquaAggie]

No expert but I think you might have the floss clog faster as it would be the first pass filter instead of the second pass so you may have to replace it more often?

[Will Billy]

8 minutes ago, AquaAggie said:

No expert but I think you might have the floss clog faster as it would be the first pass filter instead of the second pass so you may have to replace it more often?

Yeah, i was wondering about that too. Just trying to figure out the most efficient way without causing massive overflow. Albeit 2 small strips is less material off the large piece of floss i purchased vs the 1 big piece. Surely there has to be a more efficient way. Dang aqueon, i like it because there is no priming like an aqua clear and it is incredibly quiet. The filter box is just so dang small. 

[Will Billy]

I think i got it figured out now. What i finally landed on was to use the 1 inch thick sponge pad just like before, but instead of using exact same size polly floss in front that went all the way to the bottom, i cut the floss in half and cut another block of sponge filter for the other half. I then had to trim the new piece of sponge down to about 1/4 inch thickness and stuffed it at the bottom underneath the floss and placed the half sized floss on top, in front of the full sized sponge. So far it has solved my overflow problem, ima give it some time and see how well it performs. If anybody has any thoughts, ideas, or suggestions, im all ears. 

[Will Billy]

Im still having issues with overflow for my hob optimization. I have reduced filter floss to about 1 1/2 inch height behind the sponge filter. Even with such a small piece of filter floss at the top of the outflow it still creates overflow in the hob in about 2-3 days. I even have pre filters on the intake to reduce flow coming in, the 1 inch thick course sponge pad  inside the hob doesn't effect the water flow at all. It is beginning to look like my aqueon quiet flow 20 is just incapable of handling the filter floss. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions, im all ears. Id rather not go back to buying replacement cartridges, but it is beginning to look that way. Either that or run sponge pad only but i dont know how much of a polishing effect that would have. 

Edited February 1, 2021 by Will Billy

[MAC]

I got a tank from Craigslist awhile back that came with a couple of those "ammonia filter pads." I started cutting those and putting them in the outflow slot of my aqueon hob. I like to think it's been working to polish the water a bit. I replace the tiny strip every other water change or so. 

I'm not sure if your filter floss would work set up something like that. I put some in mine to test for myself. 

I also only have the course foam pad and a prefilter as the only other media with the filter. 

[Will Billy]

22 minutes ago, MAC said:

I started cutting those and putting them in the outflow slot of my aqueon hob

Eureka!!! That very well be the solution i need! Thank you MAC! Im headed to the tank now to try out your suggestion. Brilliant!!

[Will Billy]

I think thats exactly what i needed. 1 1/2 inch tall X 3 3/4 inch wide filter floss in the bio slot keeps it below the overflow segment. Even if the floss were to overflow it would still force the water through the sponge without causing overflow in the sponge section. FYI sponge piece is 5 1/4 inch wide by 6 1/2 inch tall for anyone who has the same filter and looking to optimize. Thank you again MAC, just the inspiration i needed. My hero 🥰

Edited February 1, 2021 by Will Billy
Added picture

[MAC]

Nice! Glad that seems to work for ya.

***rides off into sunset***

[Will Billy]

Just a quick update on my hob optimization. Big shout out to MAC for your help. So far the optimization of my aqueon qiuet flow 20 is working great. To begin the aquarium co-op brand sponge pads are perfect. Regardless how much or how little i cram into aqueon’s tiny reservoir the aquarium co-op course sponge pad does a great job of filtration without reducing flow and causing overflow of the bypass slot. Per the above post and thanks to help from MAC, it did take me a bit to figure out the best way to utilize the aquarium co-op brand filter floss. In it’s latest optimization setup, using a quite small piece of filter floss only measuring a surface area of 1 1/2” X 3 3/4” i have discovered quickly that not only am i achieving greater filtration capability, it is also astoundingly cheaper than using cartridges. My water is the clearest its ever been, and in a mere 5 days this small piece of aquarium co-op brand filter floss has removed more debris than my old cartridges could do in a month. Yes it is true i change them out more often than the cartidges, but using such small pieces of floss that is already cheaper than a box of cartridges, you can easily see where the savings is adding up ( not to mention the reusable sponge). Here is a picture of the used filter floss that is unquestionably working better than a cartridge. On a side note it dosent seem to be affecting my tannins either. This is observational only though as i have quite a bit of tannins in my water, and it may be i have yet to notice a difference. 

[Gideyon]

I've been trying to find an alternative to the aqueon cartridges. Your post helps.

I've seen hacks when media is added from the bottom up, but I was doubtful that is the flow of water in the quiet flow.  Rather, it's back to front.

 

I was trying to find a way to incorporate ceramics as well. 

 

I'm a newbie at this. Do you think if I squeezed them into the front of the sponge it would be beneficial?  

 

I only started going down this route because I wanted to add an Indian Almond Leaf to my 10g betta tank, but learned that my carbon filter will filter out the tannins. So I've been looking for a good alternative than buying a new filter. 

Edited March 4, 2021 by Gideyon