# best filter for shrimp tank?



## zoon (27 Jul 2010)

My little internal in my arcadia arc keeps dying, so going to need a new one.  I want to spend as little as possible and need something that is suitable for shrimp.  any ideas?  What filters do you all use for your shrimp tanks?


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## PM (27 Jul 2010)

Use the search.


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## mr. luke (28 Jul 2010)

PM said:
			
		

> Use the search.


Troll?

If you want to breed shrimps, then id go for an air powered sponge filter.
If not, then anything will do as long as you cover the inlet with something fine eenough to stop the hrimps ending up inside it.


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## mlgt (28 Jul 2010)

Sponge is the way to go. Or you can have an internal filter, just cover in the inlet holes with some tights.

I have 2 shrimp tanks, 1 with internal and the other with hob filter. Both now and then will have some minute shrimps get caught inside it and can last several months.


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## zoon (28 Jul 2010)

Well last night the filter finally died and I woke up this morning to dead shrimps 

All the CRS are dead (high grade as well), but some RCS have survived including a few berried ones.

Think it must have been lack of oxygen - the otos were darting up to water surface.  Water tests all ok so can't think what else it could be.

Was very tempted by a HOB filter, would shrimplets get sucked up if I put some tights over?


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## mlgt (28 Jul 2010)

If the filter has died then add an air stone in there.
To be honest ( I know I will get some bemused looks ) Shrimps dont really need a filter. 

I have a few CRS in some ikea vases in with my mosses (as a test) with some floating plants and it is fine. They have survived in the heat for over 3 weeks now.

However if the CRS have died it could have been a tempreture problem? Or maybe the filter pad was mucky? etc water parameters.


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## Nelson (28 Jul 2010)

or a HOB.


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## dw1305 (28 Jul 2010)

Hi all,
It is not a very aesthetically pleasing option, but even for a nano I use a maxijet 400 powerhead with a really big ppi 10 sponge. For the little tanks I use the 12" x 4" x 4" black sponge blocks from Kettering Koi, siliconed to a plain white glazed 4" tile. I cut the sponge block so the surface of the sponge is just below the water level, and then I plant the top of it with moss or any small carpeting plant, it sits in a corner and pretty soon a good level of biofilm, moss etc grows on the sides of it as well. It is really acting as a "Hamburg Matten Filter", and  I only squeeze them out every 6 months or so when theflow rate has fallen dramatically. Shrimps (and fry) love them as a feeding surface and they offer a huge amount of biological filtration.

cheers Darrel


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## zoon (28 Jul 2010)

Darrel - don't quite get how I'd go about making your filter.  What is the purpose of the tile and how would powerhead attach to draw water through sponge?


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## dw1305 (29 Jul 2010)

Hi all,
This is the filter and attachment, I used the strainer attachment that came with the powerhead, because the sponge for this one was one of these with a smaller central hole (like this one from TA Aquaculture (on right)). 




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>. 

TA aquaculture sell all sorts of sponges with different diameter central holes <http://www.ta-aquaculture.co.uk/Filter_sponges.htm> & <http://www.ta-aquaculture.co.uk/Filtration-Air.htm>.

If you buy the Kettering Koi ones <http://www.ketteringkoi.com/acatalog/Filter_Foam_Blocks.html> they have a wider central hole, so I use a drilled bit of white waste water pipe, although there is an scaffold you can buy <
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	




>, and there are lots of attachments you can get for the maxi-jets. 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	




 I use "32mm push fit waste pipe in PVC-U", the white piping from B&Q etc. as it is very cheap to buy and easy to drill.

The tile just sits on the bottom of the pipe and seals the bottom of the sponge, it also ensure the filter sits nice and square in the corner. 

cheers Darrel


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## zoon (29 Jul 2010)

Thats a brilliant idea, think I may have to do that,  Possibly on a smaller scale for my tiny tank though.  Thanks Darrel


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## dw1305 (30 Jul 2010)

Hi all,
That is the lovely flexible thing about making your own, you can make them any dimensions, colours or grades of foam you like.

These are some smaller DIY sponges (details from the Eheim intake thread http://www.ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=12283).





Smaller sponges are fine, you just need to clean them a bit more regularly.

cheers Darrel


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## zvirus (7 Aug 2010)

Hi,

Cheapest solution: http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q= ... 72&bih=576

And very efficient!

Hamburg Mattenfilter


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