On Dec 31, 7:40*pm, Randy Webb wrote:
Reel McKoi said the following on 12/28/2007 12:12 PM:



"Randy Webb" wrote in message
...

Now, you have to figure out how to attach a filter to it. The solution
I came up with was to take a rock that I had (I saw some similar in
Petco). It has holes in the rock. I put a filter inside that hole.

What are you using for a filter? *A sponge on the end of the intake?

Sorry for the delay in replying. I have been chasing plant tank
equipment the last two days.

The filter I use is actually a filter that is made for a wet/dry filter
in a sal****er tank. It is about as "coarse" as most sponge filters you
see for power heads.

Then,
you sit the power head on top of the filter, so that the intake for
the power head is inside the filter. Any water that goes into the
power head has to go through that filter.

Then, you have to figure out how to secure the power head to the
filter. What I used are the ties that you can buy in Walmart. Cable
ties. They sell them in the Automotive section. They also sell them at
Lowes and Home Depot. They come in packs anywhere from a few to hundreds.

What kind of sponge are you using for a filter? You can just cut a hole
in the sponge and stick the intake in it.

I didn't have a way to mount it in the tank unless I attached it to
something. I simply decided to put my rock to multiple uses. And, the
filter I have actually floats my power head if it is not attached to
anything.

The purpose of the rock was to give it a stable base so that the
filter wouldn't get crushed onto the pumps. Put the pump on the
filter, then Cable Tie it all together. It is that simple. You are
going to have to be innovative or change power heads.

So every week or so you have to clean the sponge filter and replace the
ties?

No. The way they are attached it allows access to the bottom. And, most
of the time, simply turning the pump off allows the plant matter to
simply fall off the bottom to be vacuumed out.

Are you talking about a sponge filter on it's intake screen? *Not all
of these powerhead-like water pumps come with screens you can pull a
sponge over.

I can't even find that type of filter here. I hunted one and had to
come up with a solution of my own. None of it would have happened if
my wife hadn't decided that since she could feed dog food to the fish
at the dock that mine would eat it too and dumped a hand full of dog
food into the tank. I was stubborn enough to want to figure out how to
clear it up without having to change all the water.

If you can't find these "filters" I probably wont either. Is it a
sponge? *I have no idea what you're talking about.

There is a picture of it on the page I linked to at the end of this post.



Right now, my digital camera battery is in the charger being
recharged. I have to do some work on the tank and will try to take
some pictures and post them online so you can see how I made it.

Yes, I would love to see what they look like. *:-)

URL:http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/hikksnotathome/fishtank/index.html

If, for some reason, the pictures don't load, let me know and I can
email them directly to you. The very last picture the power head is not
attached with tie strips because I bought a kit to mount the power head
on the back of the tank with suction cups and found the filters for
power heads. They were simply put on in an X pattern so that they didn't
lock the filter into the rock.

For yours, if it doesn't have an intake tube, and only has an inlet
area, you can use a piece of air conditioner filter for a window unit,
wrap your pump in it, and use rubber bands to hold it on.
--
Randy
Chance Favors The Prepared Mind
comp.lang.javascript FAQ -http://jibbering.com/faq/index.html
Javascript Best Practices -http://www.JavascriptToolbox.com/bestpractices/

I am not knocking youir filter, but to be h onest I sure wuld not
want all that in the tank. IMHO its just as easy to stick a strainer
piece into the powerheads inlet tube and if needed then slip on a
foam / sponge filter sleeve that tyupically comes with a Pondmaster or
Danner Mag 3 or 5 sized piump or use the foam sponge filters that are
made for the Maxi Jet like of pumps.............The "rock" appears to
be a portion of concrete that was evidenlty poured around a 4 x 4 post
or so and it appears to be almost as big around as the bottom of that
bucket............just way too much "material" for a little 4 x 4
area of foam to be exposed and do the work. A typical foam filter
sleeve has approx the same square inches of fitler surface and needs
no "rock"