Fry Filter, what should i use?

[Echo]

Im setting up a new fishroom in a few weeks (when ive finished moving house). Im wondering what kind of filter should i have in tanks with small fry, and also breeding tanks, such as Elec Yellow, Convicts, B.N's etc so the fry wont all get sucked up. Would this be suitable-

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Filter-Corner-Box-Style-Large-KIS-Aquarium-Fish-Tank_W0QQitemZ140024117657QQihZ004QQcategoryZ46310QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

(1 in each tank)? Ive got a 1900L p/h 4 way outlet air pump with T pieces loads of tubing and air pump access, so i can get a filter and small airstone to each tank. They are 2ft tanks about 55L each. Im not wanting to spend alot of money on filters as ive spend enough on the set up. Any suggestions at all with this or what you use much appreciated. Thanks!

[Savage_roo]

I use a 33lh power head with a spong filter on the bottam
That way the fish carn't get traped in it
Thise plastic one the fry can still get into them

Andrew

[Dead Fish Floating]

I thing the round weighted ones are the ducks macka's
you get maximum chunk of foam = very large surface area for bacteria to grow.
A nice big one should only cost about $10 and with gentle cleaning they last over a year.
Check out the ones used in discus breeding tanks
something like this

they are not pretty
but they are easy, cheap and proven.
No moving parts
and they stay where ya put them.
ALso you only buy the filter foam ONCE
by gently squeezing it out in a bucket of water drawn from the aquarium
you can clear it of built up mulm and reinvigorate the bacteria colonys.
The trick is to ballance water flow thru the sponge with the life supporting bacteria living on it.
The bucket of dirty aquarium water and filter squeezings makes very good liquid fertiliser for plants.
Aquaponics is big busyness heh
Charcoal and carbon are not really needed with a good water change routine in my experience.

[cichlid fry]

I agree, those black bio-chemical sponge filters are the way to go for fry. $8 from Age of Aquariums. I have two large ones running in each of my 3 4fts with baby royal and red whiptail catfish in. As the sponge is quite fine, at feeding time the food sticks to the outside and the fish graze on it.

However, as the catfish need a lot of feeding and good water movement and filtration, I also run an Aquaclear 500 on each of them with timers that are set to turn on a few hours after each feeding to clean the tank during the night. Just need to get one of those large kitchenware plastic strainers, cut the handle off, cut a round piece of perspex to fit inside the rim of the sieve, cut a hole in the middle of the perspex to house a 20mm PVC pipe and add a 20mm PVC elbow to the pipe and this fits neatly on the intake of the powerfilter. This system works really well, can keep a lot of babies in one tank and the water clean without sucking them into the filters.
Cheers

[Dead Fish Floating]

If ya can't be bothered DIY the filter cage you can buy them at many lfs now.
Usually find in with pond stuff as used to stop leaves clogging pumps.
Raised a few fry inside cannister filters by mistake now.
Not a bad survival rate in the old otto 450G's either.....
all things considered.
the sight does kinda upset the odd person though.
Prefilters are the way to go.
DOuble agree on fry grazing on the black bio-filter sponges.
SOme of my tanks get natural sunlight and the sponge is all covered in algae and stuff.
fry love it.

[Hypancistrus Zebra]

The round sponge filters are definately the best option as they are cheap, use no electricity cannot suck up fry and keep the tank spotless so long as you clean them out once in a while. I highly recommend them.

Wilson.