Hamburg mattenfilter

[smicko]

Hi all. I seen people talking about these on another forum I am a member of and after a lot of reading I am going to have a crack at building one for a shrimp tank. It is basically a piece of filter foam about 2-3 cm from a wall or corner with a powerhead or air uplift to pull water through the foam to create a huge surface area that works best on low stocked and fed tanks as the longer you leave it the better it gets. It creates a bioload that forms symbiotic relationships with the other bacteria that feeds each other (maybe one of our resident scientists could explain better). I don't know how to do links from my phone but Google is your friend. If someone could put a link to one of the many sites that reference these that would be great. So off I go to find supplies and I will take a few pics along the way to show everyone later. Wish me luck lol.

Cheer Mick

[Squiggle]

Sure can dude, it's in December 2009, a great DIY on them

http://www.peelaquariumclub.org/hifin.shtml

[smicko]

Hi all. So I decided to go with a divider/filter in one. I tried to use this as a way to use some of the filter related things I have collected over the years. The tank is 51x26x35(LxWxH) and I used an aqua one 350lph powerhead filter, a length of clear tubing and a spray bar off another old filter. The only thing I bought was the filter mat which was $20 for a 38x38x5cm which I could only get in yellow for the fine foam. The first pic is everything ready to go.

I just marked and cut the foam to size, then cut a small hole to poke the tubing through. After that it's as simple as connecting one end of the tubing to the filter and the other to the spray bar. I also put a small hole in the top of the tubing above the water level that acts as a venturi and draws air into the tank. This pic is the dry setup.

I then filled it with 50/50 water from tanks I was using and fresh water. I also transferred the substrate from two smaller tanks which I am shutting down for this one. I then let it run for 24hrs and all levels are perfect for the inhabitants which I added today. One side for yellow cherries and the other for the pair of killifish I got for Xmas. Last pics of it all setup.

Thanks for looking and I hope it is a little bit informative and inspires some diy. I hope that this lives up to expectation and will reduce the filter cleaning to zero, well thats the plan.

The wp at the moment are

no2;0, no3;0, ammonia;0, ph;6.5, gh;40, kh;10

I will keep an eye on parameters and post if anyting drastically changes. The next one will be just using one end of the tank and will be air driven.

Cheers Mick

[fish4fish3]

I see your already growing a java wall.

I like this setup because of the simplicity of the whole system. I only became aware of the matenburg recently and find it a great way to divide a tank. so simple and yet so smart... that's the way I like it.

Great work and thanks for sharing

[smicko]

I am growing a java wall on the inlet size as I figure it adds to filtration, adds hiding spots for shrimp that I feed to the killifish and covers the yellow foam, I so wanted black lol. It's so simple that most people have never thought of it lol, I now basically have 26x27cm sponge filter. It's got to beat a normal sponge or corner filter.

Cheers Mick

[Squiggle]

Looks awesome dude, I think I'm going to split a couple of my tanks, that way I can double my tank space without actually getting more tanks, I think I can get this one past the financial controller on a technicality, lol :)

[Robert]

for those that know tony (2toned) he uses mattenfilters with his shrimp.

[fishmosy]

Is the foam rated for use in water/aquariums? That one reminds me of the stuff in couches. The reason I ask is because such foams are treated with a variety of chemicals such as mould inhibitors, that can/will kill shrimp.

[fishmosy]

I don't regard using sponge as a divider as a true mattenfilter because mattenfilters are require low water flow through it to be effective. Not only that, there needs to be a area behind the sponge where there can be a build up of mulm which also adds to the biofiltration.

Don't get me wrong, the sponge divider will act as a biofilter especially if you pump water from one side to the other. It probably just won't function in the same way, more like a traditional sponge filter.

[fish4fish3]

It does appear to be filtration sponge... And I remember him saying something in the effect of "the finest one he could find hence it being yellow"

please explain? MULM? I remember reading that their was another bio organism that fed off the sponge build up but I didn't hear about mulm? or is there any where we can get more info on a "true hamburger Matten"

Waiting on your DIY thread Fishmosy... I think it would be a great article right up as it appears to be a awesome way to setup a shrimp tank.

[fishmosy]

Mulm is essentially the detritus (brown muck) that results from the breakdown of organic material (e.g. Rotten food, rotting leaves ect).

So for example,in aquarium filters you can get mulm from biofilms. As the biofilm gets thick, the organisms on the bottom get overgrown and die. This makes it difficult for the film to stay attached to the surface, and it falls away. Many of the organisms in the film therefore die because they like the environment the surface provides. Mulm is what is left over once this breaks down and is the majority of the 'dirt' you get out of canister filters or squeeze out of sponge filters. However mulm still is a good environment for bacteria and this is why it is important for mattenburg filters.

As an aside, it is also high in nutrients which is why when new plants are planted in an old aquarium containing gravel only (with lots of mulm) they do really well. Similarly this is another reason why water from aquariums is so good for gardens (aside from the dissolved nutrients).

I'll try and find the articles/threads I read on mattenburg filters to explain better how a mattenfilter works.

[smicko]

Hi all. Yes the sponge is aquarium safe. I agree that this is not a true mattenfilter, more of a sponge filter on roids lol. I am making another one soon which will just be the end of a tank with a 2cm gap behind the mat and it will probably be air powered and more in line with the original concept of mattenfilters. With this one I seen an opportunity to double my tank space and couldn't help myself. The powerhead filter is enough on its on to filter the tank the foam is a good backup much like a sponge filter and has the bonus of letting me grow a java wall. I am currently testing both sides of the mat to be sure there is no variance In water quality.

Cheers Mick

[fishmosy]

Great stuff Mick, just wanted to check as most aquarium sponge is blue or black (although I have seen tan, yellow, red and green).

[Gbang]

genius buddy! keep us updated with pics yeah?

[blackcat]

I dont get it :-( what hose is connected???? If you were using a cannister wpuldnt u know just put the output one side and the intake on the other side?

[Squiggle]

I dont get it :-( what hose is connected???? If you were using a cannister wpuldnt u know just put the output one side and the intake on the other side?

The hose is connected to the internal filter outlet & it directs the water to the other side of the sponge divider, the the water goes back through the divider to the filter. The divider filters the water as it moves from right to left & then the filter pumps it through the hose left to right :encouragement:

Yes, if you were using a canister you would have inlet one side & outlet the other :encouragement:

[blackcat]

Ty for that..One more question. ..where and in what direction is the hose inserted into the sponge?? Do u have pix?? Reas I n im asking is im planning to divide my tanks up using sponges abd I have my intake at the back and the oulets at the front

[Squiggle]

If you look at the second pic, you can see the clear hose that goes from the filter through the sponge, for my one I cut a small slit in the sponge & pushed the hose through, the hose is then connected to the spray bar :encouragement: