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Would appreciate some opinions and help.

My concerns are with the type of grow-out tank I have created and if I am feeding my L numbers (L399/400 and L260) with the proper amount of food.

I currently have 7 L399/400,s two bristlenose, and one L260 all around 1 ½ inches to 2 inches in a 20 gallon long tank. Its filtered by a 200 penguin and a fluval 2+. The fluval is on its side on the bottom of with its output directly along the bottom floor. It's there to create a strong current.

I feed a nightly diet of frozen daphnia, and a veried sinking dry diet of crushed NLS formula, earth worm pellets, shrimp pellets, …

My perceived problem is feeding and the strong current. The filters create a strong current so I turn everything off at night when feeding. The bristlenose immediately start feeding but the L numbers do not come out immediatly, in fact I see very little L number activity even over a period of 1 hour. After 1 hour I turn every thing back on and I am sure a lot of the uneaten food gets filtered or blown away.

I’m thinking of ditching the entire setup and just going with a sponge filter which would eleviate the strong current. With that setup the L numbers would have a larger amount of time to feed and I would not be concerned with having my power filters being off for a long period of time.

Would appreciate your thoughts about the setup and feeding.

Happy hobbying,
Vriesea

I have seen people that turn off the filter when the food goes in, to reduce the circulation and "blow away" food.
--
Mats

Hi vriesea
One way is to use a power head to create a currant in the water and put sponge filter over the up takes of tank then they feed off sponge and you can clean uneaten food in the morning (I use this i my L046 tank)also you can turn power head off if you wish and this does not ruin the chances of the slower fish to feed each night and you can keep your filters on all the time. hope this helps.

Jerry

I do that also, I turn off the powerhead when I feed certain foods.

I did try the sponge filter over the intake tube too. you have to make sure to rinse those sponges tho, like often, cause I thought I would rinse them once a week on water change day, but one day after work I came home and the suction from the canister filter had sucked the sponge in a wierd shape all around the intake tube and there was barely any water coming out of the output area!

I thought I had ruined my whole filter and quickly removed the sponge filter and everything went back to normal. Wierd.

Hi andywoolloo
I stop this from happening by using a spong that does not cover the bottom of the up take but put a flat piece of stone under (tight to it )this gets it away from the bottom of tank.
Here is a pic.

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm57 ... uptake.jpg

Sorry about link having trouble loading .

Thanks Jerry

my intake is high enough off the bottom, but i could cut a hole in the bottom of the sponge?

I use these kind, just slip them up over the end. its already a cylinder with a hole in the middle but it doesnt go all the way thru, i should cut it right?

http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ct ... eplacement

Hi andywoolloo
It looks a very fine sponge in the pic might need to be not so fine the one I have is made by using flat filter sponge
and sew up the side and trim with scissors.

Jerry

I use 2 sponge filters, 1 in air lift mode and the other is equipped with a MaxiJet 160 gph power head on all tanks from 20 Long to 40 gal breeder.
The power head is never turn off. I count on the plecos finding all the foods. The power head sponge filter has tendency to collect the particles too light to settle and the plecos clean this food off the sponge. Rather than fighting the currents, which I consider beneficial, I make it work with the behavior of the fish.
I use a lot of earth worm sticks, I think I am among those who first began promoting their utility. If you are feeding at lights out, the catfish should eat most of them off the bottom then move to the sponges to get the collected scraps of food.