*What are your favorite filter hacks that everyone should try?* If you missed our top 5 time-saving hacks, check it out: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/lZZoe7SkqLuxias.html

I've had a fish tank for a year, but it's looked like crap the whole time. I bought it for my son who is young and loves to stare at the fish. I think I've learned more in 10 minutes from your videos than I have in the past year googling random things. All I can say is I'm impressed. Subscribed.

Never thought of putting the air stone in the hob .. Some great advice

Thanks for the great tips. One of the things I love about this hobby is that there is always more to learn. I really like how Corey’s tips are simple and effective.

I've been making my own sponge inlet filters. Since I can't get that coarse sponge from you up here yet, I buy the sponge that goes in your eavestrough to keep it from plugging up. It is that same coarseness. I have followed your suggestions for hot rodding filters since your earlier videos. I have never bought another cartridge for any of my filters.

Those Ziss no clog air stones I got from you are hands down the absolute BEST I've ever used! I've never had one break and they really are no clog.

Thank you for the carbon sheet hack for sponge filters! I mostly have nano aquariums, and only use sponge filters for my shrimp, snails, and bettas. Super handy to know!

That B roll of Dean putting his glasses on…😭😭😭

I agree, often less is more. I had a large canister filter, inline UV on a 125g tank. The return water line leaked water while I was at work. I would estimate 20g in the carpet. Years later, I only have acrylic tanks with HOB and/or sponge filters. Lesson learned.

A veteran fish keeper and breeder I've talked to agrees with using less filtration. He said: you'd be suprised how much a properly cycled sponge filter can support.

My grandparents and parents quilted and so I was exposed to quilt batting at a very young age. At some point I noticed it looked an awfully lot like the stuff that the filter cartridges were made from, so the next time I went to replace a cartridge I just ripped the factory floss off of the frame, cut a pice of quilt batting slightly larger than the filter frame, wrapped it around the frame and jammed it in the filter - and what do you know - it worked perfectly! I've been doing it ever since. Quilt batting is cheap, readily available and a large roll of it can last you forever if you only have a few tanks. I still have partial rolls kicking around even though I don't currently have a tank up. I also make a cylinder of it, wrap it around an old under gravel filter lift tube and presto - instant sponge filter.

that was a new tip, about putting an air stone IN the HOTB, thank you for this and I am going to add that to mine today!

I 100% agree with keeping filtration simple. I've switched to mainly using layers of foam sponge pads in my filters over the years, and drastically reduced all the fancy bio-media I ran before. If the primary filter is adequate, adding a simple POWERHEAD instead of a new filter is more cost effective, uses less electricity, plus yields practically the same results. A good trick is to keep the powerhead on a timer so it runs only during the day and gives the fish a rest at night. As it turns on in the morning, it will stir up anything settled on the floor overnight so the main filter can suck it up. No reason to add a second $150 canister filter to a tank when a $30 powerhead will work great, especially if an Aquarium Co-Op sponge is attached to it's intake ! Also, I thought I knew most of the hacks but I've never heard or thought about wrapping a sponge filter with a carbon pad. That's a fantastic idea! Keep up the great content Cory!

Thanks Cory for always being my go to guide to keeping aquariums running smoothly, I also love your products!!

Fantastic video!! Thanks for sharing this. I have a small quarantine tank that has had several meds added. Now that my little Geophagus is healthy and ready to go into his forever home I will wrap the Aquarium Coop sponge filter with a carbon pad to help absorb these meds. I wasn't sure what to do with that tank so this has been very helpful. Thanks again!

Best part of Sunday night before bed is the one on one video with Cory. Love these keep up the great work!

Best tip ever is the intake sponge. I love that trick.

Big one I'm sold on now: grow live plants out of your sump / mattenfilter / power filter. Whether it's just some pothos or a monstera, peace lilies, etc. They do a great job of helping to pull nutrients out of the water column and keep the water cleaner for fish. Aquatic plants help, too, but there's nothing quite like having a plant grow out into the air that will take bad stuff right out of the water.

My hack for a sponge filter is to put a few rings of ceramic media in the filter. It is a small amount that sits under the air stone. It gives a little more surface area with put impeding flow and it was how I seeded the filter from a HOB I had another tank.

Really loved that tip on putting an air stone in the HOB filter!!!

I appreciate that a guy with an aquarium shop recommands using reusable filter media👍

I really like this new style of video. 5 min tips are the best

Talk with old people… *Jimmy inserts B-roll of Dean* 🤣

Heck even for saltwater, i ran a HOB rated for 60 gallons with a tiny skimmer on the back and filled a sump up with seaweed and it ran on a huge 220gal tank. Less is more. Never had any issues. Aerating your sump works amazing too. Limewood airstones in the overflow boxes. Just little hacks go a long way!

I've always liked KISS method for my tank. So when I remodeled my tank. I attached my canister filter to a undergravel filter. Along with some filters on air stones. I have been able to maintain a good balance. Thanks for another informative video.

Another great video! You're the man Cory. You get referenced by so many Aqua youtubers now. Well deserved. Some of the best content my man. Thank you!!

Wish i had found this channel when I first started in the hobby. These videos are so great for beginners

🤔👍🏽 all excellent tips that I learned over my decades of being in this hobby.

I am definitely going to try the air stone on my hob. I recently had to medicate my 10 gallon that only has a sponge filter. I wish I had known about the sheets to wrap over the filter! I just dropped a bag of carbon in the tank and hoped for the best 😂 Great Video!

This is why I like your channel, info for everyone from the beginner to the long timer!

Always great advice Cory, thank you so much👍🏼

airstone, 2:10 ,i never thought of that but it makes perfect sense. i just did this. thanks.

I agree... The best filtration I ever had was a hang on connected to an undergravel... I had thick layer of substrate... Plants loved it too... I learned it 30 years ago from an old school Japanese store owner

This is what I meant when I posted a suggestion about make Ng my own prefilter. I use a coarse sponge sheet cut to size that fits over the entire intake area of my internal filters and secure them by either sewing them to the filter casing or using zip ties to tighten around the outside. Motors run longer without clogging up and small livestock are protected from being sucked in.

You always always give the best tips. Keep up the great work. I agree with all your videos and I have learned a lot from them.God bless you, and and your company!

a great point that reusing material is also good and sustainable for our Environment.

I'll have to try some of these tbh, not hard to do and should be good. The less is more filter one is a good point also in that it is possible to over filter a tank. Get a filter that works for the size tank (maybe a bit bigger). Not only will you save money (don't have to buy as many filters) but your tank will probably thrive just as well, if not better (plus the point you made)

I’ve always thought of putting my airstone into my HOB but was heavy advised against it by my LFS saying it was completely pointless? Regardless I’ve been using it in my HOB so it’s great to hear that piece of advice!

I got one filter canister for my 20g that was suppose to be changed ever 3 months. I liked it but I couldn't find it again so I just... never threw it out lol When i do a water change I gently rinse it. It's been about 3 years and it seems to be doing fine still.

A intake sponge filter was a huge game changer for me!!!

I definitely will try the intake tube sponge trick. Makes perfect sense.

This is why I watch this channel. I love my fish and my tanks. And I look for the simplist ways possible to hack my filters. Some out of thrift and some out of the reality that you can accomplish alot with very little. If you have an understanding of how the eco system works.

I've found success with not using filter media on my smaller tanks. The tanks have become their own ecosystem. No media in the filter just running the water and an air stone. The only tank I have to use media on is my peacock cichlid tank and that's more for water clarity.

I'm a little disappointed and so stoked at the same time. When I caught my first live stream ever last week when Cory was filling us in on what KZfaq is trying new and how we could get a free membership. I honestly only was able to get tuned in during I think it was the last 5 mins. All I remember hearing was I couldn't do it over mobile. At the time the only option I had was to try it on my smart phone as I didn't have time to rewatch the live stream later and hope to catch what I missed and still hope to become a member. As sad as it is to say I couldn't even afford the 5 bucks or whatever. I really don't want to ramble. hell I'll put myself out there. I'm in tears. You guys are such awesome people. So I'm soooo stoked to be a member and so disappointed in myself I didn't check to see if it worked on my mobile device. I've been a member for 7 days. Thanks guys for everything you do for the hobby and thank you more for what you've done for me. I get way more than just fish knowledge from you guys for sure. Like how braces stop you from biting the dry skin from your 👄!!! Lol j/k but literally just heard you say it.

I love the Sponge Filter at the intake, but the problem with that is the Snails sucked up into the HOB. I even used a nylon stocking to prevent the Snails getting sucked up, but they still manage to find there way into the main area of the HOB. I love my Snails, but the small ones find there way into my Tidal filter.

Two of these were new to me! Great video and love the B-roll of "some old guy" 🤣

I loved your intake sponge tip, and jumped right on it a few months ago. Problem is, my intake sponge is so small that it gets clogged quickly. I have to clean it every week and it really looks awful after 3 or 4 days. The flow is still great but it's just so messy to remove and replace. So, I have just removed it and I'm going to let the foam inside my canister do it's thing.

I stuff sponges into the inlet of my filter and add pothos and extra sponge into the hang on back. Water quality has markedly improved. I also make DIY bottle filters (followed a tutorial online many years back, never looked back) 🙏🏾❤️

‘talk to some old people’ … i don’t know why BUT that made me laugh out loud. 😂

Thank you. I’m always so excited to learn from you. You’re my favorite aquarist on KZfaq

I love this idea....I am adding it to my hang on back today!

I have a 40 gallons aquarium and honestly, my filter chamber only consisted of kaldness (micro), some bio blocks, and layers of gravels. The kaldness crushes any detritus, the gravel filter them, then it moves through some bio blocks, and ended on another finer gravel to filter the rest. My weekly maintenance involves siphoning the gravel along with 20% WC and small dosing of photosynthetic bacteria and probiotic. My filter system is pretty much low cost because I honestly don't need to change anything… other than refilling some gravels that might be accidentally sucked away when vacuuming it.

Gotta try that air pump in my top filter

Liking theses short and sweet videos. Excellent work as always.

LOL "Talk to some old people" Shows Dean! HAHA

I use corner matten filters on my aquariums with circulation pumps and have had less problems than I've ever had with my aquariums. I'm about to "clean" the 2" Mat for the first time in a year. it's become covered in various mosses and looks fantastic. less is definitely more. Got 5 canister filters collecting dust in the garage. never again

😂throw back to Dean when u mention talking to old people!!!!! Hahaha Love u Dean 💓

Great tips! I'll try put a airstone inside the HOB nice hack!

As always, great advices. Thanks.

always learning, thank you!

I'm using a sponge filter with a powerhead that runs through a phosphate media reactor (Two Little Fishes) and exits though a spray bar....This set up is on my 20gal. My 55gal also has a Phosphate media reactor (Sandstorm), along with a Tidal 75 hang on back filter with an added filter floss pad. Also....all of my aquariums planted.....which makes life easy. The hack is the phosphate reactors.....Without them the water quality difference is like comparing glass to crystal....Nothing needs to be replaced and maintenance simple.

Great ideas as always. Thank you team A-coop

Very interesting! Got to try that!

Filter hack =bio home ultimate in your filter , fantastic stuff

Awesome thanks, very helpful

Keep up the great work! Love your videos and products.

I used to have hang on back filters plus filter sponges plus pop bottles filled with thick water polishing materials with a air stone inside to move the water. I really thought filter, filter, filter!! Now I have one in tank filter for each tank with filter stones and a sponge inside. This plus good deep substrate to grow lots of good bacteria keeps even my biggest tank sparkling. It's less expensive, less problematic, less noisy, less invasive for the fish.

If I wanted to use filter floss to help polish or have super clear water would I wrap it on the outside of the ACO sponge filter or add it in the inner side that is around the gree column where the air stone is?

Thank you for sharing this video ☺️👍

Very helpful and informative 👍 😊

Hi ther im goinf set up a dirt tank next month Good Videos i watch every one like it dude 👍👍👍👍👍

Have been using an intake sponge for 2 years with great results

Great video as always we never stop learning you guys have inspired millions around the world I’m one of them from the uk 🇬🇧 please please please can we have a video on aquarium dust as there is none on you tube I do water changes keep my aquarium highly maintained big enough filter but I’m struggling with aquarium dust ???

I like the carbon around the sponge idea 👍🏻

Thank you, this is soo helpful, i wish i could saw this vid earlier

Awsome thanks for sharing these tips

Great content, great tips and tricks 👍.

I saw what you did there talk to old people and showed Dean 😂you guy's are awesome

Thanks for the filter hacks 👍

6 ish months ago I got into this hobby, I’m at 6 tanks now and I’ve always been about the less is more, unless it’s plants :p. In that case more is more. Haha. But I use a hang on back filters in my 2 big tanks, the only reason I use them is because i can add activated charcoal to clean the tank of odor. But after using a specific product in a tank I just set up with no filter just and air stone and it removed all that nasty smell. So I’m probably gunna ditch the hang on back filters and stay with my sponge filters that are in each tank except my biggest one. My 20g tank I replace the filter once every 3 months, I don’t have algae growth other than some hair algae on the top of my plants but that’s from leaving my lights on too long. So it’s been dying back and is almost gone. My 37 gallon I’ve had to replace 3 filters in 1 and a half months while it’s established, it loves to create algae and it clogs up everything. So I’ve been working on getting it under control. It had little to no plants and after adding in hornwort and some other plants it’s been helping cut back on the algae. I don’t gravel vac at all either. The only thing I’ll do is get the debris on the floor to kick up in the water column to be sucked up in the filter before I replace them.

I use sponges, biorings and purigens, very good combination! 👌🏻👍🏻

Yea, I was shocked when my filter said to replace 2 parts every 3 months and 1 part every month. Then I saw the prices and understood why they said to replace that often. I purchased some reusable mesh bags and made my own that I can edit if I need to. I've been using the same replacement sponge for over 2 years.

I'm the kind of fish keeper who uses multiple filter methods for each aquarium I have. HOB, canister, and sponge filter. I don't believe you can filter too much, but it may be overkill. maintenance is key though, and I do tend to clean some of the filters more than others. definitely gonna try the air stone in the hob though.

Always loved these simple, easy hacks and tips. Still do. 👍❤👍

HELLO FROM CHICAGO ILLINOIS 💚💙💛

I mainly have 2 canister filters for the reason of having a decent amount of bio media in them and mechanical filtration

Going to try that air stone trick but I think over filtration has benefits like letting you over stock the tank a bit and not have problems. I have a aquaclear 110 on my 55 gal I use tons of filter floss instead of the cheap stock media and I am able to keep about 60-70 + inches of fish and not have the tank too dirty.

How about combining a sponge filter and a HOB? I’m going to try taking some wide tubing (like from an old gravel siphon) and run it to the place where the uplift tube goes, yes it’s essentially a prefilter on a HOB uplift tube, but it’s also connected to the weighted base of the sponge filter, and if the siphon tubing is long/flexible enough, you can put the powered sponge filter further away from the HOB (like in the path of the current as it loops around the corners of tank)

I really wish you guys were on the west coast. I went to my lfs the other day and asked the owner if they do preventive treatments on the fish they get from their breeders before they make them available for sale. I got the deer in the headlights stare, and then he said no. Apparently it’s not too common in the retail side of the industry.

Just cleaned out the filter,It some fish food in it,Turned up the filter,The cloudy water is starting to clear up a bit,See how it goes really,Then I give the filters another good clean out

Absolutely love this video

For all hang on filters, inlet tube should be extended so that it can suck up fish pups from the water. For all hang on filters, inlet and outlet are so close that the pump are pumping filtered water mostly. Manufacture should provide longer extender.

Love sponge filters

Talk to Old People (shows Dean in video) 😆

Just watched this! Greta job as always guys. Was fun filming that mess with you Jimmy 🤣

How often should we be cleaning the sponge on the intake tube?

If you put the airstone in the HOB filter it won't contribute to surface agitation, which I thought was the most important part of having an air stone?

Cory, I also like the idea of putting in air stone in my HOB. Thanks for the tip, Carl my sleeves are wet.

The pre filter was key for me, my cichlids would always spit the gravel they dig right by the intake. I’d always have to clean the gravel out.

Great tips