# Mattenfilters



## Vexlore (Sep 1, 2009)

I am currently stationed in Germany and got into the Cichlids since I have been here. My good friend here is German and runs his private Cichlid store right next door to me. Amazing to walk next door and have hundreds of cichlids right there. I was taught about the mattenfilter and how to build many types with it from Sven. We have tried many ways, and found a lot that work. I will explan each one I personally use, like, and have experience with.

*Sponge Wall*

*Needed to make:* Marine Sponge, Air Pump, Air Hose, 1 1" PVC 8 inches straight, 1 1" PVC corner (rounded corner not L shaped, rounded helps keep a higher rate of flow), Air Stone (One small enough to fit into the 1" PVC), Drill, Bit that matches the thickness of your air hose, box cutter (or anything sharp enough to give a good cut on the sponge), Ruler, hack saw, and a black marker.

*Cutting the Sponge:* Use a peice of paper and place it on the end of your tank and cut the paper to match. The thickness of your glass will be the extra used to hold the sponge in place in the tank. You may have to tape a peice of paper or two together. Tape your paper to the sponge while on a flat, firm surface. Using the ruler press firmly down on the sponge to flatten it and cut with the razor straight up and down. May take two or three passes, as long as your sponge is held firmly in place by the ruler and the blade angle is the same the cut will be straight. Now that your wall is cut figure out where you want to place your output for your filter, I personally do the back so the pipe isn't easily seen from the front. Holding the filter with what will be the top up, use your ring finger and thumb and middle finger and pointer about an inch apart and about two inches down. Using the razor blade, VERY carefully, cut one inch down and one inch apart. Lay the sponge back down and cut again withthe ruler to cut the block out. Now lay the filter face down and from the block cut out you will cut at a 45 degree angle starting from the bottom lip of your cut out block going back to give the corner of your pvc an angle to rest in. Saw with your razor while gently pushing down then across to cut it out.

*Making your Air Pipe:* Put your pipe and your corner together, at not point will you ever use any cement for this, EVER! Place it on the outside of your tank with the front of your tank surface flush with your stand or table. Place your sponge wall in the filter in the center going front to back, how it will when it is done. Place your pvc on the outside how it will sit on the sponge wall and mark the pipe 2 to 3 inches up from the bottom. Cut the pvc tube right above your mark so none of the marker will be in the water. On your corner, about half way up the bend on the top side as it will sit in the tank drill a hole for your air hose. Stick your air hose into the hole and feed it through heading in the direction of your pipe. With both pvc connect and the airhose through until it is showing attach your air stone. Pull the air hose out at the corner pulling your air stone back in until it recessed about an inch.

*Putting it all together:* Put your sponge wall about and inch from the end of your tank evenly across from front to back. Slide your air pipe down and into the grove you cut out for it until it is firmly held in place and the top of the pipe is even with the sponge. Cut your air hose to the desired length and attach to the air pump. Fill with water until the water is about a quarter inch to half an inch below the top of the sponge wall. Turn on your air pump and depending on its strength pull up the air hose until you have a good flow. Some can pump from the bottom some can not, depending on how many splits or strength. If you have a very strong air pump a regulator type valve can be used to control.

*Extras:* If you have fry for this tank I personally use a non metal screen bought from the hardware stoe and cut into a two inch square and held in place over the end of the air pipe with a rubber band to stop the fry from swimming behind the filter. Larger or smaller thickness pipes can be used for differnt size tanks depending on how much flow you want, or even multiple pipes.

*Bowed Corner Filter*

*Needed to Make:* Same as Sponge Wall plus silicone, and something that can hold a sponge while attached to glass. I personally use the plastic wall strips used to hold wires along the wall that encase them in plastic with a detachable front.

*Cutting the Sponge:* Use the same way as sponge wall but fold the peice of paper in half in reference to the tank from front to back. So is the same height, just half the distance from front to back. In the middle of the top of the sponge make your groove for the filter same as explain in the sponge wall.

*Making your Air Pipe:* Reference same in Sponge Wall above.

*Putting in the Sponge Holders:* Place your tank front face flush with the end of your stand or table and place your plastic wire strip up and mark a half inch down from the top. Cut just past the mark as to not have it in the water and use this peice to measure and cut your second. Use your sponge and find the angle your want in your corner and mark the very top of your glass to show where you want your sponge ends to sit. Put a strip of silicone on the back of of the plastic strip and vertically right under each mark firmly press your strip against the glass to fully secure your strip to the glass. Let dry 24 hours.

*Putting it all together:* Squeeze each side of your filter into each holder, place your air pipe in the same as explained in the Sponge Wall above!

I will edit in the Built in Glass/Plexiglass one tomarrow. 6:30am for me now and have to go.


----------



## scrubjay (Oct 25, 2009)

Thanks for posting these instructions! I love all the DIY information on this forum.

Now I want to know...living next door to the cichlid shop, what are your favorite cichlids to keep, and what are ones you want to have most?


----------



## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Excellent write up and very timely. I just got my Poret foam yesterday and I'm looking at using the corner filter design as this will be for show tanks and not breeder setups. I'm not really crazy about using the plastic wire raceway design as it will be fairly obvious.

Does anyone have any pics or detailed suggestions for how they incorporated holders for Poret in a corner application? I will also be using a sand substrate so will need to have a lower barrier strip to keep the sand from being drawn into the media. I'm really itching to get these installed soon.


----------



## Vexlore (Sep 1, 2009)

I hid my plastic strip by making a cut about a quarter inch into the sponge on each front facing side. The back side is then used to fit into the plastic wire strip. Having the extra quarter inch hide the plastic. I have both of these plus the last one I will write up later. I will take pictures and post them.

As to the sand I have no barrier as the sand fills in the holes along the bottom and makes the sand seem to meld into the sponge. Not sure if you are looking for the clear cut barrier look. If so and if you are handy you can use something with the same roundness as your intended filter as a form. Cut a plexiglass strip as high as your sand will be and heat it with a hand torch and press it over your "mold" and then silicone that in?

Scrubjay: For me, favorites are Fire Fish, Malwai Blue Dolphins, and Johanni. I would love to have Frontosa Blue Zaire. I had 3 Burundi but they got to be about 12 inches (male topped 14) and I only had a 75 and felt very bad for them. They broke a thermometer and a heater when a female was ready to spawn and the male got aggressive. I had to trade them for their own sake for an Aulonocara Mamela breeding group. He had a 200 ready for them. I lost big on the trade but fishes health over my pocket of course. One day I will build a 250 and get some again. Will wait till I am stateside though.


----------



## BirdFish (Apr 27, 2009)

This is great. But I am a visual learner I guess.... Got any pics?


----------



## scrubjay (Oct 25, 2009)

yeah, pictures would help for sure--even sketches/diagrams.


----------



## Vexlore (Sep 1, 2009)

Give me a day or two and I'll draw up sketches and post pictures to go with each type for you guys. I just got done building a stand for 6 fish tanks and getting them set up for cycling. I'll work on it after that.


----------



## BirdFish (Apr 27, 2009)

Sounds good. Thanks!


----------



## Vexlore (Sep 1, 2009)

Here are quick sketches of the types and air pipe. I will explain both types of Corner later. The second I forgot about until I started making my filters and remembered it. I will take pics for saying I am making them now. Plus I have a few other tanks n storage with the other types I'll take pics of.


----------



## Amazilia (Sep 5, 2009)

Great thread! Love the info! :fish: :thumb: :fish:


----------



## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

Here is a link to some photos of the above designs.
http://www.swisstropicals.com/Poret%20F ... 0Foam.html


----------



## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

The 4" thick slab should be flat on the bottom, but under water beneath the water flow. Here is a link to an animation, but the denitrator slab is out of the picture below the action.
http://www.foryourfish.com/FilWD_BioRockerAnim.gif

There used to be a lot more pics of these online, but they aren't made commercially anymore. Now they're a DIY project. If you can't get the ceramic open pore sponge, you can make the wet/dry and the denitrator block out of the medium or fine Poret foam.


----------



## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

:fish: opcorn:


----------



## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Vexlore, thanks for the drawings of the optional ways to install the Poret. I see that you use 1"PVC pipe as your airlift. Is there a particular reason you chose that size?

Mcdaphnia, I have seen the photos on the Swisstropicals site but I was hoping to see what other people may have done to incorporate this type of filtration in their show tanks. I do like the design of the bio-rocker for a wet/dry design.

Stephan's design suggests using a 3/8" CPVC pipe as the air lift. What actually determines what size PVC is used? Personal preference? Tank size? Air pump cfm?

We just finished making a V-shaped frame with side 'lips' to hold a piece of Poret in the corner of a tank. I will post a pic as soon as the camera charges up. It works but I'm not really satisfied with it because it isn't secured to the tank. The hard part was figuring out the dimensions I needed for sufficient filtration without looking too bulky in the tank. I also used 1" PVC as the air lift but it looks way too bulky.

I decided to have my local glass company cut some glass strips that I will silicone vertically to the tank walls instead. The strips will be 1" wide and 14" tall to fit my tank height. I will post some photos when I get the glass strips and show how I install them.


----------



## Vexlore (Sep 1, 2009)

Deeda, sorry I have not been able to post. I am disabled due to a very bad stomach and it hasn't been a good day for me. I ended up having to take a pain pill and it is not wise for me to attempt to write, draw, or really do anything that involves thinking on them. lol I will continue to work on this when I can. I plan on taking pics of all the ways I have done it and continuing my explinations.

I choose 1" because it allows more flow of water which gives better filtration. You can use different sizes depending on the tank size or strength of your air pump. Smaller pipes will create a stronger flow while wider will create a slower. The other reason I choose to use 1" is the air stones themselves. It is hard to find one taht is small enough to use that also keeps enough of a gap around the airstone to keep a good flow going. If there is not sufficient flow around the airstone algae will grow on the stone and clog it in a matter of a few weeks.

The 1" can seem bulky and in one of my fry tank (3 gallon) I thought the same. After reading on here that Krylon is safe in tanks I painted the rounded corner pvc on one to match the same blue as the sponge and it blends in perfectly. Just be sure to sand the pvc a little with some fine grit sandpaper to ensure a rough area for a good bond. I don't know 100% if you have to but I didn't want to take any chances.

I plan on talking to some of the German breeders here to see if there are other ways to do this and some tips they have learned from using them over the years. I will post these as I get them.


----------



## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

Great link here, in English.

http://www.janrigter.nl/mattenfilter/

And you can find links on it to other sites in German.


----------



## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Vexlore, I am sorry you haven't been feeling well & hope you feel better soon. Good health is much more important than having to worry about posting on the forum.

Thank you for the explanation on why you chose 1" pipe for your uplift tube. I did notice more flow that was much quieter using the 1" PVC then when I tried it with 3/4" PVC. I am not using an airstone with my design.

Mcdaphnia, I have been on that website but was hungering for more information from the original site. I ended up using translate.google.com and getting this http://translate.google.com/translate?p ... ry_state0=. Hours of reading fun and very informative.


----------



## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

I read about using the 3/8 inch pipe and thought there was a problem. Is it just me or does that read like a typo? I personally have not seen CPVC that small. Can't really see sticking an airstone into 3/8 inch. My thought is that they meant 3/4, not 3/8. opcorn:


----------



## oscars4me (Feb 22, 2009)

This is one of the best posts I have seen in a long time. =D> Some really excellent well thought out information. I was wondering if anyone has a source for the foam other than Swiss Tropicals? If it's already in the thread and I missed it I apologize.

opcorn:


----------



## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

oscars4me said:


> This is one of the best posts I have seen in a long time. =D> Some really excellent well thought out information. I was wondering if anyone has a source for the foam other than Swiss Tropicals? If it's already in the thread and I missed it I apologize.
> 
> opcorn:


Other than Germany, I think Swiss Tropicals is it in North America. Discus Hans, http://www.discus-hans-usa.com/

used to have it on his website but don't see it there anymore.

There are claims that Japanese Filter Mat is the best media. http://www.champkoi.com/ps/Japanese-Fil ... OI0KOI683/
The Poret foam lasts for years wearing out mostly due to wear during the infrequent cleaning process, but because the JFM is rigid and holds up to cleaning, it may last virtually forever. It makes a a Mattenfilter just as easily as the foam, and although it won't bend for some of the foam designs, it can do all the rest. You may like the color better since it blends colors.


----------



## Picklefish (Jan 28, 2004)

What about matala media ? Lots of pondkeeprs use it ? Just a thought.


----------



## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

Picklefish said:


> What about matala media ? Lots of pondkeeprs use it ? Just a thought.


This is within driving distance for me so I'm going to take a look at it. Seems similar to Matala but thin. Might have to use two layers of it, maybe different grades.

http://www.tricker.com/cat-filtermaterial

I have a couple 125's and a 150 it might work in. Also thinking of using a Hydor to power it. I'd glue a PVC pipe connector to the end that would go through the mat.

http://www.fishtanksdirect.com/hydor_koralia_4.aspx

These things produce amazing flow for the watts.


----------



## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

Picklefish said:


> What about matala media ? Lots of pondkeeprs use it ? Just a thought.


This is within driving distance for me so I'm going to take a look at it. Seems similar to Matala but thin. Might have to use two layers of it, maybe different grades.

http://www.tricker.com/cat-filtermaterial

I have a couple 125's and a 150 it might work in. Also thinking of using a Hydor to power it. I'd glue a PVC pipe connector to the end that would go through the mat.

http://www.fishtanksdirect.com/hydor_koralia_4.aspx

These things produce amazing flow for the watts.


----------



## tranced (Jan 11, 2006)

hi im interested in making these filters for some tanks, im in australia so kinda limited to what material i can get (i think)... what properties am i looking for with the foam? i can get a thick black sponge about 2" thick but the pores are rather large. is there an optimal pore size?


----------



## tranced (Jan 11, 2006)

can anyone help me out here? large or small pores? i can get a foam with small pores or a type of matting with large pores but dunno which to use?


----------



## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

First, you are going to need a foam or mat that would be fish safe so either contact your LFS, a local fish club or research what would be available in your area.

The smaller the PPI (Pores Per Inch), the quicker the filter will plug up. Which pore size to use depends on what aquatic life you want to keep and how you use the filter.

I decided on 30PPI in 2" thickness for my tanks as it will prevent the fry from being sucked into the foam filter.


----------



## tranced (Jan 11, 2006)

i dont really have the PPI available, one looks like its made from a tangle of string forming a matrix... the other looks like, well a sponge. im quite happy to use the coarse/string one but i wonder if it will have enough surface area?


----------



## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

It's always helpful to know what the product brand/model or manufacturer is before giving specific answers. Do you have a link to what you are considering using?


----------



## Pali (Dec 22, 2009)

Here is a link to a site with pic's, a danish DIY on this topic, the text is non english but it's all here. So for the ppl who might wanna see some pic's of this.

I myself power my filters with a powerhead, it' easyer to lower the noise but they use more wattage then airpumps.

http://aquainfo.dk/teknik/hjemmelavet_f ... aatte.html


----------

