ATI Filter Max 3, Patented Aquarium Pre-Filter; from AAP, Authorized Seller

Description

AUTHORIZED ONLINE DISTRIBUTOR from AAP™ with 4 decades experience selling this product!
NO other eBay seller is authorized by AAP™ (American Aquarium Products) to sell these genuine/patented NEW Sponge Pre-Filters
Beware of sellers of similar Chinese made sponges
without the patented design being marketed to just slip over your HOB or Canister Filter strainer, these are VASTLY less effective than the Filter Max Patented design which uses the strainers to hold open the entire sponge surface area.
Professional experience over decades of use (& experiments) has shown that simply placing a sponge over a filter strainer only utilizes a small area of the sponge and results in clogging much more quickly!
*
Complete Filter-Max II
I:
Only Authorized eBay Seller of AAP line of Filter Max & Hydro Sponge Filters
• Sponge size 4 inches by 2.75 in
• Tank size: over 40 gallon
• Surface area: 49.4 sq. in.
(Note: the Filter Max #3 differs from the #2 not in sponge size, but in design, allowing a higher flow rate)
• Suggested Actual Flow Rate over 200 gph
The Filter Max Adapts to most all round intakes (& Teflon tape can be used to make a more snug fit on less tight connections), here are the sizes of the adapters:
• 1-1/4” OD. 1-1/4” ID
• 1-1/8” OD, 1” ID
• 5/8” OD, ½” ID
• 7/8” OD, ¾” ID
All adapters can be connected to either the outside or the inside of the intake pipe for your filter, whatever works best.
Note:
There is not one round intake
that we have not been able to connect a Filter Max together with, and I even once (with much modification and Teflon tape), connected a Filter Max to a square intake on an Emperor filter (please do not purchase a Filter Max thinking this will be a simple DIY modification to adapt it to a square filter intake, as it is not)
Here are examples of connections to round intakes that include the majority of popular filters
Besides the sponge, these parts are also included with all complete Filter Max we sell
For Replacement Sponge for your Filter Max, please visit this eBay listing:
Filter Max 1, 2, & 3 Replacement Sponges
Attributes:
• Prevents debris such as dead fish and plant material from clogging the intake by distributing suction evenly down the length of the sponge.
• Maintains the biological filtration when the main filter is changed or cleaned.
• Vastly increases bio filtration capacity over many standard Aquarium Power Filters (HOB filters).
• Can be used with most power heads as a temporary or permanent filter in aquariums, isolation tanks, holding tanks, etc.
• Prevents small or baby fish from being suctioned into the main filter
• Prevents anemone and invertebrates from being suctioned into the filter.
• Traps larger waste particles, mechanically cleaning the water
• Can be used with most outside filters, canister filters and power heads.
• Increases depth of HOB filter intake by up to 6 inches (15 cm.) for better over all
circulation (it is still recommended to have more than one independent filter or at least a separate air stone for best over all filtration results).
•
Increases longevity
of filter cartridges (often by 300% +) of filter the Filter Max is attached to by removing a considerable amount of debris prior to entry into the filter, this in turn saves money with less filter cartridges purchased and less clogging hassles.
• Includes three adapters for use with various main filter intake tubes.
• Easy to clean. Just rinse and squeeze in used tank water
• Can be used in the vertical or horizontal position.
• A must for HOB (hang on back power filters), such as Via Aqua, Penguin (older models), SunSun, AquaTech, Aqueon or Whisper (or most others with “round” intake). As well the Filter Max fits most canister filters such as the Eheim, Via Aqua, Fluval & many others.
These pre-filters retain and improve biological filtration even when HOB filter media is changed. These pre filters also extend intervals between filter cartridge changes, saving money (and contrary to some opinions, improves the efficiency of cartridges by removing more coarse debris before entering the filter, thus allowing the cartridge to remove more fine debris)
•
The Entire Patented Filter Max is recommended for best results
based on AAP's founder's vast experience with this product, use of just the sponge often results in 1/4 the capacity of the sponge being utilized.
• Excellent to use with CO2 generators to better diffuse CO2 into the aquarium (you use these filters to diffuse the CO2 bubbles into the aquarium)
Sponge Filtration Overview
Sponge filtration is an often overlooked type of filtration for
both
large and small freshwater tanks and bowls, and even ponds or marine aquariums. Many aquarists look past these filters because of their simplicity, but therein lies their quality.
I have used these filters for my aquarium maintenance business for 32 plus years with excellent results in freshwater, saltwater and ponds.
(The picture to the left is a Hydro Sponge #1 in a 6 x 6 x 6 Betta tank
.)
The best sponge filters (such as the Patented Hydro Sponge Filters) can be used to compliment another filter, such as a power "hang on back" (HOB) or canister filter, or
even as a stand alone filter
, as per our extensive controlled tests. We found that only fluidized sand bed filters out perform sponge filters for aerobic bio filtration.
In fact I, and many other aquarium professionals, have used sponge filters as the
only
source of aquarium filtration.
With this in mind, people purchasing one of the many 'Aquarium Kits' sold at discount stores would be much better off with a superior bio-filtration such as our Hydro Sponge Filter Kits instead.
As a bio filter, most premium sponge filters (such as our Premium Hydro Sponge Filter) are
vastly superior to Under Gravel Filters
as per extensive controlled tests performed by us in the 1990s.
This is due to the very porous nature of a sponge filter that allows for extensive colonization of nitrifying bacteria, assuming your aquarium or pond is adequately circulated.
Please note that many "knock off" sponge filters made by a variety of brands are NOT made of the same patented sponge material as ATI's patented Hydro sponges and thus do not perform
nitrification
at the same level
. These lower end sponge filters also degrade much quicker, as many users can attest to.
A couple of the reasons for better test results when compared to an under gravel filter, is that a well designed sponge filter does not have “dead” spots, nor do sponge filters trap decomposing organic mulm in pockets, such as is the case with under gravel filter plates (which can lower KH/pH, increase nitrates, and even promote Aeromonas or Saprolegnia pathogens!)
In addition, these tests showed that these filters were also superior to most popular power (HOB) filters for bio filtration, including the use of Bio Wheels.
Bio Wheels are touted for their ability to host beneficial nitrifying bacteria and yet, this simple sponge filter outperformed them in my tests.