It's been a while... so how has your tank been?
I'm a strong believer in sponge filters as well. Their only downside for me is cleaning them and the aesthetics.
The Woefully Underappreciated Sponge Filter
- Thread starter aclockworkorange
- Start date
I'm a strong believer in sponge filters as well. Their only downside for me is cleaning them and the aesthetics.
I've bought 8 hydrosponges in the last couple months as they're so cheap(and a few quad outlet airpumps), as I'm seriously considering doing away with some of my higher power draw filters(for a while to test anyway). I'm only actively using 3 so far, one of which I used Ace hardware pure "janitors ammonia" to cycle with, in a 5 gal bucket as an experiment(Hydrosponge 5).
It cycled in 2 weeks, of course I seeded it from squeezing out a dirty prefilter sponge from my aquaclear 70. I shot that 5 gal bucket up with ammonia every 2 days and kept it almost off the charts. By the end of the second week it was metabolizing ALL of the ammonia in less than 24 hours. Now it's a temp hospital (with 25watt heater) for a 4 inch pleco that the red devil beat to a pulp.
I missed simplicity and didn't realize it. Now I'm seriously considering never starting/running another tank without a spongefilter, or even sponge filtering alone. I guess I'll find out when I move in a few months, since I gotta tear everything down anyway, and I'd like my power bill to be lower in the new home. My plan is to keep all the sponge filters in 5 gal buckets and dose with 3-7 drops of the ammonia a day during the move(make them super active with BB), and have the sponge filters be the first (and likely only) filters to go in the tanks post move. That way if my Cannisters and Aquaclears take a BB dump/setback, I should be good between the sponge filters and the portable (tank to tank) HOT magnum with micron filter(and maybe a powerhead). Heck I might not even start the canisters/HOB's back up for a while just to see how it goes....
It cycled in 2 weeks, of course I seeded it from squeezing out a dirty prefilter sponge from my aquaclear 70. I shot that 5 gal bucket up with ammonia every 2 days and kept it almost off the charts. By the end of the second week it was metabolizing ALL of the ammonia in less than 24 hours. Now it's a temp hospital (with 25watt heater) for a 4 inch pleco that the red devil beat to a pulp.
I missed simplicity and didn't realize it. Now I'm seriously considering never starting/running another tank without a spongefilter, or even sponge filtering alone. I guess I'll find out when I move in a few months, since I gotta tear everything down anyway, and I'd like my power bill to be lower in the new home. My plan is to keep all the sponge filters in 5 gal buckets and dose with 3-7 drops of the ammonia a day during the move(make them super active with BB), and have the sponge filters be the first (and likely only) filters to go in the tanks post move. That way if my Cannisters and Aquaclears take a BB dump/setback, I should be good between the sponge filters and the portable (tank to tank) HOT magnum with micron filter(and maybe a powerhead). Heck I might not even start the canisters/HOB's back up for a while just to see how it goes....
The sponge filters have been doing a great job. Like you said a little unsightly but very efficient. I have since added a overhead sump and s diy k1 media filter though. But my discus seem happy.
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Not sure how well for fish, but I definitely use a sponge filter for a pure dwarf shrimp tank such as high grade crystal red shrimps etc. It provides enough oxygen/beneficial bacteria for the little guys and shrimps love scavenging off of it.
I love sponges, not exactly in a sponge filter because I need higher flow but I have sponges as media in all my externals and sponges as prefilters on the intakes. They keep my water crystal clear. I never have floating bits and I used to when I only used floss and the other regular external media.
Another sponge filter positive review, a friend of mine is an enthusiast that breeds and supplies many different species; i noticed recently that he has a pair of 12" Oscars in a 75, and that they'd bred successfully.
All with two sponge filters on either side of the tank. Obviously I didn't have a reading on the water, but given they'd been in there for a few months, in great condition and breeding; it would make me less apprehensive of relying on sponges for that sort of thing.
All with two sponge filters on either side of the tank. Obviously I didn't have a reading on the water, but given they'd been in there for a few months, in great condition and breeding; it would make me less apprehensive of relying on sponges for that sort of thing.
I run them in my tanks. My 125g has a Hydor V and I'm having an issue with it. Every 2 weeks or so, the pinhole that the air tube attaches to clogs with a hard white substance, it looks like a calcium build up. Typically I clear it with a paper clip, but it's getting tougher and tougher each time. Within 2-3 weeks it will get to the point where bubbles are barely released, I'd say about 20% of the normal amount of bubbles.
My other tank has a smaller version of the same type of sponge and I've never had that issue.
Anyone ever experience this?
My other tank has a smaller version of the same type of sponge and I've never had that issue.
Anyone ever experience this?
I have a 54g corner bow front planted South American Geophagus tank.
I have one Hydro sponge V w/ an Oddysea 350gph Power head w/ airline tubing and regulator to control the size of the bubbles, do you think that two of these could run the entire setup?
Their is only a pair of G. Tainoparius, a few Harlequin Rasboras, A few Cories, and a pair of Threadfin Rainbows.
Any help on this question would be greatly appreciated. i know it's an old thread.
I have one Hydro sponge V w/ an Oddysea 350gph Power head w/ airline tubing and regulator to control the size of the bubbles, do you think that two of these could run the entire setup?
Their is only a pair of G. Tainoparius, a few Harlequin Rasboras, A few Cories, and a pair of Threadfin Rainbows.
Any help on this question would be greatly appreciated. i know it's an old thread.
Hi,
I run a small fish house here in uk, in it I have 8 tanks, all are 200 liters, and roughly 48 x 15 x 18".
I run each tank with sponge filters, these vary in size, but all are pond sponges, which measure about 8" high 5" square. Some tanks have 2 sponges, some one, depending on type of fish, and stocking density.
I run all the sponge filters off a garden style airpump, which runs at 20 watts ph.but delivers 2000 lph of air.
I run back up of a Eheim internal filter, a Eheim 200, which are rated at 200 lph. I find these run well, I run them as mechanical filters, rather than biological filters. The spring filters provide excellent biological filtration.
I keep SA cichlids such as S.daemon and S.lilith, fish which must have good water
I find sponge filtration is superb, and thanks to the original poster for raising the subject.
I continue to look for better and cheaper ways of filtering my tanks, and at the moment am considering fitting sponge squares into the rear corners of my tanks, air driven of course. I will post some pics once I've completed one.
Graham
I run a small fish house here in uk, in it I have 8 tanks, all are 200 liters, and roughly 48 x 15 x 18".
I run each tank with sponge filters, these vary in size, but all are pond sponges, which measure about 8" high 5" square. Some tanks have 2 sponges, some one, depending on type of fish, and stocking density.
I run all the sponge filters off a garden style airpump, which runs at 20 watts ph.but delivers 2000 lph of air.
I run back up of a Eheim internal filter, a Eheim 200, which are rated at 200 lph. I find these run well, I run them as mechanical filters, rather than biological filters. The spring filters provide excellent biological filtration.
I keep SA cichlids such as S.daemon and S.lilith, fish which must have good water
I find sponge filtration is superb, and thanks to the original poster for raising the subject.
I continue to look for better and cheaper ways of filtering my tanks, and at the moment am considering fitting sponge squares into the rear corners of my tanks, air driven of course. I will post some pics once I've completed one.
Graham
