sponge filters

[justcichlids]

I was wondering if anyone could tell me if i would benefit from using sponge filters in my breeding set ups

atm i'm running my tanks on a sump which is fine but i've added air stones to the tanks to stir the surface up a bit.

i've seen sponge filters used in breeding set ups on various forums and thought about adding them to my tanks since i'm running airstones any way.

another question/s are : if i do use them how long do they take to cycle and how long do the sponges last and what maintenence is required.

look forward to your responses

cheers JD

[Phenomena]

Hi,

Since you already have air stones running. I would replace them with sponge filters. That way you get extra filtration instead of just surface agitation from air stones.

I don't know how long it takes to cycle but in your case you should not worry as it will be just additional filtration.

They last for many years. Maintenance depends on bio load. You can see the sponge starts clogging then you can just take it out and clean with tank water.

Recently, I changed all my over tank filters to sponges as they're easier to maintain & very cheap to run.

HTH...

[robdog013]

I agree when you do a water change just give em a rinse in the tank water bucket and whack em back in the tank.

[parkesg]

Hi JD,

The main advantage of running spounge filteration on top of a sump or similiar filter is that if the pump fails you have a backup, until you have time to fix the problem. Obvoiusly if the power fails then they will not help.

I use sumps on my breeding tanks and my fry tanks. The breeding tanks are large 500ltrs + (so the conditions are more stable) and I have backup pumps lying around. I only use airstones in the breeding tanks for airation and circulation, and to lift debris into the weir. I don't like the look of sponge filters in my adult (breeding) tanks as they are display and breeding tanks for me.

I use sponge filters in my fry tanks predominatley for the above mentioned reason, and also so the fry can pick trapped food off the sponges during the day etc.

I think they should take about a month to cycle. What I do with sponge filters is when adding a new one, I squeeze a dirty one into the tank then the new spounge will have some seeding bacteria.

I only clean my sponges when I see a dramatic slow down in the amount of bubbles being produced by the filter, that is, the sponge is clogged. I clean the same way as robdog13. For my filters this is about every 3-4 mths. How long they last will depend on quality. I use Sera sponge filters and they are excellent.

HTH

Grant

[justcichlids]

thanks everyone for your helpful information i'll definatly get some with my next order!

[huzzy]

Hi JD,

The main advantage of running spounge filteration on top of a sump or similiar filter is that if the pump fails you have a backup, until you have time to fix the problem. Obvoiusly if the power fails then they will not help.

I use sumps on my breeding tanks and my fry tanks. The breeding tanks are large 500ltrs + (so the conditions are more stable) and I have backup pumps lying around. I only use airstones in the breeding tanks for airation and circulation, and to lift debris into the weir. I don't like the look of sponge filters in my adult (breeding) tanks as they are display and breeding tanks for me.

I use sponge filters in my fry tanks predominatley for the above mentioned reason, and also so the fry can pick trapped food off the sponges during the day etc.

I think they should take about a month to cycle. What I do with sponge filters is when adding a new one, I squeeze a dirty one into the tank then the new spounge will have some seeding bacteria.

I only clean my sponges when I see a dramatic slow down in the amount of bubbles being produced by the filter, that is, the sponge is clogged. I clean the same way as robdog13. For my filters this is about every 3-4 mths. How long they last will depend on quality. I use Sera sponge filters and they are excellent.

HTH

Grant

Grant,

I have a couple of the Sera L300's, and i find they are really noisy. How are yours?

I have tried the outlet above water, below water, and at the water level, but it still makes a loud gurgling/bubling sound. Any advice of quietening them down?

Cheers

Adam

[Colfish]

I have a couple of the Sera L300's, and i find they are really noisy. How are yours?

I have tried the outlet above water, below water, and at the water level, but it still makes a loud gurgling/bubling sound. Any advice of quietening them down?

hi Adam

i don't use sera, but similar a problem can happen with mine

try slowing the air supply, just a tweak. this can eliminate the 'pop pop' sound

of pockets of air between the water flow

[fishmania]

Sponge filters are great for fry etc but for breeding setups, in my opinion, you can't go past a corner filter. They are a little more powerful, traps more debris as it creates more current thus polishing the water better, and you can put in any filter media you want and are simple to maintain and cheap. I use one in all my breeding setups.

cheers

Mariusz

[CThompson]

Be aware that sponge filters are principally for biological filtration with a side order of mechanical. The dirtier the sponge gets the greater potential to perform less in the area of biological. They are not only great for baby grow out tanks they would be recommended. But as soon as the waste starts to increase in size (and amount), the downsides will feature more largely in usage decisions and other filtration methods would be a better choice.

I use sponges in all my first stage grow-out tanks (baby fish), and I clean these sponges twice a week, when I water change.

Though I agree with all Grant has said I have an exception to the suggestion of;

What I do with sponge filters is when adding a new one, I squeeze a dirty one into the tank then the new sponge will have some seeding bacteria

All this will do is add dirty water, and perhaps a few old and sick bacteria that couldn’t hang on when the sponge was squeezed. Why do I say this? Due to the ability of bacteria in a FBF, if they can hang on here (where only the old and sick get knocked off), then a bit of squeezing to a sponge filter sponge, will be nothing compared with the abrasive constant 24/7 mechanical abrasion of life attached to sand grains inside a FBF.

All surface areas are potential homes to cycling bacteria, that includes all surface areas inside the tank, from glass walls to substrate (if any) to uplift tubes. So if replacing an existing sponge on an establish tank, squeezing out a dirty sponge filter has no advantages, as all bacteria are in existance on these such surfaces. The question here is wether or not there is enough in existence to carry on cycling once the colonised sponge is replace with a new one.

[parkesg]

Huzzy, what Colin said, I did have that problem to start and it was very loud. I turned the air flow down a bit and it was fine. Now if the top is in or out of the water it makes limited sound either way.

Craig, quick qualificaton, I was referring to a new tank and new spounge senario, so there would be no bacteria to start with, I'm interested in your point of view here, in my experience (scientifically unproven) it helps as I have done it and it worked well for me.

Grant

[huzzy]

Even when i turned the air flow right down it still popped and bubbled loudly. It made no difference when i turned the air flow up. I tried screezing the foam incase there was air trapped in there preventing water flow and giving me the wrong water/air ratio in the tube, but it made no difference.

However, just 10 mins ago I squeezed the airline between my fingers and slowly released it, the bubbles came out nice and quietly. It runs just as silently on high or low now.

[CThompson]

Huzzy, what Colin said, I did have that problem to start and it was very loud. I turned the air flow down a bit and it was fine. Now if the top is in or out of the water it makes limited sound either way.

Craig, quick qualificaton, I was referring to a new tank and new spounge senario, so there would be no bacteria to start with, I'm interested in your point of view here, in my experience (scientifically unproven) it helps as I have done it and it worked well for me.

Grant

Grant, thanks for the clarification. I am also interested in reading your posts too.

I would still stand by what I said about the effectiveness of the practice of squeezing out a sponge filter. In a new tank it would help to start the cycling as there will be something/somebody who is squeezed in. And as the tank has none, anything is better than that.

But I think there are better ways of doing the same task, for example adding some gravel from the gravel surface of an established tank, would add the strong and healthy bacteria and not just the ones that couldn’t hang on when their sponge home was squeezed out.

And I’m sure you’ll know too, that adding some biological media such as matrix, even if it just sits on the bottom of the new tank that the new sponge filter is intended to be used in would be better than squeezing out the crap from a dirty sponge filter.

I’m positive you’ll know all this Grant, so it is more mentioned here for others to understand the clarification of my comments. I have always had a problem with the use of an old sponge filter because if this is available, then most likely there are other methods such as the ones mentioned above, which will be just as accessible and better than squeezing out a dirty sponge.

[chorrylan]

hiya,

in regard to adding new sponge filters.

If at all possible I'd go for

1. take an old one from an established tank and add it to the new tank (thereby bringing it's bacto-population with it), and

2. add the new one to the old tank where the bacteria already in the tank will quickly invade it.

3. even better is to drop the new sponge in the old tank for a period of time (hours, days or weeks depending on how your instant-gratification-gland is coping at the time) before setting up the new tank

[CThompson]

hiya,

in regard to adding new sponge filters.

If at all possible I'd go for

1. take an old one from an established tank and add it to the new tank (thereby bringing it's bacto-population with it), and

2. add the new one to the old tank where the bacteria already in the tank will quickly invade it.

3. even better is to drop the new sponge in the old tank for a period of time (hours, days or weeks depending on how your instant-gratification-gland is coping at the time) before setting up the new tank

Yep.

[fishdance]

Craig,

I feel that squeezing dirty sponges into a NEW tank will make a big difference even if its just the old and sick bacteria which get dislodged. Bacteria populations grow exponentially (each bacterium all double each cycle) so there will be a LOT of bacteria dislodged so I am sure much of it it will be active and useful. Even the detritis caught in the sponge will be seething with good bacteria. On an established tank, it makes no sense to rinse the dirty sponge back into the tank of course.

Also using a Fluid Bed Filter isnt a direct comparism since its the irregularity of sand particles which safe harbours bacteria. The grinding and abrasion will equally remove young bacterium too. The remaining bacteria in the irregular pockets left over are constantly trying to recolonise the newly available real estate and its this young active growth portion which is the most effective for converting nitrogen wastes.

For those trying to reduce the bubbling filter sounds, have you tried the multi-coloured plastic air stones? You can tighten or loosen as required to control bubble size/flow. Easy to clean too.

[Matthew]

I was wondering if anyone could tell me if i would benefit from using sponge filters in my breeding set ups

atm i'm running my tanks on a sump which is fine but i've added air stones to the tanks to stir the surface up a bit.

i've seen sponge filters used in breeding set ups on various forums and thought about adding them to my tanks since i'm running airstones any way.

another question/s are : if i do use them how long do they take to cycle and how long do the sponges last and what maintenence is required.

look forward to your responses

cheers JD

G'day JD

These filters are absolutely wonderful.

They provide food for fry (they pick at them all day) and do a great job at keeping the tank clean. They are cheap to run and easily cleaned. Most of my fry tanks have them.

Just because a filter like this is small, easy to clean and cheap does not mean that it does not work fantastically well!

cya Matthew