Gah...DIY sponge filter issues

[KaylNeko]

I don't think my sponge filter's working worth a darned. It's in a ten gallon tank with my 3 sick corys...

Specs:
4 1/2 inch long 1/2 inch PVC pipe
Fluval Pre-Filter Sponge
Airline tubing with the remains of an airstone on it (tried to pull it off and it crumbled in my hand ...still has plenty of airflow, just not quite as many bubbles)

Drilled 16 holes in one end, completely covered with the sponge filter
Tubing dropped down to almost touching the sponge where it covers the end of the pipe
3/4 of the top covered in silicone to hold the tubing in and give it an airway out, 4 holes drilled along the very top.

Looks pretty much like this except I ran the airline tubing through the PVC pipe and it's not sitting on the bottom of the tank (more water flow):

Did I do something wrong, or is it just too much bio-load for a sponge pulled from my betta tank? I wouldn't think 3 1.5 inch fish would do that, but I'm not that familiar with sponge filters. It's like there is no biological filtration at all. I don't mind doing 90% water changes every day, but kind of put out my tinkering didn't work and wondering what I did wrong. Any suggestions?

 

[Mumma.of.two]

If you pulled it from your Betta tank it wouldn't have much bacteria at all IMO. Also did you block off the bottom of the pipe? From my understanding you need to block the bottom, larger hole.

 

[jetajockey]

You should be able to squeeze it a little to get some particles in the water and watch them get sucked back into it. I agree that it will take some time to compensate for a greater bioload.

 

[KaylNeko]

Jury seems out on the blocking the bottom--I've seen half and half (actually prolly closer to 1 to 4 against, especially in the quick DIY instructions). It may just be that there wasn't enough bacteria on it--betta and 3 corys, but a fair amount of bio-media in the actual filter so not as much would have settled on the sponge. Oh well. Hopefully it's at least helping some, and obviously I'll keep doing water changes.

Did the squeeze test--a few particles got sucked back up, but not a whole lot. You think blocking the bottom hole would increase the water flow? Or is my pump just not strong enough?

 

[jetajockey]

The angelsplus sponge filters are just a tube stuck into a piece of foam, I've used both ways and it seems to be about the same to me.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Well there you go!^^
I've only ever made one.

 

[KaylNeko]

Well, we're even then ^_^ Oh well...I tried to give them a cycled hospital tank. Guess I'll figure out something different should it happen again. I wonder if pulling some of the polyfil in the 55 gallon and tying it around the sponge would help, or if I just don't have enough flow for it to work. Hmm...