Question on Sponge filters

[NinjaTetra]

I am in the process of setting up my 40 gallon (at last)! It will be planted, but no too heavily. I have the tank, decor, and Eco-complete. But I have some questions. I think I need more filtration, but it is not necessary. If i got more filtration the only difference is i would add a few male guppies. I have heard lots of good about sponge filters, and my lfs has some at incredibly decent prices. I have a top fin 40 filter, which will be enough, but I would prefer to add more. How does a sponge filter work? Does it have to stick out of the water? Is it just an add on to my normal filter? I would use a 10-25 gallon sponge filter just as more of a backup if i get one. If it has to be mounted above the tank, it won't work because the hood is made specifically for only one filter with no extra cutouts. Thx in advance!

 

[Laser]

Sponge filters work with an air pump or with a power head. I would not use a power head in my planted tanks personally though. So, with an air pump you basically are pumping air into the middle of the hollowed out portion in the center of the sponge, preferably with an airstone attached. The bubbles will float through the lift tube and to the surface of the water thus drawing water through the sponge.

No you don't want it to stick out of the water. You'll want the lift tube to be close to the surface but definitely not above.

They are my favorite type of filter. They work great when you don't want to agitate the water too much and have superior biological filtration.

 

[NinjaTetra]

Thanks! So basically,

 

[NinjaTetra]

Basically, it is a bubbler with a place for bacteria to live?

 

[NinjaTetra]

Could I hook up a sponge filter to the intake of my normal filter? Kind of like a 2 in one filter? Or would it be pretty much the same if i got a fry saver sponge for my intake?

 

[Fishfur]

You can actually use a sponge as a prefilter, and attach it to the uptake tube of the filter. It will prevent fish from being sucked up, and act just like a sponge filter will.

Coarser foam will not get clogged up as fast as fine pored foam will. You can get specific prefilters, or make one from a sponge you buy. If you use one that was made as a stand alone filter, you'd have to plug the hole at the bottom end, but that is not difficult to do.

If the filter slows down, time to squeeze out the sponge in tank water, to get the accumulated dirt out of it. But it won't hurt the bacteria, so long as you don't use tap water to rinse it.

Help your filter media last longer too. Stand alone sponge filters are excellent bio filters, and will remove a lot of dirt from water, but they are not very good at removing large particles, so they are not the best choice for a larger tank by themselves. But they are a great addition to almost any tank.

You can make a stand alone sponge work better by making the uplift tube as long as possible, so it reaches just below the water surface. Almost any tubing that will fit will work to extend an uplift, but clear rigid tube looks nicer. Costs more, sadly.

If there is room inside the centre core of the filter, you can put in an airstone too. This will make the bubbles smaller and much quieter, than they are without one. Not all filters allow room for an air stone, so you have to look inside the core to see how it is made.

Most of them have a nipple on both the top and bottom of the upper piece that the air hose attaches to, so you can stick the stone on the bottom nipple with a piece of air hose, about an inch or so long, or less. Really makes them quieter, and the longer the uplift tube, the more efficient the filter will be.

 

[NinjaTetra]

Thx for the info. I have an air pump that I used to use in my 10 gallon(from which im shifting my tetras into the new 40 as soon as its planted) that i can use to connect to a sponge filter. I think I will just get a 10 or 15 gallon sponge filter at my lfs once the tank is established and probably tuck it behind my jungle Val's. O think it was around 20$ for a 15 gallon one, so ill save up- ill b broke once i buy the plants an add my fish. But it will be nice to have some extra filtration capacity. Thx for the help guys! All two of u lol