Sponge filters...(the huge ones)

[Punkymom]

In one of my fish books it talks about how you can cycle a tank by taking a huge sponge filter and running it in an established aquarium for 6 weeks and then letting it run in the new tank for a while. Anyway, how do those things work? Do you put an airstone in the middle of it and run it that way? TIA for any advise.

 

[xander]

I just got one and am using my most powerfull powerhead on it. A penguim 1140. If it has a tube to run an air line down it then it should also accomodate a powerhead. I hate using air since it seems slow and noisy. Even a small or low GHP head will work. Mine is far too powerfull. It puches the sponge filter over. I have a smaller one but it keeps cutting out and when it does wotk its super noisy. I love the spinge filter idea. It allows me to increase the load a tank can handle. I just put a sponge filter in the tank and run it with the main filter. I feel more confidant in putting extra fish in it.

 

[fish_doc]

You can speed the cycle on any tank with any type of filter. You can use a HOB filter that was on another tank or even just the media out of the filter if you have the same brand of HOB filter on both tanks. If you are in a real pinch you can try using some gravel in some nylons and moving that into your new tank to. THis way if the gravel color does not match you can easily pull it out later.

The whole theory behind this is that you want to transfer the good bacteria that has grown in the tank over to the new tank. And the best way is through the filtration media but if this is not available you go for anything in the tank that the bacteria is established on. Ornaments, driftwood, rocks, ect...

The key to remember is that once you move this over the bacteria starts dying unless you have a bioload of fish in there to help support it. Also use some brand of water conditioner as chlorine or chloramine in the water will quickly kill off the bacteria. That is what the water companies put in the water to keep it safe for us to drink.

 

[BrianNY]

I use sponge filters on all my tanks. There's so much surface area in a sponge to collect and grow that good bacteria. Cleaning is simple too. Take a bucket of tank water, and squeeze the sponge till virtually clear. In this way you haven't harmed the bacteria

 

[Punkymom]

Thanks. Does anyone have a pic of one in use? I'm just having a really hard time picturing it. And that makes sense about using other filter media to cycle also. I'm not planning on another tank any time soon, but was very curious about to how this works. I eventually want a 29 gal bow front for a couple goldfish. And I plan on cycling the tank in this way when I eventually have the money to do so.

 

[scuba_steve]

It allows me to increase the load a tank can handle. I just put a sponge filter in the tank and run it with the main filter. I feel more confidant in putting extra fish in it.


not an answer to adding more fish !!!

 

[xander]

I have a Hydro sponge V. It is rated for aquariums up to 125. It is now in a 30 cultivating bacteria. It looks far too big in such a small tank. here are some pics

 

[xander]

the box

 

[xander]

the whole tank

 

[Punkymom]

Ok...Thanks for the pics...one thing I'm still unclear about...does it go in the tank? Or is there a separate resivour (sp?) thing it goes into?

 

[fish_doc]

It goes right in the tank.

 

[William]

it goes in the tank, sits in the corner with a power head stuck on the top to suck the water through.

 

[jsoong]

A sponge filter goes inside the tank - it is basically a box filter without the box.

 

[Punkymom]

Ok that makes sense. Thanks, guys!

 

[grimlock3000]

It goes right in the tank. Aquarium water gets pulled into the sponge and goes out the top.

 

[Bernie]

Those filters Xander put up pix on, are Excellent filters..
usually come in three sizes. The one shown is the largest of the three!

Great to use when growing out fry as well !!

Bernie

 

[xander]

actually they come in five sizes. hence the V or roman numeral 5. And yes I do have the largest

 

[Bernie]

Hey xander... thanks for correcting me there. I wasn't thinking!!

I only stock three, guess that's why I had 3 on my mind!!

Bernie

 

[PK Tester]

Does anyone know if an air pump designed for a 10 gal plus an sponge filter designed for a 10 gal is good? Also would it be too much to split a bubble wand and a sponge filter on the same air pump designed for a 10 gal? Thanks!

 

[ADCISCO]

I have a 10 gallon quarantine tank I use a small sponge filter with. It mounts on the inside of my tank with 2 suction cuts and yes I have to have a small air pump to operate it. It has made a world of difference in my tank!!!!!!! I couldnt find one of the small sponge filters around here and when I went on a resent trip to Lexington,KY I went to a petsmart and they had one. But our walmart has now picked up the almost exact same thing now. It is just so simple to use and also it took no time at all for my sponge to collect the bacteria to colinize. I simply used my old ornaments out of the established tank and put the filter on the wall and put the ornament right up against it and added some of the plants also to it. I will say that I dont know why but my tank never spiked anything and was established within a wk!!!!!!!! I find that very hard to believe but my pagota house was pretty nasty with alot of good bacteria! It was the easiest tank I have ever done. And lord knows that I havent even been doing fish a yr yet and I have had horrible problems with cycling a tank but this one was a breeze!