Maltimomma
Aquarium Advice Freak
Can anyone telll me if its safe to use sponges made for use in the kitchen in a HOB filter. I have read they're not safe because they have a chemical in them and I've read they are safe. Need some advice.
Have they been in use with anything? Sponges are great for retaining traces of previously used chemicals, and then are released when exposed to water. I personally would get sponges/filter media made specifically for aquarium use.Can anyone telll me if its safe to use sponges made for use in the kitchen in a HOB filter. I have read they're not safe because they have a chemical in them and I've read they are safe. Need some advice.
Have they been in use with anything? Sponges are great for retaining traces of previously used chemicals, and then are released when exposed to water. I personally would get sponges/filter media made specifically for aquarium use.
I know this because I wanted to reduce the flow of my filter in my Betta (It turned out to become my RCS tank) tank. I posted a thread, and several people said this.
In any case, it's "Better safe than sorry!"
Yeah, you just have to make sure it's got nothing in/on it, or you're in trouble.Quite a lot of kitchen sponges have antibacterial properties meaning they wouldn't successfully grow a substantial bacteria colony. Plastic pot scrubbies work really well. I also have car wash sponges in my canisters.
Yeah, they work great for media, I hear that they are popular for DIY sumps.Just get some that don't have anything in them. I have used the pot scrubbies like the ones in the picture above on multiple occasions. They also make good tank scrubbers.
I have also used the cheap foam sponges that come in a 6 pack for a buck, lots of people do, just be sure you know what is in them before you try it.