Anyone know of a GOOD sponge filter?

[PK Tester]

Hello all! I'm looking to buy a good sponge filter or corner filter to expand the fitlration capabilits of my eclipse system 12...If you know of anything please feel free to leave a message! TIA

Anyone recomndations are excepted! Are cansiter fitlers like a fluval any good either?

 

[smooth_rivers]

alot depends on what kind of tank you're setting up. I run 3 Fluval 404s and would hard pressed to give mine up.

 

[PK Tester]

Basically its a Guppy tank with a LARGE PLECO ( I plan on evnetually giving him away but I need to increase my filtration intil then...Plus I plan for this aquarium to be overstocked with guppies). Maybe eventually this will house other fish...as I now have a 10gal w/ a whisper filter which could hold the guppies eaisly. I'd like to convert the 12 gal to a dalamtion molly tank...but I still would like to know if a canister filter is a good move..or is a corner or sponge filter a better idea? Cost wise...what costs more in the long run (material wise...IE filter flosss...carbon etc.)

 

[captainGregor]

Any sponge filter is a good one. It's just a piece of plastic tube with a sponge on it. It is usually driven with an air pump or a powerhead. Anything will be good, there is no complex mechanics behind it. Whatever increases bio-filtration is always beneficial for the tank. I run Marineland's Bio-Pro wet-dry which is spray-bar driven bio-wheel. You have eclipse so you cannot hang anything on the back, so you'd be just fine with a sponge filter or small fluval. Sponge filter will cost less in maintenance I suppose.

 

[BrianNY]

You can get the same benefit by using a sponge prefilter on say a Penguin 125. That would seem ideal for a 10 or 12 gal tank.

 

[PK Tester]

You can get the same benefit by using a sponge prefilter on say a Penguin 125. That would seem ideal for a 10 or 12 gal tank.

Eclipse has a closed cover that you can not add anything to :-( stupied eclipse. I might do that to my 10gal that will be eventually over stocked lol. Im consider the fluvals but I need advice on what to get.

 

[BrianNY]

Ah, now I understand (never even seen an eclipse) LOL. The fluval is my choice for cannisters. The 204 will set you back $65 at bigalsonline. A corner sponge filter is around $7 at your lfs. Basic economy says go with the sponge filter for that size tank. JMO

 

[PK Tester]

My LFS doesn't have any sponge fitlers that are not power sponge filters and hang on the back lol...looks like ill be ebaying. Does anyone know if sponge filters signfically iscrease the BIO load? Would a canister even significally increase the bio load? Intil the time I can get rid of this pleco...somthing has to be done lol

 

[Fruitbat]

I've had great success using the Jungle brand sponge filters powered by a small air pump. The sponge acts as a substrate for your Nitrogen Cycle bacteria, just like the filter medium of HOB or canister filters in addition to providing some mechanical filtration. If you use it (the sponge filter) to supplement the filtration you already have you shouldn't have any problems at all with bioload.

 

[PK Tester]

Do you think its matters the brand much? I can't find a sponge filter on jungle's website. I was thinking of buying one off of ebay designed for a 20 or 15gal? The only smaller one I can find is for a 10gal. I would rather go big than under. This will function with my current eclipse filter

 

[grimlock3000]

Really, sponge filters are all pretty much the same. Just a big sponge that water gets pulled through. You can get some good looking ones on Aquabid very cheaply, everyone has reported good experiences with them in the feedback. Here is one example auction...

http://www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/auction/auction.cgi?filteration&1074058972

 

[PK Tester]

Thanks so much grimlock...disapointing that, that seller doesn't sell air pumps too :-( . I was looking to save on shipping ahhah

 

[An t-iasg]

I use an Azoo Oxygen Plus Biofilter 3 (rated for 15 gallons) in my 5.5 gallon tanks. Each tank has its own sponge filter, and they are run off the same airpump, a Tetratec 12. You can see them here:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produ...oo sponge filter&Ntx=mode+matchallany&Ntk=All

Here are some Jungle sponge filters. I used them at one time and liked them too.
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/pet-king/fish-filters-sponge-filters.html