Home made Sponge Filter

[Scuba Diver]

Ok as my second post to the board I am just going to ask a curious question. I have read so many post online about home made sponge filters and was wondering what the general idealogy on this would be?

I read these things and cursed at them just trying to make sense of how they worked but after several hours of turning the monitor on its side and then upside down (Not literaly guys) I finally realized that the concept is so simple it just amazes me.

Now my question is simple on this and one that took tons of scratching my head to the point I have no hair left hardly. When your filter is what harbers the majority of your bio filter what happens when you change it? Does it cause you to loose the majority of your bio filter and thus cause a relapse into a cycle all over again????

Can the home made sponge filter make a diffrence in this respect???

[NyteGTI]

Basically, don't change your filter until it's literally falling apart. and as it starts to fall apart put a new one in there to start growing the bacteria on it and you're good to go.

[Retired_AF]

I use a sponge filter on the intakes of my filter in my shrimp and fry tanks. I use them to keep from sucking the babies into the filter plus also stops the larger pieces of junk (uneaten food, plant debris, etc) from clogging up the filter. The filter media in the filter housing retains the bacteria.

[HN1]

Sponge filters (I'm assuming you are referring to air driven sponge filters) are great for biological, but negligible for mechanical which is fine if maintenance is kept up on. The advice to not change filter media is spot on, but the addition of a sponge filter would probably be a good thing too. Like so much else in the hobby, it's a matter of personal preference.

[Scuba Diver]

thanks guys just trying to make sense of all the millions of diffrent types of maintenance out there and the pros and cons of what to use and what to avoid.

I know from my past hobbies and current ones that there is always the quick get you started but hate it later gimmicks then there are those that are cost efficient and work as well as those over priced items that stores try to push. I am entering week 2 of my aquarium so wish me luck