Trying To Understand The Parts Of My New Tank

Hi,
I am still trying to understand the parts of my new tank. The guy in the fish shop gave me a quick tour, showing me where the sponge was and then saying that the filter was in the compartment next to it, but I am still unclear.

I think that this first photo shows the sponge.



and that this second picture (please excuse the flash, it was the best that I could do) shows the filter on the left and the pump on the right. Is that right?



I have some questions that I'm hoping you could help me with:

1) What is the point of the sponge (is it a home for bacteria)?
2) The filter also looks a bit like a sponge, is that right?
3) If the sponge is to hold bacteria too, why do you need the filter and the sponge?
4) What are the balls floating on the surface? (the manual calls them BioBalls, but doesn't explain them further than that)

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I'm sure someone else is going to chime in that knows FAR more than I do. But my understanding is that the Sponge is the Mechanical part of the filter. The part that gets the big stuff out. To put it bluntly, fish poop and other fun things.

The 'Bio Balls' are the things that the good Biological bacteria will grow in. The stuff that neutralizes the Ammonia and Nitrite to turn it into Nitrate. (Pretty sure)...

But that's my $0.02. Like I said, I'm sure someone with a vast knowledge will know exactly what it is. Everyone on these forums is very helpful.

Good luck getting to know your tank!!

The sponge and bio balls will hold the bacterial colonies. I'm not familiar with that type of filter but usually if you have 2 different types of sponges, one is for larger debris and the other is for fine particulate matter. Are the holes on each of the sponges a different size? If yes, then probably that's what it is. Just load it up with sponges and bio balls, skip the carbon and ammonia inserts and only rinse the media when it gets really dirty. Will never need replacing unless falling apart.

The more surface area you have to grow bacteria, the better.

Rinse you filter media in your outgoing water change water, or at least dechlorinated water. But like said you only need to do it once in a whie if things are starting to get plugged up.

Caprichoso said:

The sponge and bio balls will hold the bacterial colonies. I'm not familiar with that type of filter but usually if you have 2 different types of sponges, one is for larger debris and the other is for fine particulate matter. Are the holes on each of the sponges a different size? If yes, then probably that's what it is. Just load it up with sponges and bio balls, skip the carbon and ammonia inserts and only rinse the media when it gets really dirty. Will never need replacing unless falling apart.

Click to expand...

Thanks Caprichoso, and to the others that have commented so far.

I'm not sure about the holes in the sponges, because the filter one is right at the bottom and hard to see.

The manual seems to suggest that there is:

1) A filter sponge
2) Ceramic rings
3) Activated carbon

I think I can see the filter sponge in the picture, put I've not idea about the ceramic rings and the activated carbon.

Can I just put my hand down there, take everything out, put it in the bottom of the tank, and had a look at it? (I'm currently doing a fishless cycle).

the black sponge looks to me like a carbon sponge (my smaller filter has a normal sponge on one side and a carbon one on the other - using the carbon to get rid of the tanins atm).

Bioballs are either their version of ceramic rings, or the ceramic rings will be under the sponges. but thats just how I see it, wait for the pro's to come along hehe

what would be helpful is the make and model of the filter you're using? that way people could look it up online and give you more help

willowstwin said:

the black sponge looks to me like a carbon sponge (my smaller filter has a normal sponge on one side and a carbon one on the other - using the carbon to get rid of the tanins atm).

Bioballs are either their version of ceramic rings, or the ceramic rings will be under the sponges. but thats just how I see it, wait for the pro's to come along hehe

what would be helpful is the make and model of the filter you're using? that way people could look it up online and give you more help

Click to expand...

Thanks. I don't know the make and model of the filter, but it is the one that come with the Boyu MT-50 tank.

The manual mentions the BioBalls and the ceramic rings, so I guess that they are something different.

I should really have had a look around before filling the tank up, but I was keen to get going and also a bit too nervous to start "tampering" with things

it looks very similar to the fluval spec setup, water gets sucked through the vents at the top, down through the sponge, which will hold a degree of bacteria when cycled. The sponge will be a square with a smaller square cut out of the middle, i would expect to find a small bag containing ceramic media blocks in it inside said cut-out. Again bacteria form on this too and being inside the sponge they get less clogged up with dirt. eventually the water gets sucked out of the bottom of this compartment by the filter pump on the right and then blasted upwards through the white pipe then into the aquarium completing the cycle. The Bio balls are a bit of an odd addition (they hold beneficial bacteria too), theres no real place to put them to work effectively, unless you are supposed to lift out the black sponge (with the ceramic media inside) and place them underneath it meaning they are the very last piece of media to get hit by the water flowing through it.

Thats my take on it! Hope it helps a little.

Tizer said:

Thats my take on it! Hope it helps a little.

Click to expand...

Yes, very helpful. Thanks Tizer.

Is it OK if I just reach in and pull the stuff out, as long as I quickly put it back in the tank?

Would just like a good look at it to better my understanding.

Yeah it wont cause a problem, take a peek.

Tizer said:

Yeah it wont cause a problem, take a peek.

Click to expand...

Thanks. Here is what I found. I've stacked them in the same order they were stacked in the filter compartment.

I reckon that the top bag is the charcoal, the middle bag is the ceramic rings and at the bottom is the other sponge. Is that right?

Personally, i would go down the local fish shop and get a chunk of sponge filter material to replace the bag of carbon you have on the top. its not needed and you could save it in case you ever need to remove any medication from the tank (thats its primary use). Im assuming theres no water in there yet and you've not started to cycle it? if so, take the black sponge down to the shop and say you want a piece that size. You basically just want to plug the gap you make by not using the carbon. If they are any good, they should understand what you need!

While your at it, you could also ask them for some mature ceramic blocks to put in there to help speed up your cycle, most fish shops have loads of it in buckets in their big tanks, just sitting there. they will help to seed the sponges and other ceramic media. worth asking

You can see where i hacked around my sponges in my small tank filter to fit some mature ceramic media in there here

Tizer said:

Personally, i would go down the local fish shop and get a chunk of sponge filter material to replace the bag of carbon you have on the top. its not needed and you could save it in case you ever need to remove any medication from the tank (thats its primary use). Im assuming theres no water in there yet and you've not started to cycle it? if so, take the black sponge down to the shop and say you want a piece that size. You basically just want to plug the gap you make by not using the carbon. If they are any good, they should understand what you need!

Click to expand...

Unfortunately there is water in there, I've been doing a fish-less cycle since Thursday. I tried to make sure that they were only out of the water for a second or so, as I moved then from the filter compartment into the tank.

Given that they have those tanks in stock, I could just go back and ask for a bit of filter sponge to fit the MT-50 I suppose.

Tizer said:

While your at it, you could also ask them for some mature ceramic blocks to put in there to help speed up your cycle, most fish shops have loads of it in buckets in their big tanks, just sitting there. they will help to seed the sponges and other ceramic media. worth asking

Click to expand...

I was a bit put off the idea of using stuff that been in the fish shop tanks, due to comments on here about the likelihood of them also carrying disease.

Tizer said:

You can see where i hacked around my sponges in my small tank filter to fit some mature ceramic media in there here

Click to expand...

Thanks, that's very useful to have a look at.

Mola Mola said:

Tizer said:

While your at it, you could also ask them for some mature ceramic blocks to put in there to help speed up your cycle, most fish shops have loads of it in buckets in their big tanks, just sitting there. they will help to seed the sponges and other ceramic media. worth asking

Click to expand...

I was a bit put off the idea of using stuff that been in the fish shop tanks, due to comments on here about the likelihood of them also carrying disease.

Click to expand...

Its a fair comment to make, it comes down to good judgement really and how well you know the shop.

As for the carbon in there, it can still be saved for later on if you can get some sponge. Might as well try and provide as big an area for the bacteria to colonise as possible and keep it for med removal later on. Entirely up to you though, it can still be used as bio media, but its not exactly what its made for.

Tizer said:

As for the carbon in there, it can still be saved for later on if you can get some sponge. Might as well try and provide as big an area for the bacteria to colonise as possible and keep it for med removal later on. Entirely up to you though, it can still be used as bio media, but its not exactly what its made for.

Click to expand...

Yes, I think I'll definitely try to do that. Anything that will speed up the cycle!

Thanks again, really appreciate the advice.