Sponge Filters

Hi, am looking to set up a couple of fry tanks. One for new fry that I collect from my community tank and the other as a grow out tank for the 'teenagers' I suppose - a tank for them to grow to a size big enough to join the community tank or be sold.

I was looking at two foot tanks. Would a sponge filters be sufficient for a two foot tank? I know for the newly born fry it will be fine but not sure about the bigger fey, the teenagers lol. How many juvie livebearers could a sponge filter handle in a two foot tank?

Thanks

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Sponge filters can handle larger tanks.  I have one dual sponge filter in each of my 20g, 29g, 33g and 40g tanks, and the latter two are 3-foot tanks.  By dual sponge I mean along the lines of the attached photo, which happens to be the Hagen Elite that I believe is no longer available but there are other brands of the same thing.  There is a dual sponge and a single sponge type.
 
Sponge filters create minimal water movement, which is ideal in fry tanks, and can be perfect in tanks of fish preferring less current.  Livebearers do not need strong currents.  So the only place where sponge filters are not suitable on their own would be tanks that replicate a strong current stream for fish needing this, though one can always use powerheads for current and leave the sponge to do the filtering.
 
As for the number of livebearer fry the sponge can handle, it is more a case of the tank volume than the filter.  The fish as they grow require space and the filter is not actually going to impact this no matter what it is.  IF by 2-foot tank you mean the standard 20g, you should move fry out (separate them) after several weeks.  It rather depends upon the numbers and the species.  Swordtails for instance are much larger fish than platies, and mollies also need good space to develop properly.
 
If you are planning on selling the fry, remember that the males will impregnate the females very early, usually before the colouration makes the gender known.
 
Byron.

agreed. I have two sponge filter in my 18x10x10 tank. This tank has been seperated into two compartments with a glass pane and so I have two filters - one on each side. I too keep newly hatched (cories in my case) seperate from 'teenagers' that are growing out. Currently I have 5 'teenage' panda cories with the sponge filter and all is fine. It's also been used for young fish too small to go into my main tank and it copes well. Never had a problem with them 

Thanks for the replies. Currently I have about 10 one week old fry - mixture of platies and swordtails - in a 20 litre tank.

I want another tank for them to grow out in and happy for size suggestions. My partner isn't fishy so can't get a huge one as we don't have a lot of space in our apartment. Hence, I was looking at a two foot tank. I can get a new 2x1x1 tank for $40 which is good prices here. I think that's about 54 litres.

How long should I keep the newly born fry in the 20 litre before moving them to a larger tank? I was thinking about a month to six weeks?

Also, to cycle the new two foot tank I was thinking of putting the sponge filter into my current four foot community tank and letting it gather the essential bacteria. How long would it need to build up sufficient bacteria for a grow out tank? Would a month be enough?

For the new grow out tank would I need any substrate? There's currently small gravel in the new fry tank simply cause it was in there from last time I used it and I set it up again quickly when I decided to keep the fry.

Thanks for any help!!!

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I use a sponge filter in both my 35 gallon hex and my 29 gallon long.  In both tanks i also run HOB filters.   I feel the sponge filters help fully circulate water in the tank as it is on opposite side of tank from the HOB filters.   Also should the power go out and then come back on while I'm away,  the hob may not prime properly but the sponge filters would suffice till I get to priming the hob filters to get them running again.
 
In your case, just running a sponge filter in a 2 foot tank would be sufficient filtration.   They come in different sizes, so get the size recommended for you tank size.

DeanoL83 said:

Thanks for the replies. Currently I have about 10 one week old fry - mixture of platies and swordtails - in a 20 litre tank.

I want another tank for them to grow out in and happy for size suggestions. My partner isn't fishy so can't get a huge one as we don't have a lot of space in our apartment. Hence, I was looking at a two foot tank. I can get a new 2x1x1 tank for $40 which is good prices here. I think that's about 54 litres.

How long should I keep the newly born fry in the 20 litre before moving them to a larger tank? I was thinking about a month to six weeks?

Also, to cycle the new two foot tank I was thinking of putting the sponge filter into my current four foot community tank and letting it gather the essential bacteria. How long would it need to build up sufficient bacteria for a grow out tank? Would a month be enough?

For the new grow out tank would I need any substrate? There's currently small gravel in the new fry tank simply cause it was in there from last time I used it and I set it up again quickly when I decided to keep the fry.

Thanks for any help!!!

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The substrate is perhaps the most important part of an aquarium, moreso than the filter for its bacteria.  I know some advocate bare bottom tanks for fry, but this is not a good idea.  Small-grain gravel will be fine.
 
Run the sponge filter as you mention.  I would be tempted to use a bacterial supplement in the new tank to help seed the nitrifying bacteria.  Floating plants would be better yet, and the fry would appreciate the cover.
 
Get the largest tank you can manage.  When space is at a premium, meaning fewer tanks than you might like, this will give you more options.  More frequent water changes also assist fry growing faster and more healthy.  Adding dried leaves such as oak, maple, beech also improves the growth and health of fry.  The more water volume the fry have, the better, always.

 
The substrate is perhaps the most important part of an aquarium, moreso than the filter for its bacteria.  I know some advocate bare bottom tanks for fry, but this is not a good idea.  Small-grain gravel will be fine.

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I cant count the number of times I have mentioned this to people ( Not on this site ) only for them to come back with " rubbish  all the good bacteria and stuff live in the filter not the gravel " and " A tank is cleaner and healthier without gravel "

Byron said:

 

Thanks for the replies. Currently I have about 10 one week old fry - mixture of platies and swordtails - in a 20 litre tank.

I want another tank for them to grow out in and happy for size suggestions. My partner isn't fishy so can't get a huge one as we don't have a lot of space in our apartment. Hence, I was looking at a two foot tank. I can get a new 2x1x1 tank for $40 which is good prices here. I think that's about 54 litres.

How long should I keep the newly born fry in the 20 litre before moving them to a larger tank? I was thinking about a month to six weeks?

Also, to cycle the new two foot tank I was thinking of putting the sponge filter into my current four foot community tank and letting it gather the essential bacteria. How long would it need to build up sufficient bacteria for a grow out tank? Would a month be enough?

For the new grow out tank would I need any substrate? There's currently small gravel in the new fry tank simply cause it was in there from last time I used it and I set it up again quickly when I decided to keep the fry.

Thanks for any help!!!

Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

 
The substrate is perhaps the most important part of an aquarium, moreso than the filter for its bacteria.  I know some advocate bare bottom tanks for fry, but this is not a good idea.  Small-grain gravel will be fine.
 
Run the sponge filter as you mention.  I would be tempted to use a bacterial supplement in the new tank to help seed the nitrifying bacteria.  Floating plants would be better yet, and the fry would appreciate the cover.
 
Get the largest tank you can manage.  When space is at a premium, meaning fewer tanks than you might like, this will give you more options.  More frequent water changes also assist fry growing faster and more healthy.  Adding dried leaves such as oak, maple, beech also improves the growth and health of fry.  The more water volume the fry have, the better, always.
 

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Thanks again for the reply and information Byron. I bought a 80 litre tank - 24 x 12 x 18. I will get some amazon frogbit for the tank to help.  
 
I have read many times about bare bottom tanks being easier to remove leftover food from and keeping the water clean. Would adding some mystery snails help with this? 
 
Is there any particular thing I need to do to clean a brand new tank?  There is some residue from sticky tape which was holding the tank lids.
 
At this stage I just have it sitting on the floor as it's under a bench and the most inconspicuous spot....is there any problem with leaving it there in terms of the weight of water etc. It's just sitting on carpet but I might put towels underneath it just incase I drip or spill water etc.

Is there any particular thing I need to do to clean a brand new tank?  There is some residue from sticky tape which was holding the tank lids.
 
At this stage I just have it sitting on the floor as it's under a bench and the most inconspicuous spot....is there any problem with leaving it there in terms of the weight of water etc. It's just sitting on carpet but I might put towels underneath it just incase I drip or spill water etc.
 

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I just use water to clean a tank.  Vinegar can be useful if there are specific things like tape residue, just be sure to rinse this off several times with water if inside the tank.  A razor blade scraper may help with this, just be careful not to move it sideways and scratch the glass.
 
Draining water out of a tank that is on the floor can be tiresome.  Never lift a tank with water in it, or substrate.  The weight can cause the frame to move and break the seal, or the glass can crack.  Placing a sheet of plywood or particle board (thick enough to have no "give") under the empty tank can make it easier to move as it will prevent any movement along the frame.  I have moved small tanks with the substrate still present this way, but never with any water in them.
 

I have read many times about bare bottom tanks being easier to remove leftover food from and keeping the water clean. Would adding some mystery snails help with this?
 

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There are two different aspects here.  First, it is true that a bare bottom is easy to siphon clean, but this should be done more frequently, daily for example.  Snails are useful to eat all organics (including fish excrement) which breaks it down faster so the various bacteria can get at it (which is why I recommend the small snails for every aquarium) but it is the bacteria that are the second issue.  All bacteria colonize surfaces covered by water.  These are microscopic, so each grain of substrate can host hundreds of them.  The nitrifyiers are only one type, there are many more, and the substrate is the most conducive place for these.  Some large filters can support aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, but so far as I know, this is not the case with sponge filters.  And regardless, the substrate is still going to be the home of most of the necessary bacteria.
 
There is also the issue of bare bottom tanks stressing fish, because it is completely unnatural.  Fish expect a dark substrate below them, not a white one or a reflective one.  Eliminating as much stress from fish is key to healthy fish.
 
On a general note...there is what we may term a myth in this hobby concerning filters.  Many believe they are somehow the answer to every problem, so the larger they are or the more of them, the better.  This is simply not the case.  Filters have very limited function, and on their own they absolutely cannot provide all the "maintenance" that is necessary.  I wrote the other day in a thread that I tend to view the aquarium as if there is no filter, so when I use one (and I have a filter in all of my tanks) it is really more of a "safety catch" than an essential part of the system.  After all, one can have very healthy tanks with no filter.  The filter is helpful, but thinking it will solve all the issues and one can overload the fish if one just uses larger and several filters is very mistaken.
 
Byron.

Sponge filters are great especially for bio-filtration. As a matter of fact, I'm transitioning my HOBs from Matrix to sponge and floss in the planted tank.
I wouldn't setup the new sponge filter in the existing tank and waiting for it to be seeded....instead, I'd set it up in the new tank and clean your other filter contents in the new tank - instant cycle (a tip from the Bailey Brothers and many others in the Biz).