Dwarf gourami looks on way out

[Country joe]

I get mine from a supermarket in the washing up section. They have a yellow sponge on one side and green scourer on the back. I buy a 6 pack for $2.00.

You can use any sponge as long as it's free of soaps, chemicals and mould inhibiters. Generally the cheap sponges won't have additives, but the fancy more expensive ones will.

Before I use any new sponge, I wash it with warm soapy water. Use a soap that doesn't have any perfume on moisturiser in it. I just use a cheap non perfumed soap and wash the sponge a couple of times with soap and then rinse well.

I wash the sponge before using it to remove any dyes that might be in it. in some sponges the colour can run the first time they get wet so by washing in warm soapy water before its first use, I can remove anything like this and prevent it getting into the aquarium.

Would you wash sponges, without that came with the filter.

 

[MaloK]

Seriously... Don't use sponges at all... They scratch and make the glass cloudy then algae get a grip on them...

Use only scrapers with pristine Replaceable Razor Blades...

Thank me later !

 

[Colin_T]

Would you wash sponges, without that came with the filter.

Sponges for filters just get rinsed under tap water because they are made for aquariums and don't usually have dyes in them to wash out. Whereas sponges used for washing the dishes can and usually do have dyes that leach out the first time they are used.

 

[Colin_T]

Seriously... Don't use sponges at all... They scratch and make the glass cloudy then algae get a grip on them...

Use only scrapers with pristine Replaceable Razor Blades...

Thank me later !

Sponges don't scratch glass, they can't. The soft side is polyurethane foam rubber and the green scourer side is nylon. Neither can damage glass. They can scratch perspex/ acrylic aquariums but not glass.

Steel wool scourers can scratch glass but you don't use them in aquariums.

 

[Back in the fold]

I get mine from a supermarket in the washing up section. They have a yellow sponge on one side and green scourer on the back. I buy a 6 pack for $2.00.

You can use any sponge as long as it's free of soaps, chemicals and mould inhibiters. Generally the cheap sponges won't have additives, but the fancy more expensive ones will.

Before I use any new sponge, I wash it with warm soapy water. Use a soap that doesn't have any perfume on moisturiser in it. I just use a cheap non perfumed soap and wash the sponge a couple of times with soap and then rinse well.

I wash the sponge before using it to remove any dyes that might be in it. in some sponges the colour can run the first time they get wet so by washing in warm soapy water before its first use, I can remove anything like this and prevent it getting into the aquarium.

What Colin says about a fish sponge extends to anything in your fish room . Anything in the fish room should be bought new , properly pre-cleaned and is used ONLY for fish in the fish room . Tell everybody in the house that they don’t EVER use any of these things for anything and why . Explain that they are on pain of death for ever going against this rule . All of my buckets and whatever I can write on say “fish room ONLY” on them as a reminder .

 

[MaloK]

Sponges don't scratch glass, they can't. The soft side is polyurethane foam rubber and the green scourer side is nylon. Neither can damage glass. They can scratch perspex/ acrylic aquariums but not glass.

Steel wool scourers can scratch glass but you don't use them in aquariums.

It's not the sponges that does it.

It's the crap you are washing out. Even mulm will erode the glass...

believe me... I keep things a long time.