Sponge Filters

[Sye]

I have heard people on here talking about "Sponge Filters" what are they and how do I build one? Are they as good as people make out?

 

[CFC]

Your lfs should stock sponge filters. They are basicly a tube with sponge attached, air is fed through the tube via a airline (from a airpump) and water is drawn through the sponge and pushed up the tube by the rising air bubbles.
There main use is for single specimin or breeding/fry tanks where more powerful filtration is not needed or cannot be used. For them to work properly you must have a good quallity airpump which pushes out a good steady stream of air, they do not work effectivly in tanks larger than 20g (unless multiple units are used) and are not good with heavily stocked tanks or those with messy fish as they beome clogged easily.

 

[Gunnie]

I use sponge filters a supplemental filtration on all my tanks. I like having the extra filter in there when it's time to service my hob filter. They are also a must for fry tanks so the fry don't get sucked up and killed in a hob or canister filter. They are also very inexpensive. I wouldn't even try and make one when they are so cheap to buy.

 

[Lateral Line]

They are absolutely ideal in a fry tank. Not only are they "fry safe" but the surface of the sponge gets a good colony of rotifers and other little animals on it which supplement the fry's food, you'll often see the fry congregate around the sponge picking off the tidbits.

Very easy to use, if you're going to set up a fry tank or hospital tank, a couple of well matured sponges running in another tank gives you an easily transportable almost instantly cycled target tank. Too bulky for tanks of any size, need to use several or multi sponge units.

 

[cichlidmaster]

Sponge filters are ideal for ANY size tank!!

90% of my tanks all the way up to my 120 gallon tanks are filtered with only sponge filters.

Being a distributer, my tanks are very often "overstocked" and as lon as routine tank maintenance is done clog no quicker than any other type of filter.

CM

 

[MAM]

the two main lfs i use have use big sponge filters, seem to work great.

 

[yhbae]

All my tanks have the sponge filter except for the community one (due to cosmetic reason). It's great for breeder tank, raising tank and hospital tank (if extended stay is needed). The growth tank also has the aquaclear300, and they both seem to work together well.

If you don't mind the ugly look of it, I don't see any negatives of having one...

 

[aquamanis]

I have a question reguarding sponge filters too. Are internal powerheads with sponge filter media refered to as sponge filters too? I always thought people were talking about them.