Switching From Hob To Sponge Filter?

[l_l_l]

Hi there!
I have noticed that my nitrate levels will never go above 5 PPM, having so much plants in my tank must help a lot in filtering all of this..
I am wondering, how would I go to switching from an HOB filter to a sponge filter?
 
I'm wanting to do this to reduce the current in my tank as my fish prefer slow moving water..
Also, I'd like a dead silent filter, noise makes me crazy!
 
Any suggestions?
 
Would it affect my plants, reducing the flow?
 

 

[Ch4rlie]

Move all media from HOB to new filter.
 
Plants do absorb nitrates which probably account for your low levels, no bad thing at all. My tank does the same, despite at least 20-30ppm comes out of tap!
 
Reducing the flow should not affects plants so much but may cause algae to grow though.

 

[l_l_l]

Move all media from HOB to new filter.
 
Plants do absorb nitrates which probably account for your low levels, no bad thing at all. My tank does the same, despite at least 20-30ppm comes out of tap!
 
Reducing the flow should not affects plants so much but may cause algae to grow though.

 
I might be confused about how sponge filters work but I was under the impression that they did not use biomass nor normal media?
I might be wrong?

 

[Ch4rlie]

What kinds of filters are you planning and currently using, just to give me an idea.

 

[Chaydell]

In my experience the best way is to add your sponge filter to your tank without removing your other filters.  Run them together for a month or so and then remove your hob filter.  This gives your sponge filter time to get a colony of bacteria on it before you remove your hob.

 

[l_l_l]

I'm using Aquaclear 70, with two sponge media in it, and bio-mass ceramic pellets..
 
And I'm not sure what I'm going to use for other filter, I was planning on using sponge filter to reduce flow and noise.
Main concern is the noise.

 

[KirkyArcher]

In the USA and Canada a sponge filter is usually an air powered or with an additional powerhead item that looks like these

 
whereas over here in the UK a sponge filter is usually called or configured as an "internal" and looks like this with a built-in pump

both however do have sponge media and both usually require a build up of nitrifying bacteria to develop within the foam itself rather than additional ceramic style media to get the best from them! Seeding the type of filters in the top picture is a little more difficult than with the internal and it's foam media housing

 

[Ch4rlie]

ah, now i see, would tying the old sponge media to the sponge media with fishing line for a while might do the trick perhaps?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Kirky is exactly right, and has cleared up the issue for me for the UK 'sponge' filter.
 
 
Running them in tandem can help get some bacteria on the sponge filter, but there really wouldn't be a need for it to be colonized before you remove some of the existing bacteria...  Wrapping some old media around the sponge filter if its like the kind that Kirky posted FIRST would help seed it a bit faster, but I've never done it.
 
Just running them in tandem will take some time, so patience will be required... but during that time, keep removing media from the old filter to keep the bacterial colonies having to colonize SOMEWHERE.
 
As for the plants... decreased flow can be an issue in a planted tank, as the nutrients in the tank may not have as much consistency everywhere.  Are you using any additives to your tank at all?  If not, then its probably not as big an issue... if you are, then it could be an issue.

 

[l_l_l]

I'm using currently dosing flourish, root tabs and will start excel when I get it from the mail.
 
Thank you all for your answers, I still have one question..
What kind of filter is the most silent, in any kind of filtration?
Is it possible to have a canister filter but have not much flow?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

You can decrease flow by putting a sponge over the intake.... Having the output push directly against the wall of the tank...
 
When adding liquid ferts you'll want to try to spread that out for yourself, if the filter won't do it for you.  Normally I just pour mine in directly in front of my circulation pump, but that's HIGH circulation.  You'll want to circulate it yourself when adding it... just a little here, a little there, a little everywhere.

 

[KirkyArcher]

In my experience running a filter with an air pump will be quite noisy too, not from the pump itself some run very quiet but from the bubbles flowing upwards and bursting at the surface, but there wouldn't be the sound of trickling water if you are finding that aspect of your HOB irritating, the second type filter shown in my previous post runs very very quiet by comparison

 

[l_l_l]

I usually dose my ferts when doing my water changes..
I do have a pre-filter sponge as well since my corydoras or CPDs would fit in the filter pretty easily! I noticed that when I clean it, the flow is a lot stronger!
 
I don't have an issue with the sound the water makes (aquaclears are silent for this)
It's just about the motor having a humming noise..

 

[KirkyArcher]

again a filter with a submersed pump motor would usually be the most quiet