Brand new tank, fishless, Nitrate levels 40.

[Fishmanic]

Just remove the foam filter blocks and rinse/squeeze in some water that you remove from the tank about once a week. The BB will still grow in your filter.

 

[Colin_T]

I normally recommend getting round/ cylindrical sponges from some brands of internal power filter. These cylindrical sponges have a hole through the centre and they fit over the intake strainer of most external power filters.

These sponges stop small or sick fish from being sucked into the filter.

There are no drawbacks to having sponge over the intake strainer. The sponges will develop colonies of beneficial bacteria that help keep the ammonia and nitrite levels at 0.

To clean the sponges simply squeeze them out in a bucket of tank water and re-use them.

 

[DIZ]

I normally recommend getting round/ cylindrical sponges from some brands of internal power filter. These cylindrical sponges have a hole through the centre and they fit over the intake strainer of most external power filters.

These sponges stop small or sick fish from being sucked into the filter.

There are no drawbacks to having sponge over the intake strainer. The sponges will develop colonies of beneficial bacteria that help keep the ammonia and nitrite levels at 0.

To clean the sponges simply squeeze them out in a bucket of tank water and re-use them.

Okay, great. And just as much BB will develop within the filter itself as well?

I do seem to have an issue with two fish in particular, both of the dalmatian molly’s are nipping at the other fish - they are the only fish that are and have been doing this.

 

[Metalhead88]

Okay, great. And just as much BB will develop within the filter itself as well?

I do seem to have an issue with two fish in particular, both of the dalmatian molly’s are nipping at the other fish - they are the only fish that are and have been doing this.

Yeah, in fact bacteria will grow on that prefilter sponge as well. Just rinse it with tank water once a week or as needed so water flow isn't slowed.

Mollies can be nippy sometimes, and it's somewhat normal as long as no one is getting the short end of the stick. I haven't kept mollies so ill let someone comment on a solution for that.

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[seangee]

Yeah, in fact bacteria will grow on that prefilter sponge as well. Just rinse it with tank water once a week or as needed so water flow isn't slowed.

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More than that. I use the sponges from a foam filter for that and have a couple of spares. If I need to set up a QT or hospital quickly I take them out of the main tank and attach them to the foam filter (and airpump) for an instantly cycled filter. Then I put the spares back in the main tank - because it already has a cycled filter.