Filter Sponges

[jcabs100]

What are the benefits between a carbon based media and a non carbon based media contemplating on which to use

 

[BigbruiserAl]

if you mean active carbon, it can remove, tannis and smells and removes meds from the water but afer a short time need to be replaced(3-7 days) normal media just provides a home for bacteria

 

[jcabs100]

So which one would you recommend

 

[TwoTankAmin16]

The lowly sponge is my very favorite filter media. It comes in all types - from fine pored for mostly hosting bacteria to coarsely pored for mostly trapping mechanical waste. All sponges will perform both mechanical and biological filtration its just a question of how much of each. It can be part of the filter media or all of it as in a sponge filter that uses an air pump or a powerhead. It can be cut to shape to fit any powerfilter, canister or internal or to serve as a prefilter for almost any intake.

Sponges last for years, they are easy to clean and best of all, they are pretty cheap.

 

[jcabs100]

Now when you say easy to clean you mean like when you have to clean them you use the tank water

 

[fluttermoth]

Yes; tap water would kill off your good bacteria. Most filter sponges should only need a few squeezes in old tank water once a week during your partial water change.

If they're terribly slimy and gunked up you will need to clean them more often, or get a larger filter

 

[jcabs100]

If I change my media today well my tank re-cycle im planning on changing all of it because im having a bactierial bloom and its due to the media in my tank as there old...its a sponges with carbon inside the sponges also I have this gunk on the surface of my water and it doesnt go away no matter how many times I change the water what can this be

 

[fluttermoth]

Old media won't cause a bacterial bloom.

I have media that is over 20 years old, and I haven't changed any of the media in any of my filters for well over a year. You would need to recyle the tank if you changed all the media at once, which would be very risky for your fish.

The gunk could be algae (it can look white when it's a very thin layer on the water surface) or proteins, or traces of soap or detergent. What exactly does it look like?

 

[jcabs100]

It actually looks like glue...I did a complete water change yesterday 90% water change ive tried evrything to get the stuff off the surface and it just keeps coming back and I believe alittle more has developed

 

[fluttermoth]

Hmmm, how odd. I can say almost 100% certainly it won't be to do with your filter media though.

I'd remove just the carbon, maybe replace it. It could be that you have some kind of protein in your water that the carbon was absorbing, but now the carbon is full and so it's building up, but that is just an educated guess.