Hey guys, thought I'd make a quick thread on how great sponge filters are. They're cheap, low maintenance, and can literally be a life saver. I currently have 4 aquariums, a 2.5, a 10, a 20, and a 30. All of these have sponge filters in addition to either a hang on back or canister. Sponge filters are super easy to setup, you simply buy an air pump, connect it to the filter, et voila! They're also great for baby shrimps and fry as you don't have to worry about them being sucked up because sponge filters don't have any suction. Now for how they can save your aquarium, and why I have them in all my tanks, it's because if there's ever a power outrage, I simply use a battery operated air pump to power each of the filters! I use marina battery operated pumps which you can buy cheap on amazon for about 10$. So yeah, if you live in an area where there's ever storms or power outages than investing in a cheap sponge filter is a great idea.
How Sponge Filters Can Save Your Aquarium.
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I have an air pump and a regular filter in my 10 gallon. I wanted to change in into a sponge filter but I didn't know how. The pet shop I took my filter to said they didn't know how. 
Is there a movie you could show me so I could see how it works? Does it move water like a filter or just blow bubbles like an air pump? All the youtube videos I see show them as an air pump.
Is there a movie you could show me so I could see how it works? Does it move water like a filter or just blow bubbles like an air pump? All the youtube videos I see show them as an air pump. What do you mean by regular filter? What's the brand, and I'm guessing it hangs on the back? If you don't have the money to buy a sponge filter, you can make your one, there's plenty of videos on YouTube. The only thing you have to buy is an "air pump" which most fish or pet stores have.
Great thread! I have just been reading up on these. You talk of also running a regular filter with them so I am confused as what I read...it sounded like these were used as the only filtration. Which is why I questioned the best way to seed the sponge filter with already cycled bacteria or if you have to start from scratch with them. They seem really easy to do!
Yes, you can use these as your only source of filtration, I always have 2 filters on my aquariums though as I like to have mature media in hand to lend to a friend, or if I decide to get a large aquarium I can use the media from my other tanks to put in that. In my HOBS I use rings and sponges which I can simply take out at anytime. I've always used sponge filters in tanks that have already been cycled, but I'm sure you could cycle a tank with just a sponge filter. Not too sure you could seed it though, I don't see how you could as there's no tray or anything inside of a sponge filter, it's just that, a sponge that absorbs good bacteria..I guess you could tie a panty hose or stocking filled with media from another filter on to the top of the sponge filter.
Ok, I actually have the same one in my 10g. I know those come with the blue plastic that is supposed to hold bacteria, but I put fluval rings in the filter so more bacteria could live there. I'm assuming you mean an airstone, so that's good for adding oxygen, but it won't hold bacteria. You can go on a lot of websites and find cheap sponge filters, they make ones for 20-30 gallons for only 8$. you can also buy smaller ones, make sure the air pump you have is adjustable for how much air it pumps so you can set it to how much you want it.
No, you attatch it to the air pump. You know the clear tube that is attached to the air pump? You connect the other end to the sponge filter, instead of the airstone. Any sponge filter will be fine, just look for one rated for 10-20 gallons.
I built my own sponge filter for my super nano shrimp tank. It only cost me two dollars. It currently has a sponge on the cap as well as ceramic rings inside a soda bottle. Took me thirty minutes to make. It was really easy and fun because I got to use power tools. For those of you looking into getting filters, may I offer a quick DIY guide for building a sponge filter?
You'll need:
One soda bottle which fits inside your aquarium (a 1 liter will work for a ten gallon)
One aquarium sponge
One or two suction cups (depending on the height of your bottle)
A piece of air tubing
Air pump
Media of choice (I used ceramic rings, filling the bottle halfway)
Power drill
What to do:
1. Drink your soda (or in my case lemonade) and rinse the bottle
2. Replace cap and get out your handy dandy power drill
3. Drill four or five holes in the cap of the bottle
4. Drill five + holes on base of the bottle
5. Drill one hole at the neck of the bottle. Make it slightly smaller than your air tubing.
6. Drill one hole per suction cup on the same side of the bottle as you've drilled your tube hole.
7. Take sponge and carefully cut out a section large enough for your cap to fit in.
8. Rinse preferred media (any ceramic rings, etc.)
9. Add media to bottle, replace cap.
10. Thread tubing through the hole at the neck of the bottle.
11. Attach suction cup(s)
12. Attach other end of tube to air pump
13. Adhere filter via suction cup to one interior wall of the tank
14. Connect air pump to power source
15. Cycle!
Oh! Be sure that the cap side of the bottle is facing the floor of your tank, by the way. The water should be at least an inch over the base of the bottle to allow for water flow.
This is the method I used. While the bottle takes up a fair bit of space in my 1.7 gallon, it still does a good job of filtering (I'm assuming. It's empty now).
You'll need:
One soda bottle which fits inside your aquarium (a 1 liter will work for a ten gallon)
One aquarium sponge
One or two suction cups (depending on the height of your bottle)
A piece of air tubing
Air pump
Media of choice (I used ceramic rings, filling the bottle halfway)
Power drill
What to do:
1. Drink your soda (or in my case lemonade) and rinse the bottle
2. Replace cap and get out your handy dandy power drill
3. Drill four or five holes in the cap of the bottle
4. Drill five + holes on base of the bottle
5. Drill one hole at the neck of the bottle. Make it slightly smaller than your air tubing.
6. Drill one hole per suction cup on the same side of the bottle as you've drilled your tube hole.
7. Take sponge and carefully cut out a section large enough for your cap to fit in.
8. Rinse preferred media (any ceramic rings, etc.)
9. Add media to bottle, replace cap.
10. Thread tubing through the hole at the neck of the bottle.
11. Attach suction cup(s)
12. Attach other end of tube to air pump
13. Adhere filter via suction cup to one interior wall of the tank
14. Connect air pump to power source
15. Cycle!
Oh! Be sure that the cap side of the bottle is facing the floor of your tank, by the way. The water should be at least an inch over the base of the bottle to allow for water flow.
This is the method I used. While the bottle takes up a fair bit of space in my 1.7 gallon, it still does a good job of filtering (I'm assuming. It's empty now).
This is also a great main or backup source of filtration, if there was a power out you could simply take your rings or whatever media you're using and put it in the bottle. There's also great YouTube videos showing how to make these, but attibones pretty much laid it out.attibones said:
What I really liked about building my own filter (apart from saving about 90%) is that everything is super customizable. You could use a variety of different inner media, including a small media bag with carbon if you needed it. You could also build layers inside the filter or around the sponge with those water polishing pads or whatever. Also, it is entirely feasible to support multiple tanks on a single pump (provided you have one of those with the dual connection). You can't do that with a HOB. The only downside is that I haven't figured out a way to take up less space in an aquarium. That's the benefit of a HOB. I've been looking for a way to use similar items in order to create a HOB, perhaps by finding a way to make the tubing to draw water up and into a filter situated on an exterior wall, with an output lip up at the top...
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