Sponge Filters

[ccg]

Hello everyone,

I am just curious, I have never used a sponge filter in my life untill I recently started to setup fry tanks. So I have no experience with them at all. How often - if at all - should I be cleaning it? Also, they are in fully stocked fry and snail tanks, how often should they be replaced? I'm guessing I should just beable to tell this by how it looks etc. but not entirely sure.

Thanks for your thoughts and opinions, I appreciate it.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Rinse the sponge at least once/week in temp matched dechlored water or in removed tank water. Sponges, while they last a long time, will eventually start to degade/decay. This is when you should replace them.

 

[Ferris]

Once a week is too often, you risk affecting the biological balance of the tank, even if cleaned in tank water. I clean my sponges only when they need it, i.e. when the filter gets slightly clogged. Cleaning the sponges in the tank water is essential otherwise you will lose all of the beneficial bacteria. They last a long time but will eventually need replacing, you will be able to tell when by the state of the sponges when you clean them.

I use Fluval filters, which have 2 sponges in them, if they need replacing, I do them 1 at a time and a month apart. This lessens the impact on the biological balance.

 

[silvershark]

Once a week is too often, you risk affecting the biological balance of the tank, even if cleaned in tank water. I clean my sponges only when they need it, i.e. when the filter gets slightly clogged. Cleaning the sponges in the tank water is essential otherwise you will lose all of the beneficial bacteria. They last a long time but will eventually need replacing, you will be able to tell when by the state of the sponges when you clean them.

I use Fluval filters, which have 2 sponges in them, if they need replacing, I do them 1 at a time and a month apart. This lessens the impact on the biological balance.

they're on about a different type here, i know what you mean though, i have a fluval 2+ and replace the pads, 1 at a time, every 2-3 weeks.

the type they are discussing here is an "air powered box-sponge" filter which is used a lot for fry tanks. i'm guessing this is so the water flow isn't enough to suck them into the filter.

 

[Tolak]

I rinse my sponge filters that are actively being used in fry tanks once a week. It helps to have a small submersable container to place them in before you pull them out of the fry tank. This keeps any debris on the sponge from being scattered in the tank when the sponge breaks the surface of the water. The cleaner you can keep fry tanks, the better. I rinse them in tank water, as frequent water changes are needed for fry.

I keep spares cycling in other tanks, they get cleaned around once a month.

Tolak

 

[Inchworm]

If this is the kind of sponge filter you are talking about, I use them in my fry tanks too:

http/www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/produc...ategory_id=2979

They last a long time and when the sponge wears out, you can buy replacement sponges to slip right on the main part of it.

When my fry (corydoras) are young, I have them in uncycled tanks since they are messy eaters and need big daily water changes to keep the tank clean. I don't rinse the filter very often unless it begins to clog because microscopic life grows on them which the fry like to eat. When I do rinse them, I do it in water I have removed from the tank.

By the time the fry are big enough to keep from being sucked into a box filter, I split the line and add one. By now, beneficial bacteria are growing on the sponge filter and as the fry grow, the tank gradually becomes cycled. Since I am still doing daily water changes, this doesn't seem to bother the fry at all.

When I get a batch of fry, I start with a clean or new sponge because I don't want to risk introducing any harmful bacteria from my main tanks. The one time I added one that had been cycling in another tank, I lost an entire batch of C. sterbai overnight.

 

[ccg]

Thanks for the advice Inchworm.

I took a look at the link and that is the kind of sponge filter I am using. I like the idea of using a new one when you get a new batch of fry, I'll have to remember to do that.

Thanks for all of the input, you have been a huge help!