How To Set Up A Sponge Filter
Sponge filters are the cheapest and easiest style to filter your tank.
But don't write these off as cheap and nasty because they are really very effective!
In fact, your local fish store likely uses sponge filters in their tanks.
These guys are trusting sponge filters to take care of hundreds of thousands of dollar'southward worth of fish…
Got your attention now?
I thought so.
Today, I am going to teach yous everything you need to know about sponge filters.
at a glance: Our top picks for sponge filters
| | Swiss Tropicals Poret Foam
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| | Hikari Bacto-Surge sponge filter
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What is a sponge filter, and how does information technology work?
A sponge filter is little more a piece of foam that sits within your aquarium and filters your water.
No, seriously – it's as uncomplicated as that!
While sponge filter designs vary from brand to brand, they are typically fabricated upward of four dissimilar parts:
1. Cream sponge – Information technology wouldn't exist a sponge filter without it.
2. Weighted base – Stops the sponge filter from floating around your tank. The sponge sits on top of this base.
iii. Strainer and bulls eye – Slides inside the sponge and allows you to connect airline tubing direct to the filter.
4. Lift tube – H2o flows upward this and dorsum into your tank.
While it may not look similar much, these four parts actually form a very effective filter.
As for how a sponge filter works, well, it's very clever…
With a good air pump attached, bubbles ascent up the elevator tube and out into your tank.
This forces h2o to be drawn through the cream sponge.
Every bit water passes through the sponge, it catches and traps debris, such as fish poop, uneaten nutrient and decomposable plants, filtering information technology from the water.
Filtered water then passes through the lift tube and back into your tank.
While this filtration method may seem basic, it's quite constructive!
Since sponge filters don't have a mode to strength water through them, they are used in conjunction with an air pump, airstone or powerhead. Without one, they are useless.
If you take never heard of a sponge filter before, it may surprise you to larn that they have been around a long time.
When my grandfather was growing up, his tank had a sponge filter – and it wasn't exactly a new discovery then, or so he claims!
While they used to be the preferred way to filter an aquarium, advancements in filter technology have seen the sponge filter become less popular.
Sponges useful for your tank
While sponges go along to make a bang-up cheap primary filter, they are also often used to add an extra layer of protection to your tank.
When used this way, sponge filters are sometimes referred to as pre-filter sponges because they are exactly that – a sponge that sits on your filter tube intake.
Water passes through the sponge earlier information technology reaches your filtration system.
Yep, you can apply a sponge filter in add-on to your primary filter, such as a canister filter, to preventing it from clogging.
Depending on your setup, a sponge filter could be the perfect addition to your aquarium.
Why practice you need a sponge filter?
1. Easiest method of biological filtration
Your mother probably told yous never to leave the sponge in the sink because information technology will grow bacteria.
She was right.
While this may be a bad matter in your kitchen, information technology'south fantastic in an aquarium.
As y'all probably know, natural leaner in your aquarium break downwardly waste matter and keep your fish happy and healthy.
Well, a sponge filter is the perfect breeding basis for these leaner. Before long, you will accept an entire colony happily calling your sponge filter dwelling.
And because water is being sucked through the sponge, the bacteria volition "clean" the water as information technology passes through. This is known as biological filtration and helps to keep your tank in residuum.
2. It's a 2-in-1filter: mechanical and biological
In addition to being a great bio filter, sponge filters are also more than than capable of providing your tank with mechanical filtration.
The sponge traps bits of debris and filters them from your tank.
If you are unsatisfied with the mechanical filtration offered by your sponge filter, you probable need a stronger air pump to improve the water period.
3. It's fry and shrimp safe
Worried that your hang on dorsum or canister filter is going to suck up the fiddling critters in your tank?
Not a problem with a sponge filter!
A sponge filter placed on the filter tube can assist prevent your tiny tank critters from being sucked up.
In addition to this, the bacteria that grow in the sponge filter are the same bacteria that fry and shrimp beloved to feed off.
4. Information technology's a filter that is always cycled!
Need to set a new tank in a hurry, say to hospitalize a sick fish or for breeding? The sponge filter can exist removed from your primary tank and placed inside the new 1.
You can even cycle multiple sponge filters at once past stacking them on top of each other and using a longer filter intake/stand up pipage.
This way you will always have spare, cycled sponge filters on hand when you need them.
v. No potent current
Got a betta or other slow-moving fish that doesn't similar potent water currents?
A sponge filter provides gentle filtration, just brand sure you don't turn the air pump on also loftier or the rise bubbles will agitate the surface and stress your fish.
You can even add a pre-filter sponge to ho-hum down the water flow on your existing setup to reduce water movement.
6. Power outage friendly
Let's say yous have a canister filter that stops working due to a power outage.
When the pump stops, so does the h2o menstruation to the canister. No water menstruation ways no oxygen for the bacteria in your tank.
Considering of the small capacity of a canister filter, the bacteria will soon "suffocate" and die.
But a sponge filter sits inside your tank with a much larger water volume, assuasive the bacteria to survive for much longer than they would take inside your filter.
7. Sponge filters are cheap!
Let's face it – fishkeeping tin be an expensive hobby.
But a sponge filter is perhaps ane of the most affordable pieces of aquarium equipment that yous will come across. Well, except for maybe a fish net.
Whether you buy a pre-made sponge filter from a shop or go the DIY route and make your ain, you can pick up a sponge filter for only a few dollars.
Fifty-fifty more expensive brands tin exist purchased for less than $20.
What are the disadvantages of sponge filters?
But not everything most sponge filters is dandy.
1. Sponge filters are large and ugly
A sponge filter sits in your aquarium and looks like, well, a sponge.
Sponge filters can exist quite large and, despite their dark color, will be clearly visible in your aquarium.
It certainly doesn't look natural, and those trying to go along aquarium equipment out of the tank volition be put off by the idea of a sponge filter.
two. No chemical filtration
Chemic filtration is a heated topic. Some aquarists swear by it while others dismiss it completely.[1]
While the debate continues, if chemical filtration is important to you, so you need an additional filter, likely activated carbon, to achieve this.
3. Hungry fish will effort and swallow it
Allow'southward say your sponge filter sucks in nutrient…</>
To a hungry turtle or pleco, that sponge can look similar a tasty meal.
Equally you tin imagine, synthetic foam isn't considered a role of a counterbalanced diet for any living creature.
However, this can all be avoided if you keep your tank well fed on a regular footing.
A good automatic fish food feeder can really assist while you are abroad from home for an extended menses of time.
What are the best sponge filters?
The ideal sponge filter for your tank entirely depends on whether you are buying one from the store or going the homemade route.
Best store bought sponge filter
If y'all are going with store bought, there are two brands I recommend above all others – ATI (Hydro) and Hikari.
Both of these brands are commonly bachelor, extremely well made and, all-time of all, affordable.
Merely notation that they do come up in different sizes, from tiny sponge filters for nano tanks to large ones, so be sure to cull an advisable size for your aquarium.
1. Hikari Bacto-Surge sponge filter
| Size | Dimensions | Aquarium size |
|---|---|---|
| Mini | iii-1/4″ x 2-1/ii″ 10 2-five/viii″ | Upwardly to 10 gallons |
| Pocket-size | 5″ ten five″ x 4.13″ | Up to twoscore gallons |
| Big | five″ x 5″ x 6″ | Up to 75 gallons |
| Extra large | 6.5″ x half-dozen.5″ x viii″ | Upwardly to 125 gallons |
2. Hydro sponge filter
| Model | Dimensions | Aquarium size |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro Ii | 4″ x 2-3/4″ | Upwards to twenty gallons |
| Hydro III | 4″ ten iii-iii/iv″ | Up to 40 gallons |
| Hydro IV | iv″ x 4-three/4″ | Up to 80 gallons |
| Hydro 5 | 4″ x 5-3/4″ | Up to 125 gallons |
Best DIY Sponge Filter Foam – Swiss Tropicals Poret Foam
If you build your ain sponge filter, you want the all-time.
And, it doesn't get any meliorate than Swiss Tropical's Poret Cream.
Not only does it have a long life of 5-10 years, but it contains no flame retardants, mold inhibitors or plasticizers – chemicals you actually don't want to add to your fish tank.
Foam blocks and sheets are available in a variety of different shapes and sizes and PPI.
What's PPI?
Sponge filter foam is rated on a scale of pores per inch (PPI), the number of holes in the foam per inch.
The lower the PPI, the larger the holes. Ten PPI has 10 big holes in a square inch while 60 PPI has 60 smaller holes in the same surface area.
For an aquarium, 10 – thirty PPI is considered ideal. While the lower cease won't grab as much debris, it will clog slower. On the higher end, the sponge is great for filtering out tinier particles and polishing your water, but if it traps too many big debris, it could kill your bacteria.
Annihilation college than xxx PPI and you will find that the small holes will clog too quickly, requiring constant cleaning.
How exercise you clean a sponge filter?
Over time, your sponge filter will begin to clog.
And when this happens, a quick make clean is all it will take to get the sponge filter running every bit good every bit new.
The one affair you need to recall is:
Never clean a sponge filter with tap water!
A sponge filter contains bacteria essential to the health of your tank.
The chlorine in your tap water volition kill all this leaner, leaving you with a useless sponge.
While cleaning a sponge filter is easy plenty, there are a few things you need to be mindful of.
For instance, if you lot reach into your tank to grab the sponge filter, you are going to get out backside all the gunk information technology has collected and make a existent mess of your aquarium.
More mess to clean up. You don't desire that, practise you lot?
I personally clean my sponge filter during a water change.
And hither is exactly how I practise it:
Step 1: Grab a fish pocketbook
You know those numberless you lot brought your fish home in?
Well, those brand amazing filter cleaners.
I use ten" x 20" bags and ever like to keep a few near my tank because they come in handy!
two. Scoop upwards your sponge filter
At present, you desire to accept your fish purse and dunk it in your aquarium and get some water in the bag.
Adjacent, carefully scoop up your sponge filter from the lesser. With the bag opening above the water, disconnect the filter tube or pump line.
You will now take both your sponge filter and a generous amount of aquarium water within the handbag.
3. Squeeeeze the gunk out
It'due south time for the messy office. Shove your mitt inside the pocketbook and give the sponge a proficient squeezing, working at the surface with your fingers and thumb.
The water inside the bag will soon turn brown every bit the sponge releases all the gunk and crud into the bag.
Empty the water out into your sink and scoop in some more make clean aquarium water.
4. Repeat
Proceed doing this until the h2o in the bag is relatively clear. Information technology generally takes me iii-4 passes before I am satisfied that the sponge filter is "almost clean," and the water is mostly clear.
By cleaning your sponge filter in your aquarium water, rather than water with chlorine, your beneficial leaner will return to your tank alive and ready to remove ammonia and nitrites.
Information technology doesn't matter if your sponge filter still looks grimy, yous are never going to get the sponge filter as clean every bit the day you bought it.
Recall: The sponge filter merely has to exist functional, meaning it doesn't take to look like a work of fine art.
5. Render the sponge filter to your aquarium
Requite the sponge filter i last squeeze to remove all the water before returning information technology from your tank.
You may discover tiny pieces of gunk float off your sponge filter when you return it to your tank.
This is normal, and as long every bit you followed the steps above, information technology shouldn't be much at all. The sponge filter will suck these support once it'south operating once more.</p >
I notice that I accept a full month earlier my sponge filter needs to be cleaned again.
Determination
As you see, there are several amazing reasons why a sponge filter would make a nifty addition to your tank.
Exercise y'all apply a sponge filter? Let me know in the comments below!
Source: https://fishlab.com/sponge-filter/
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