diy sponge filter. Judge the design please

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
S

skillzizzo

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Feb 18, 2007
908
36
61
45
Mesa - Arizona
Hey guys. I was reading the sticky on sponge filters the other day. I have never used one before and thought i would throw one together bored cleaning my jd's current grow out tank. I pretty much took a sponge out of a ac 20-50 gallon what ever size that is. carved a square hole out of the middle of it. a couple inches down and stuffed a filter pipe off of a emperor. and put a air line done down the tube to the end of the pipe. With a air stone on it. And put it in the tank. Pics below will show how far it goes down in the sponge. Like i said this is the first one i have ever used or mad. From what i understand the air is supposed to go up and pull the water through the sponge. Please check it out and let me know if this is a good ghetto design. And what i could change to make more efficent. Air pump running it is one inlet of a double inlet 20-60 gallon cheap air pump. As you can c from my pic of my filters i do not need this was seeing if i could just grasp the concept of how these run. then make something more perminent and better. Thankx in advance.

Jeff

I figured this would be better placed in the filtration setcion. If a mod feels it should be in the diy section feel free to move.

sponge filter heffe style 005.jpg

sponge filter heffe style 004.jpg

sponge filter heffe style 006.jpg

sponge filter heffe style 001.jpg

sponge filter heffe style 009.jpg

sponge filter heffe style 008.jpg
 
should work. I use to just take a knife stick it down in the center of the sponge sluide a tube in it and stick powerhead on it. Im probly gonna end up makeing some for my habitat
 
Hey Jeff,

Actually, I think it looks pretty good :) I like the square shape to sit in the corner better. For the most part, any of the sponge that is above the opening at the bottom of the lift tube isn't providing mechanical filtration. The water is being pulled "in and up". There might be a slight amount of water being pulled "down, through and up"...but not much if any. But, neverless, the excess sponge would be providing some bio filtration.

Maybe you could add some drilled holes on the side of the lift tube to give more "through filter" flow?

I'll be honest, I actually like it.
 
Should work. Looks just about like the set ups we used when under-gravel and sponge filters were state of the art. :)
 
WckedMidas;4817291; said:
should work. I use to just take a knife stick it down in the center of the sponge sluide a tube in it and stick powerhead on it. Im probly gonna end up makeing some for my habitat
Click to expand...

thanks for the comment. So in princeable its on the right track then. The only thing im thinking is that the air pump wouldnt be enough power to make it work properly, If it was a power head attached to it i wouldnt quistion it. In the sticky on these it never really says how powerfull of a air pump you need to make one work properly. I pulled out a couple power heads i had laying around to use. But there were jammed up i guess from not being used in a while so i did it like this. Only reason i am even attemting to try this out is to satisfy my own curriousity. And i liked the idea of if the power goes out you still have something collection bb you can run on batteries.
 
Looks like enough air. It doesn't take a lot as long as the sponge is not too clogged.
 
ninjastar;4817332; said:
I was wondering what do sponge filter do exactly and are they really effective??
Click to expand...

Gives some mechanical filtration but primarily provides surface aria for biological filtration. Probably only effective on its own for a nano tank but gives extra and a back up for other tanks
 
CLDarnell;4817298; said:
Hey Jeff,

Actually, I think it looks pretty good :) I like the square shape to sit in the corner better. For the most part, any of the sponge that is above the opening at the bottom of the lift tube isn't providing mechanical filtration. The water is being pulled "in and up". There might be a slight amount of water being pulled "down, through and up"...but not much if any. But, neverless, the excess sponge would be providing some bio filtration.

Maybe you could add some drilled holes on the side of the lift tube to give more "through filter" flow?

I'll be honest, I actually like it.
Click to expand...

thanks for the comments guys. wouldnt drilling holes in the tube lessan the draw of air that the tubes makes through the rest of the sponge. The top part of the sponge not doing anything doesnt matter to me. Only about a third or less of the sponge has the tube in it. Thankx for the comments
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom