Filtering question

[Drstrangelove]

For me, the selling point for HOB's is the convenience of cleaning them. Convenient cleaning for some people (me included) means a filter which will be more highly maintained. There's simply no excuse for not taking 1 minute to swap out dirty floss or to rinse out a clogged sponge.

I didn't only use HOB's, but on tanks where I had two, it was just too easy to clean them.

I know sponge filters work great. It's like the internal DIY power head filters. They are amazing. But when I used to be a lazy fish keeper, I'd let the sponge filter get clogged too often and for too long. A filter that isn't maintained isn't good, imo, no matter what type it is.

 

[duanes]

I often just stick a sponge on the intake of HOB or any other filter (mostly in fry tanks).
With my messy cichlids though, I found I needed to squeeze out sponges daily, but because that got rid of nitrate precursors before they get a chance to break down, to me, the daily cleanings seem to be a good thing. And a gentle daily squeeze, never seemed to have an impact on the bacteria in the sponge.

 

[tlindsey]

For me, the selling point for HOB's is the convenience of cleaning them. Convenient cleaning for some people (me included) means a filter which will be more highly maintained. There's simply no excuse for not taking 1 minute to swap out dirty floss or to rinse out a clogged sponge.

I didn't only use HOB's, but on tanks where I had two, it was just too easy to clean them. I know sponge filters work great, but when I used to be a lazy fish keeper, I'd let the sponge filter get clogged too often and for too long. A filter that isn't maintained isn't good no matter what type it is.

I agree you can't be lazy with sponge filters lol.

 

[skjl47]

And a gentle daily squeeze, never seemed to have an impact on the bacteria in the sponge.

Hello; I agree with this.

 

[mattison187]

When you need to filter alot of small tanks in one area is where sponge filters are the way to go. With a decent air pump you can filter a dozen growout tanks with minimal electricity used.

 

[J. H.]

I heard some people say that sponge filters can be pretty noisy, /QUOTE]
If you set them up right, with an L shaped updraft tube at about the waterline and an airstone inside, they can be quiet, but not as silent as a well run canister.

Might be a good idea to put a check valve in the line or as I do run a loop of air line about two feet above the top of my tanks. That way I hope to avoid having a siphon start if the power goes off or a line comes loose in the basement. I have had air lines siphon out a tank in the distant past. Lesson learned.

I learned my lesson too, I flooded my dormroom once : )

For me, the selling point for HOB's is the convenience of cleaning them. Convenient cleaning for some people (me included) means a filter which will be more highly maintained. There's simply no excuse for not taking 1 minute to swap out dirty floss or to rinse out a clogged sponge.

I find sponged easier to clean. I actually run a chunk of sponge for both bio and mech in my guppy tank for this reason.

I often just stick a sponge on the intake of HOB or any other filter (mostly in fry tanks).
With my messy cichlids though, I found I needed to squeeze out sponges daily, but because that got rid of nitrate precursors before they get a chance to break down, to me, the daily cleanings seem to be a good thing. And a gentle daily squeeze, never seemed to have an impact on the bacteria in the sponge.

I find this issue can be solved by running a sponge and box filter in tandem. The box has little or no media, and so a higher flow rate than the sponge and does your mech for you. Here is a drawing of what I mean