Flowerhorn keeps eating Sponge Filter! Help!

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Aquatic Aggression said:
They will bite and attack things to occupy their time. He's just going to keep munching it down. Try to hide it? The fish is in the tank 24 hours a day I'm sure he's going to run into the sponge filter again eventually lol. You posted a picture of bits of the sponge coming out of the fish's behind.... How many more times do you think he's got before it totally blocks him up?
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Is this normal for flowerhorns in your experience? I only ask because I have seen many FH kept with sponge filters. The other wierd thing is this is only the second time I have seen this happen for the 7 months hes been in his tank (the filter was always in there). If I do remove it should I be worred about no having enough beneficial bacteria?
 
Yea it's totally normal. I don't even try and keep sponges with fh over 3" and if I could I would relocate heaters somewhere inaccessible to them too lol. What's the water volume of the tank? Ac70 filters flow about 300 gph so I would say as long as you are doing your regular water changes and gravel vacs you won't have any problems.
 
Aquatic Aggression said:
Yea it's totally normal. I don't even try and keep sponges with fh over 3" and if I could I would relocate heaters somewhere inaccessible to them too lol. What's the water volume of the tank? Ac70 filters flow about 300 gph so I would say as long as you are doing your regular water changes and gravel vacs you won't have any problems.
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Its a 50 tall, I change 30% percent change with gravel vac every week. Never knew this about FH, seen so many videos of them with sponges, i guess they are ornery little buggers lol
 
I've seen many videos of Asian breeders that have sponges that are all munched up with red colored food stuck all over them and the sponge filters usually don't even have lift tubes half the time. Pretty ineffective and doing more harm than good.
 
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Empyreal said:
I could cut a piece of egg-crate and caddy corner it, into the corner that the sponge filter is in. That would definitley keep him out, although would look very ugly lol. Thanks for the suggestions guys
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This could work

Sent from my SCH-R830C
 
Ping pong balls could also work or put a mirror on the side of the tank

Sent from my SCH-R830C
 
I have a Hydro Pro V sponge in my 120...the thing is huge. My FH doesn't nip at at because he can't get to it. It's wedged between the glass and driftwood. I however, had to hide the heater behind some plants after he broke the suction cup holder due to repeated bashings. :uhoh:
 
Thanks for the replies everyone. I didn't have driftwood large enough to totally block the whole thing so I took the sponge filter out during a water change. I keep the water pretty warm for him so I hope the flow from the AC70s are enough to oxygenate the water since the disruption from the sponge filter is now gone.

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