Just have a question. I have tanks from 75 on down to 5 gallons. Can I operate any of them with just a sponge filter. Currently I have power filters on 11 of them and a canister (Rena Xp2) on my one 75 planted. I'm doing another 55 planted. If not can I use a power filter without carbon, say with just those microsponges. As I hear carbon in a planted tank isn't a great idea bc it takes nutrients out of the water. And would it be safe to remove the chemical media from my canister for the plants?
sponge filters
- Thread starter Brentw132
- Start date
Tanks are EASILY able to be filtered by just sponge filters. Anyone who thinks differently hasn't tried it.
I wouldn't say to use them on your main tanks, but if you have a couple grow out, hospital, or fry tanks, especially in the range you're talking about, they're more than enough.
I wouldn't say to use them on your main tanks, but if you have a couple grow out, hospital, or fry tanks, especially in the range you're talking about, they're more than enough.
I have never used one alone in a tank, but I have them in all of my other tanks as supplemental filters. I have seen them used alone in smaller tanks at LFS (29 and smaller)
aclockworkorange;4641533; said:
Sorry to shoot you down, but I have tried it. I don't rely on it as my main source of filtration because you have to constantly rinse it off. Aside from that a canister filter is much more reliable than any sponge filter you can find, I will give you credit for hospital/rearing tanks though.
JC_P;4642181; said:
I agree that they are not advisable as a sole source of filtration, but comparing a sponge filter to a canister isn't even fair. Price, capabilities, function....not even close.
in my 100 gallon tank for many months the ONLY filtration was 4 ATI Hydro V foam filters driven by 2 air pumps. i did weekly 25 gallon water changes. sponge filters are great bio and mechanical filtration and you hardly ever have to replace them.
when you do your water change you squeeze them out in the old tank water and put them back. i generally change them about once a year unless they get so clogged that they start looking like an hour glass. i also change the air stones in the filter about once a year, might have to do that more often in hard water areas.
they are cheap and VERY effective.
my son has a 15 gallon tank in his room with ONE ATI Hydro V spong filter and a small air pump. it's been there for 3 years and the filter sponge has never needed to be changed.
when you do your water change you squeeze them out in the old tank water and put them back. i generally change them about once a year unless they get so clogged that they start looking like an hour glass. i also change the air stones in the filter about once a year, might have to do that more often in hard water areas.
they are cheap and VERY effective.
my son has a 15 gallon tank in his room with ONE ATI Hydro V spong filter and a small air pump. it's been there for 3 years and the filter sponge has never needed to be changed.
Thought I would share these then:
(the first pic is all 40 gallon breeder tanks, the second is 29 gallon tanks)
These are photos of my old work... Huge wholesale freshwater fish distributor. As of last year, they changed ALL their tanks to sponge filters as the sole method of filtration. There are four rows of tanks like this 40-90 gallons in size), plus 3 other rows of smaller tanks (most 55 to 20 long), housing everything from neons to stingrays, and an entire row of breeding African cichlids that are not for sale and never move (tanks anywhere from 220 gallons to 75 gallons).
So if sponge filters cannot act as the sole method of filtration in a tank, someone might want to give them a call and let them know.
(the first pic is all 40 gallon breeder tanks, the second is 29 gallon tanks)
These are photos of my old work... Huge wholesale freshwater fish distributor. As of last year, they changed ALL their tanks to sponge filters as the sole method of filtration. There are four rows of tanks like this 40-90 gallons in size), plus 3 other rows of smaller tanks (most 55 to 20 long), housing everything from neons to stingrays, and an entire row of breeding African cichlids that are not for sale and never move (tanks anywhere from 220 gallons to 75 gallons).
So if sponge filters cannot act as the sole method of filtration in a tank, someone might want to give them a call and let them know.