filter changes

[glittergirl]

I have a 'Fluval' filter with a sponge filter. How often should I wash out the sponge? Up to now, I have cleaned it whenever it looked a bit mucky (I have used tank water so as not to kill the nitrifying bacteria), but am not sure when I should do this on a regular basis. My tank has now been going for about 5 weeks and the ammonia and nitrites are down to zero, so I don't want them to start climbing again. Can anyone give me some pointers?

[OrionGirl]

I rinse my sponges with each water change. I make sure there isn't any gunk on them, so the flow isn't being limited. It's best to avoid replacing the sponge, since you will lose bacteria. If possible, run 2 sponges at a time, so you can replace just one if needed.

For frequency of rinsing, you shoul dbe just fine following your current pattern. The bacteria are not likely to be rinsed loose, though chlorine/chloramine can be harmful in high concentration or long exposure.

[glittergirl]

Thanks!

[blade929]

i agree with the above run 2 sponges, but if your fluval sponge is big enough then cut it in half. you can then clean each half at alternate times good luck. :)

[thom336]

What fluval you got? The fluval plus internal filter series from 2 onwards have a flow indicator, so you know when it is in need of cleaning. That said it is best to do it with every water change like mentioned already. Also the fluval plus 2, 3 & 4 each have two sponges anyway, so that you can replace one side, and then the other at a later date. There is also space inbetween for extra media...and yes, I do truely love fluvals...

[ChilDawg]

From memory, it seems as though we checked the sponges in our school's Tilapia lab daily, and cleaned them almost every few hours, but those were way overstocked, and we did excessive and frequent water changes, so I guess that we cleaned the sponges with each change. The flow of water over the sponge will only slough off excessive and dying layers of bacteria, leaving the fresh stuff clinging to them tightly, so, unless the water is chlorinated and chloraminated to an excessive degree (as OG said), you should be fine with a quick rinse and a little wringing out of excess moisture each water change.

[val]

If you don't feel like cutting the sponge in two, I rinse my sponges and other media in the water I've siphoned out of the tank. This seems to be just fine for me.

Val

[glittergirl]

I've just looked at the blurb that came with my tank. The filter is actually a 'Rena Filstar I1 - I2' (can't remember why I thought it was Fluval, is it the same thing?).
Anyway, it only has 1 sponge in it. I don't really understand the reasoning behind having 2 sponges in the tank. Would they be inside the filter, or would one be outside of it?

[ChilDawg]

Hagen makes Fluval, and Aquarium Pharmaceuticals makes the Rena FilStar, so they're not the same.

The two sponge thing...I think that's insurance against losing the entire bacterial colony in the sponge, but as long as you follow what was said above, you would likely be fine using the same sponge for a while (just make sure to start a new one before you get rid of the old one...I think having it in contact with gravel would be fine???

[thom336]

Originally posted by ChilDawg
Hagen makes Fluval, and Aquarium Pharmaceuticals makes the Rena FilStar, so they're not the same.

Rena have been recently bought out by Mars (and yes...I mean the nestle chocolate bar). Also, if your interested, Tetra recently went independent.

[ChilDawg]

They did? I thought that they were still part of the Warner-Lambert conglomerate.