Fishstore filters they use in their tanks?

captmicha

captmicha

Le tired.
Dec 6, 2006
2,052
0
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Maryland, USA
I see a lot of these sponge filters being used in the fish stores' tanks. How do you make them? I want to set up some cory breeding tanks and I think those would be ideal.

They look something like this (in general, not necessarily the large sized one): http://e-aquarium.com.au/images/sponge_filter_400.jpg

Won't the fry get sucked onto it and not be able to get off??
 
You don't make them. They are very cheap to just buy. If you have an air pump and don't need high flows, you squish the air out of the sponge while its under the water and hook the air pump to the air stone in the filter. The bubbles from the air stone move the water. If you want more flow, you put a power head into the large tube that comes out of the top of the filter instead of hooking up the air stone and presto you have a higher flowing filter.
This filter has the disadvantages of not being very pretty and there is no place to put carbon in it. Since I don't use carbon anyway, it works great for things like a breeder tank that is usually not a show piece anyway. They do need a period of time to cycle properly but you can do that by putting them in a cycled tank for a few weeks before you move them to their final home.
 
Okay... Is this how you make it? I have all this stuff lying around so I might as well make them instead of buying more filters.

Should I put holes in the lift tube over the air stone also?

Please don't make fun of me... :/

filter.JPG
 
I use a large pump and a gang valve (5 way splitter) and then just hook it to the premade sponge filter to filter 5 of my invert tanks. works great. That looks like it would work fine
 
[Should I put holes in the lift tube over the air stone also?]
Yes drill holes in the lift tube so water filters through the filter.
 
Thanks! I mean though, should I drill holes in the part of the lift tube that the aerator will be sitting in, like at the bottom of the lift tube?
 
You'll want holes in the part of the lift tube that is covered by the sponge, but no uncovered holes. The bottom of the lift tube should be capped/closed, otherwise most of the water will bypass the sponge...

IMHO, the lift tube should be as long as practical...maybe ~1" below your waterline. That will give you more "lift".
 
To my eye, it looks like the lift tube is not long enough. You want the area that is drawing in water below the air stone and the pressure created by the air stone in a solid part of the lift tube. The bubbles move up the tube bringing water with them, the water only really comes into the tube below where the bubbles start.
 
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