Sponge Filter Warning

[Silurian]

For those of us who use air driven sponge filters of various types to use in small tanks, there is one thing to be aware of espcially in fry tanks or tanks with smaller sized fish like neons, cardinals etc.

The sponge filters even when fully soaked with water, can have a tendency to drift up off the tank/bucket bottom and bob up and down. This is especially true with a lot of airflow through the lift tube. I have had the experience of fish getting trapped underneath the sponge filter with the unfortunate end result.

So in order to alleviate this problem, I take a small PVC straight fitting, epoxy it to the bottom plastic piece of the sponge filter, and then epoxy a suction cup to the other end of the PVC piece.

The end result is a standoff which can be suctioned to the bottom of the tank/bucket. The pvc piece should be small enough to allow the suction cup to be glued to it, yet still allow it enough flexibility to do it's job.

Thus the sponge is held in place and fish can take refuge under it without being crushed from it bobbing around.

[Silurian]

Or you could just use the quick and easy method...put a rock on the sponge filter to keep it down. :D

[ewok]

or the really easy way is to buy one with a weighted base....... ;) :D

[matty150]

if your talkin about the hydro sponge brand, the best way to make em sink is to squeeze em a few times in the water so it sucks up some water. the hydro sponges have a tendency to float when you first put em in because they have air trapped inside. also hydro sponges usually come epuipped with a wieghted bottom.

[Silurian]

Oh yaaa, good idea. But apparently the weighted base ones here have been outlawed. They prefer to sell products that will kill your fish so you come back and buy more fish. lol

No...was not talking about the big ugly hydro sponge. I was talking about the smaller ones shaped like hockey pucks eh. Even when you squeeze them to get them waterlogged, they can still dance around if you shoot enough air through that uplift tube.

The packages should have a warning....just like everything else these days..."warning! sponge may dance and squash your fish"

I'm writing a letter to the sponge filter manufacturers!

;)

[TKOS]

I use the heavy rock method. My betta used to try his best to find out what was under the box.

[Rometiklan]

I usually only use the hockey puck shaped sponge filters in small fry/hatching tanks. I never let the sponge touch the bottom of the tank. I grab the air hose and I pull the sponge filter up about an inch off the bottom of the tank to prevent any fry from getting trapped underneath. Then I just tape the air hose to the outside of the aquarium glass to prevent the filter from sinking back down. I'm not worried too much about aesthetics in a fry tank.