Please tell me about sponge filters

[vanillarum]

I plan on starting a grow out tank in the very near future, and I am wondering what type of filter I should use in it ? It will probably be a 15 or 20L size. I was curious as to what type of sponge filters (if it is sponge filters) you guys and girls use, and if it is a sponge, what do you use for an air pump ? I have never used anything but an HOB filter on any of my tanks, and I know nothing about sponge filters. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanx.

[botia]

I use azoo oxygen plus #1 in most of my smaller tanks I think they are suitable up to thirty gallons plus they give you extra sponge in box I usually use a whisper 30-60 air pump so I can run two different tanks with same pump since it has two outlets

[pinkertd]

I use HOB's in my fry growouts without issue. What kind of fry and why don't you want to use the HOB's?

[msjinkzd]

I use hydro pro sponge filters (http://www.atisponge.com/Products/HydroSpongePro/tabid/78/Default.aspx). I like these because of the porous nature of the sponge, there is much less rinsing needed and they rarely to never occlude.

Here is an article on how they work: http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/sponge_filtration.html


As for what pump, that depends on how many tanks, what tank size, what tank depth, your budget, etc. Hope that helps some!

I use about 25 different spongese right now and will soon be transitioning all tanks but 3 to only sponge filtration. As you can tell, I am a fan.

[SubRosa]

I like the Lustar Hydrosponge line. They're usable with air or powerheads, and are modular so you can stack them if needed. They have a nice weighted base that keeps them off the bottom making cleaning the bottom a bit easier as well. If you're only talking about single tank then an HOB is a good option but if you have multiple tanks for grow out a good air pump can drive several sponges and use alot less electricity that a bunch of HOBs.

[pinkertd]

If you're growing out small fry like cories and bristlenose plecos and feeding heavy and feeding extremely fine foods and pellets that dissolve into a lot of tiny particles, don't the sponges have to get very dirty very fast in smaller tanks? Maybe it's not an issue in larger tanks. My 10G fry nurseries that have aquaclears on with a prefilter on the intake tube need to be rinsed, and rinsed deeply and very well, a few times a week. And the prefilters have to be lifted off with a ziploc bag around them so as not to drop any dirt into the water as they are lifted. I'm able to rinse them in tap water as much as I want without having to go through a ton of dechlor because my biological filter media is in the HOB's, so I'm not depending on the little sponge prefilters for that. In my 10G pleco fry nursery where they spend the first3-4 weeks, the zucchini has to be large enough for about 50 fry to feed on it and soft enough for their tiny mouths to be able to eat it. When that starts to fall apart, the sponge prefilter gets a bit "heavy" or "thick" from the zucchini getting mushy. I find the prefilters necessary but messy with fry tanks. After a month the plecos and cory fry go into 29G tanks for growout with an HOB. The prefilter isn't needed to keep the fry out of the Marineland biowheels. I do, however, have to keep prefilters on my aquaclears forever where I have ember tetras. In the dark tank at night they get sucked into the aquaclears even as adults. The prefilters in my large tanks that are used for keeping fish out don't get anywhere near as dirty as the fry tanks because of the different types of food used.

[SubRosa]

I keep two in each tank and clean one every two weeks whether it "needs" it or not. Plus sponge filters provide a good food source for tiny fry because of the microfauna that grows on them.

[thesixis]

I use hydro pro sponge filters (http://www.atisponge.com/Products/HydroSpongePro/tabid/78/Default.aspx). I like these because of the porous nature of the sponge, there is much less rinsing needed and they rarely to never occlude.

Here is an article on how they work: http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/sponge_filtration.html


As for what pump, that depends on how many tanks, what tank size, what tank depth, your budget, etc. Hope that helps some!

As you can tell, I am a fan.

I agree 100%
I use them in all of my fry and breeder.

[pinkertd]

But are you using them in small tanks (20 and under)?

[coach_z]

rarely to never occlude.
MsJ: A+ for great word usage!:clap:

[msjinkzd]

But are you using them in small tanks (20 and under)?


Yes, I use them in tanks from 10g-30g. I feed fine foods (crushed flake, those pearl jobbies, bbs, and veggie pellets). The reason I choose the pro line of sponges is that the openings in the cell of the sponge are coarser and less dense. This prevents them from occluding as fast.


regular hydro and typical sponge material:
http://aim.search.aol.com/search/redir?src=image&s_req=bfdf526c5c6e0b3f&s_cq=hydro+sponge&s_cid=229941810395038257283829537631417009446&s_cim=1257778260591&s_cu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.americanaquariumproducts.com %2Fimages%2Fgraphics%2Fhydrospongethree.jpg&s_cd=ImgDet&s_cm=image_details.M.xml


pro line:
http://aim.search.aol.com/search/redir?src=image&s_req=6dbc61f5b9c719ae&s_cq=hydro+sponge+pro&s_cid=102908572820499121853317277511921607848&s_cim=1257778364763&s_cu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.americanaquariumproducts.com %2Fimages%2Fgraphics%2Fhydrospongefivepro.jpg&s_cd=ImgDet&s_cm=image_details.M.xml

I also put a diffusor inside the body of hte sponge filter (to the bottom of where the airline attaches, there is a pic in my first link in my previous post showing this).

I really find the pro line to be far superior. I just bought all the replacement pro sponges from kensfish to replace my original series. The difference for me and the time it does to do maintenance (since I have them on 20 or so tanks) is phenomenal.

[thesixis]

But are you using them in small tanks (20 and under)?


My fry tanks are 5, 10 and 15 gallon

[vanillarum]

All good stuff gang, thanx. Debbi, to answer your question, they are L400 fry, but they won't be going into the grow out tank til spring. They will be about 6 months old by then. The tank will probably be a 15 or 20L. I may end up going with an AC or an Emperor 280, which is one of the 2 filters I have on my other 20Ls (with AC 30s also). I would imagine since the fry are not egg sac sized, there will be no necessity for a sponge filter. Thanx again. I'm still learnin' !