How does one clean a Sponge Filter?

[tigerbarbsdance]

Could someone please tell me how you clean these and how often? (I have Azoo corner sponges)

The directions on the box are so unclear, it says to clean them in tank temp water. Does that mean with the tank water that you remove when cleaning or seperate declorinated water?

Do you swish them, or squeeze them?

What about the ones in the Filter Boxes, like the square ones in the Whispers? They do not provide good directions either. I don't want to mess things up.

:confused:

[OrionGirl]

I clean my sponges in either the old tank water, or in clean, de-chlorinated water. I scrub and twist and schrunch until I can't see anymore detritus coming out of them. They aren't perfect, but they don't have anything visible stuck on the surface. I do this each time I do a water change--so once a week at least.

I tend not to use any cartidges--I cut sponges to fit the area instead. On the one tank that used to have a cartridge, I did the same thing--ran it under water, scrubbing with my fingers, until I couldn't see any more gunk coming off.

As long as you aren't soaking them, the chlorinated water should NOT cause problems to a healthy, mature bacteria colony. If this is the tank that's still spiking, I would only clean off any visible detritus.

(Sorry--had to add the NOT--I goofed on the first round!)

[wetmanNY]

Just a note, which might be obvious: when flushing cartridges under the coldwater tap, you should be back-flushing-- running the water over the (cleaner) downstream side. I keep slapping the cartridge against the utility sink to dislodge gunk.

Cartridges don't have to be carefully rinsed in tapwater the way you did when you were cycling the tank. The biofilter is all through your system now. The cartridge is just the mechanical filter. A sponge filter, by contrast, is a concentrated biofilter: you have to be careful not to kill its bacteria.

HTH

[ChilDawg]

OG, Chlorine should or should NOT cause problems? I am going to guess that you meant should not, since we used to use chlorinated water in the fish lab, actually soaked the sponges before re-wringing them, and then put them back, and the only fishkills involved people forgetting to turn filters back on and people turning off the heat.

[RTR]

In an established tank, tap water rinses at tank temp and water conditions should not have any detectable effect on the biofilters - and that comes from Dr. Paul Loiselle of Cichlid fame. In a cycling tank, I'd use old tank water or dechlorinated water. I'd personally be afraid to soak the sponges if they were biofilter, but I have never tested it.

[tigerbarbsdance]

Thank you guys for all the info!

I will not be touching that sponge in the 40 gallon anytime too soon, Oriongirl, yikes I do not be needing anymore problems at the moment. The sponge wasn't in there before, I just added it Sat. Soaked it for a few hours in my 46 and then placed it in the 40.

Interesting Oriongirl that you do not use filters cartridges, that works ok? Perhaps I could add a sponge to the extra basket in the 330 Penguin. (I use filter floss in the extra cartridge holders in my Emperor 400.)

Need to clarify one thing, sponges should more then likely not be soaked but can be squeezed and rinsed? Am I correct on this?

[ChilDawg]

Go with OG on that...squeezed and rinsed will rid the thing of all the poop which it carries, but won't kill the bacteria. I talked with some people from home, and we apparently did the sponges wrong when we soaked them in water...and the teacher apparently was not too happy when people had done that, though I never knew. The good news which I was told was that there were dechlorination devices on the fishhouse taps...don't understand dynamics, but... I guess it makes sense now that I have some personal fishkeeping experience and a good board full of smart people.

[tigerbarbsdance]

Thank you very much for all of the great advice. Will be cleaning those sponges with confidence now! :D