Sponge Filters...

[beblondie]

see drawing

 

[Hooked Newbie]

I swear by sponge filters and would agree with TTAs comment about their mechanical ability. I'm running ten tanks (fry, shrimp, an breeders) off of one very large air pump and it works perfectly.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Unless you have it running on a powerhead or another filters intake, I'd say that they do not perform any kind of active mechanical filtration. Sure, random gunk & crap accumulates in and on them, but it isn't in any way drawn to the sponge to do a thorough job of mech. filtration.

I am sorry but this is absolutely an incorrect statement. Sponge filters, whether powered by air or by a powerhead create flow. The flow is from the water, through the sponge and up the uplift tube. Any and all mechanical waste in the water moves right along with the flow through the sponge. The mech waste is trapped while the water passes through.

This is the same way any filter that contains a sponge works whether it is a powerfilter, a canister filter or a sump. Mech filtration is accomplished by moving water through the sponge. It does not matter how the water is moved through the sponge for it to act as a mechanical filter, only that it is moved.

 

[Slappy*McFish]

I agree, sponge filters are excellent mechanical filters whether they are used as a prefilter or stand alone filter.

I use them as prefilters, myself...they trap and hold quite a bit of debris/mulm.

 

[gmh]

I agree sponge filters do a decent job as mechanical filters as well as biological. I ran one in my old 12 gallon Eclipse when it's pump started rattling and it did a great job. I took it out and rinsed in tank water every couple of weeks and a lot a gunk came out. I currently run a sponge in a 10 gallon Endler's livebearer tank. The downside is they take up room and are a bit messy to rinse out and hassle with the airline and pump.