Sponge filters

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You can do the sponge filter in theory and will work but so will you, meaning weekly squeezing the sponges clean under a strong faucet and gravel vacuum water changes twice a week, i keep rather large tanks so i have to use canister filters, When i had a rack system with 20gal longs i utilized the sponge system which was easier due to the amount of tanks i had running..

If you are looking for a cheap way of running a filter system it is the sponge but you will have to work weekly on maintenance, i use to run just 55gal standard tanks in the past and what i did was run two dual hang on the back filters on each tank and it worked fine for me..

The thing is this you will need to always do maintenance on your tanks either be water changes or cleaning filters, mechanical filters are less forgiving and you will have a little more lead way when it comes to mechanical vs sponge.. Either way have fun making your decision..
 
stephcps said:
I have run 55s with only sponge filters. I disagree strongly that they are only bio. Squeeze one into a bucket after a week...there is A LOT of gunk. But, you really need more than one in my opinion. I would run at least 2 but would also do twice a week water changes. My water quality was just as good as with my current HOB/cannister combos I run now. I just didn't care for the look of them. Easy...yes, cheap....yes, efficient..mostly yes, pretty....no! LOL
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I won't argue you do get mechanical filtration, but that isn't the intent of a sponge filter. Any mechanical filtration reduces water flow through the pores, subsequently reduces water contact of the nitrifiers, clogs substrate for new bacterial growth (a healthy colony should double in size every 14-20 hours at standard aquarium temps, allowing for differing rates of division for Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter), and increases the possibility of anaerobic zones within the sponge. The mechanical filtration is acheived at the potential reduction of biological filtration, so ultimately what is acheived? If the sponge filter is being relied upon as mechanical filtration, then it is being used incorrectly. Any mechanical filtration should be incidental. I'll "strongly" stand by my position that a sponge filter in a heavily stocked mbuna tank is the wrong way to go, and after thirty years in this hobby, I can't recommend a sponge filter for a 55 gallon tank, especially to someone who is new enough to the hobby to ask if a sponge filter is adequate.

A Penguin 350 is good for a 55 gallon tank. I'll readily admit I tend to filter heavily. I run one Emperror 400 and a Penguin 200 on each of my 55s. Yellow labs are great fish. Have fun with 'em!

WYite
 
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