How A Sponge Filter Works

What Are Sponge Filters

A sponge filter works in the aquarium to filter biological wastes and byproducts, as well as providing substantial mechanical filtration of solid particles in the h2o. The way a sponge filter works is past cartoon water through a porous sponge material. The sponge not only traps physical droppings, its large porous surfaces serve every bit a home for colonies of benign, nitrifying bacteria, which filter biological waste into less toxic elements.

Pre-filters are another option, a sponge filter fitted directly to the intake of another filtration unit. While there are a few good options available in pre-filters, i tin can exist easily bootleg. Simply cut an advisable sponge to fit snugly over your intake vent on a HOB filter, or adhere to a powerhead leading to your canister filter.

I am non referencing box filters or internal filters in this series of articles on Sponge Filters, or other filter methods which can utilize a sponge, only strictly sponge filters, with the exception of the white Hagen Elite Sponge Filter and the Penn Plax Cascase Internal Filter which do likewise employ carbon cartridge inserts. The reason I include these two is considering although carbon cartidges can be utilized, many people choose to run them without the carbon. Though there is no open area for use of personal choice in media, the slots for the carbon inserts -left empty- may be suitable for the use of some other forms of filter media.

So these filters prevarication somewhere betwixt normal box filters, which are designed to accommodate your choice of media, other internal filters -which may or may not employ a sponge at all, and normal sponge filters. The blueprint is the sponge filter, plus a carbon insert which may or may not exist used.

An sectional sponge filter, nevertheless, 1 which utilizes the sponge equally its only filtration device, hopefully seeks to optimize the effectiveness of sponge filtration. Sponge filters are fairly like shooting fish in a barrel to brand on your own, and there are DIY articles in abundance on the subject. The over-all success of the sponge filter relies on a few principles, however, which should be kept in mind whether one is purchasing or making their own aquarium sponge filter.

Sponge Pre-Filters

How Aquarium Sponge Filters Work

Specifically, h2o is drawn through the sponge via the uplift caused past an air pump. An airstone is placed inside the sponge, with airline connected to an air pump. As air is expelled from the airline and rushes up out of the sponge and through a rigid tube towards the top of the aquarium, water is drawn along with it, pulled through the sponge and beingness filtered in the process.

Airpumps and Powerheads

Alternatively a power head can be used. A power head is basically a submersed water pump, pulling water up through the sponge. At that place's more to be said virtually both methods.

Information technology should be noted that well-nigh filtration systems do utilize some grade of sponge filtration. Any time water is filtered through a sponge -regardless of where in the filtration procedure or unit of measurement the sponge is placed- beneficial bacteria will course and biological and mechanical filtration will be happening there.

Why Choose a Sponge Filter for Your Aquarium

There are only two drawbacks of the sponge filter, so let'due south get them out of the manner earlier we accost the many positives. The first drawback is its complete lack of chemical filtration. Chemical filtration is typically achieved through the use of activated carbon, which absorbs chemicals in the water. A healthy, established tank -or even 1 started off correctly- is very unlikely to accept any harmful chemicals in its water, nevertheless, and the truth is, virtually aquarium enthusiasts practise not regularly carp with chemical filtration. They can usually rig a filter bag of carbon to a sponge filter when chemical filtration is needed, such as later medicating a fish.

Yet, it is a signal that should be understood. The sponge filter in no manner accomodates the use of any other filtration media. While a bit of carbon tin can be rigged temporarily on at least some models, and the white Hagen Elite model actually is made to use carbon cartridges, generally speaking there is little to no given space dedicated to media baskets or such.

The second drawback of the sponge filter is its unsightliness. They are not pretty, and are best placed somewhat hidden within the tank. This is hands done with plants, rocks or other tank décor.

The Moisture/Dry Biowheel Myth

Sponge filters tend to take a dismal reputation among many aquarists, despite their strength as a biological filter and their utilization of the time tested uplift principle. At the same fourth dimension, sponge filters are a regular and highly praised tool amongst many of the more serious fishkeepers in the manufacture. Used by professionals and dedicated enthusiasts alike, only still snubbed by your average aquarist.

This may be partly due to their simplicity, they're not at all the latest high-tech, but their unpopularity is as well no doubt due to a misapprehension contributed to by the advance of wet/dry filtration. Wet/dry filtration preaches the need of oxygen for successful breeding of benign bacteria, thus advancing the auction of wet/dry filtration systems such equally the Biowheel.

However, many argue that the oxygen content in a healthy tank is quite sufficient for the chore, this is proven to be true, and that wet/dry systems endure from loss of breeding surface due to the buildup of mineral deposits. Indeed, independent testing by enthusiasts has supported the merits that sponge filters are much more effective biological filters.

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Tedious Menses Sponge Filters

Slower Flow Tanks, Hospital Tanks, Breeding & Fry Tanks, and Emergency Tanks

Clearly there are circumstances nether which a sponge filter is hands-down the best choice of filtration. In fry tanks, sponge filters utilizing sponges with tiny pores is going to exist much less detrimental to your fry population.

They're also often the preferred selection of betta keepers, or other keepers of fancier fish. Sponge filters pose no risk to their long flowing fins and tails.

The slower menses rate associated with air-pump driven sponge filters is more suitable to smaller tanks, and less disturbing to fish species who dislike strong flows, such every bit bettas, neon tetras and african dwarf frogs. Plant life is also less at risk with a sponge filter than with many other aquarium filter systems.

The ease of use and maintenance also makes sponge filters corking for hospital tanks, breeding tanks, and other temporarily used tanks which 1 would not wish to accept to spend likewise much time maintaining on a regular basis. Many fishkeepers will utilize pieces of existing, used sponges to seed a filter in an emergency tank.

Sponge Filter as Supplementary Filter

While many experience that a sponge filter is quite adequate an aquarium filtration on its own, especially in smaller tanks, many other aquarists prefer to utilise a sponge filter in conjunction with other filtration, such every bit a canister filter unit, HOB unit of measurement or internal box unit to utilize other types of filter media. In this style they get the best of both worlds, the chemical and mechanical filtration of the secondary filter, as well every bit the superior biological filtration of the sponge filter.

This also gives redundancy to the amount of filtration, providing that additional, over the minimum, boost. Back-upwards filtration is also provided, in case of dysfunction in one or the other or to alternate media changes. Another do good is that ane or the other can be quickly moved to set up an emergency tank whenever necessary.

Low Price And Ease of Employ and Maintenance of Sponge Filters

The ease of use is shut to unbeatable with sponge filters, they are always self-starting, and there are generally no cartridges to continue up with or change. All the aquarist demand do is make clean the sponge every week or two, depending on their bioload.

This is done in dechlorinated water, to avoid killing off the good bacteria. Typically the sponge is removed during regular h2o changes, and rinsed off in removed tank h2o. Removed tank h2o will as well be a good temperature for the beneficial leaner colonies, not too hot or too cold, which tin can likewise impale off the useful bacteria.

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A pull a fast one on that makes this procedure even easier is to use a sandwich handbag over your manus, or a safety glove. Rinse the sponge out in the removed tank water, and then squeeze out. Repeat the process several times until no more residue is beingness expelled. That'due south information technology, really. All the maintenance a sponge filter ever needs.

Of course, the sponge will demand replaced every one time in a while. How often depends on the quality of the sponge, the bioload of the tank, and whether or not any of your tank critters like to nibble on it. But if one is called to change the sponge more oft than every six months, it'southward probably a sign of a poor quality sponge. Sometimes a sponge can concluding for years.

The replacement sponges never toll more than a few dollars, and the sponge filter units themselves are extremely inexpensive. This adds to their appeal, the lack of demand for frequent replacement cartridges non simply reduces the maintenance, but saves the aquarist quite a bundle in costs. So sponge filters are a fantastic, highly constructive, low toll filtration system, by themselves or as cheap supplement to other filtration.

Await into my follow-up articles on this subject, Best Design Principles For A Sponge Filter, DIY or Otherwise, and Ownership Sponge Filters, Prefilters, and Sponge Filter Parts.

Don Pratt from United states on Dec 14, 2018:

Good information indeed! I use sponge filters in my shrimp tank and sponge pre-filters on the intakes of my breeding tanks and display tank. I have used just nearly every type of aquarium filter in the hobby over the concluding 40 years and each 1 has its pro and con it seems. Thank you.

maggie on Oct 24, 2011:

bright helpful info, i've got 14 dalmation molly fry to rear in my small-scale tank, the filter that came free with small tank went and 'chewed up' some of the fry only i've at present got a handmade sponge filter that works really well with an air pump, the fry seem to be growing well they as well like to peck at the sponge a lot many thanks for information and knowledge.

Tamarind on May 17, 2010:

Lots of neat information about filtration. Thanks for sharing.