Does anyone use a sponge filter as secondary filtration?
Mrfister1116
I use a sling filter as my only filter in my fw puffer tank and my snail breeding bucket, I’m pretty happy with the results, depending on how heavily you plant I don’t find flow to be that big of a concern on what I’d consider your moderately stocked tank. Worst thing about adding a sponge filter is it will increase surface agitation stealing co2 from your plants, again depends how heavily planted you’re going. I have a cascade 300 hob on my 55 gallon planted tank now and 4 angels, 14 mollies, 3 zebras, pleco, 1 galaxy danio, one black neon tetra, and a few endlers and my parameters stay perfectly fine, but it’s massively planted at this point and almost carpeted by amazon swords
FishRFriendz
I run two filters on the majority of my tanks. Most of them are HOB+sponge. One is HOB+canister. All of them have prefilter sponges tho so I'm essentially running sponges on everything.
The air driven sponge filters are a very nice backup since air pumps use up very little energy for the number of filters they can power. So I put the air pump on a 400VA(255W) UPS battery backup and when I have power outages it will continue to run for hours even on the cheapest of UPS. I use a Whisper Air 100 which I recall on paper used just 4.8W. I'm only covering for the pretty common 1-2 hour outtages we get around here, so I just picked a fairly cheap option for UPS.
The flow rate will vary with how much air you put through the sponge and the diameter of the airlift tube.
The air driven sponge filters are a very nice backup since air pumps use up very little energy for the number of filters they can power. So I put the air pump on a 400VA(255W) UPS battery backup and when I have power outages it will continue to run for hours even on the cheapest of UPS. I use a Whisper Air 100 which I recall on paper used just 4.8W. I'm only covering for the pretty common 1-2 hour outtages we get around here, so I just picked a fairly cheap option for UPS.
The flow rate will vary with how much air you put through the sponge and the diameter of the airlift tube.
Splaker
- Thread Starter
- #4
I've add several plants with the hope of created a moderate to heavily planted tank...
What do you think of this as a backup for my 65? I have no idea what the flow rate is on something like this though...
What do you think of this as a backup for my 65? I have no idea what the flow rate is on something like this though...
FishRFriendz
Sponge filter specs always seem to over rate the volume that they can filter. On a 65 I'd say you would have to run a few of these if it were your primary filtration. But since it's not the only filtration, anything should be fine. On a 65 I think having 4 or so of them would work but they do take up a lot of horizontal space, so a 6x6x19″ poret tower or corner sponge would be better but expensive.
Splaker
- Thread Starter
- #6
This would definitely not be a primary filter. I have an HOB
angelcraze
Yes that's fine It would provide some extra biological filtration and oxygen in the water. Go bigger for more bio filtration, but as a secondary thing, it is just fine The rate will depend on your air pump, which just has to break the water surface with bubbles.
FishRFriendz
I just remembered, the one you linked can also disassembled and combined, making them taller.
Islandvic
Using a sponge filter in a tank I'd always good thing to have. My tanks all have sponge filters to supplement the primary filter.
Are you in US or Canada ? I ask because some items are not available in Canada, so I don't want to reference a product that is not available to you
Are you in US or Canada ? I ask because some items are not available in Canada, so I don't want to reference a product that is not available to you
Splaker
- Thread Starter
- #11
Canada... toronto area
qquake2k
I never have, never needed them. They take up room in the tank, and the airlines are "fiddly".
FinalFins
I'm 100% with sponge Right now. HOB's are annoying, don't provide enough water circulation and just are ugly on the back. Plus you need to cut out holes in the aquarium lid.
But points for being silent.
But points for being silent.
Islandvic
If you ever need to set up a quick quarantine or hospital tank, have a spare 5 gallon bucket on hand and a small cheap heater. Then throw in a cycled sponge filter from your tank, and you have a instantly cycled temporary tank.
Perfect to use to quarantine a new fish for a week before placing it in your tank, or to pull a sick fish out of main tank and place it in your hospital bucket to medicate it.
I've done it before and it works well.
Just another reason to have a sponge filter
Perfect to use to quarantine a new fish for a week before placing it in your tank, or to pull a sick fish out of main tank and place it in your hospital bucket to medicate it.
I've done it before and it works well.
Just another reason to have a sponge filter
altwitch
For my part I have used spongies as my secondary in 120 gallon since I needed them when my Eheim (spit, zero customer support) abruptly failed. Saved a significant # of fish that would have died otherwise. Have used both a powerhead+vinyl tubing setup (advantage is quiet run) as well as air pump setup which I like better except for the noise. Smaller air pumps are quieter but never silent, just a vague hum from vibrations I assume. My preferred sponge is the HOB model with two arms and extendable vent on the top but I've used bottom round ones as well and they're fine but take up more space than I liked. Agree with comment about HOB being ugly, but I just hide mine behind plants or scape and no problems.
Good luck with it whatever you decide.
Good luck with it whatever you decide.
Wydowmayker
I may go in for overkill. I have a 40 gallon tank loaded with bottom feeders, shrimp, crabs, yo-yo loaches, a school of danios, mollies and crayfish.
I have a few plants, but I had the wrong lights to get much going.
I have an under gravel filter with 2 power heads and an air stone on the three up shoots.
I have the H.O.B. Filled with volcano stone, so, so far no sponges. But I have a huge sponge on the downspout of the H.O.B.
I also have one of those plastic filters with several filter materials and media in them, with an air line, and a long plastic spout that goes up.
I figure that way, I can pull out the sponge or the plastic filter to start a new tank, or quarantine tank.
I have 30 aquariums, and there is a sponge filter of some sort in everyone of them, as most are fry tanks. I also bought some tiny hobs for each of them, a sponge on downspouts, and stone media in all the hobs.
Sorry, I probably talked too long, lol
I have a few plants, but I had the wrong lights to get much going.
I have an under gravel filter with 2 power heads and an air stone on the three up shoots.
I have the H.O.B. Filled with volcano stone, so, so far no sponges. But I have a huge sponge on the downspout of the H.O.B.
I also have one of those plastic filters with several filter materials and media in them, with an air line, and a long plastic spout that goes up.
I figure that way, I can pull out the sponge or the plastic filter to start a new tank, or quarantine tank.
I have 30 aquariums, and there is a sponge filter of some sort in everyone of them, as most are fry tanks. I also bought some tiny hobs for each of them, a sponge on downspouts, and stone media in all the hobs.
Sorry, I probably talked too long, lol
Attachments
qquake2k
Wow, 30 aquariums?
Wydowmayker
I either have a big hobby, or very small breeding set up, lol
I still have ten more tanks coming. I am converting my office into a fish room.
I still have ten more tanks coming. I am converting my office into a fish room.
qquake2k
Where do you find the time? I have three, and barely have the time to take care of them.
Wydowmayker
I’m retired, but my hubby still works full time. So I gave some spare time. It helps that I used to breed and sell fish a few years ago. Experience does help, but you are always learning.
BettaNgold
I too run sponge filters along with my HOB’s. I had a situation just this summer where I was camping and had a sitter caring for my pets. She called to say that my Aqua Clear was making a funny noise. I was able to tell her just to unplug it until I got home since I had the sponge filter too. I like having back ups in the tanks.
