Finally made the move to Sponge Filters

Hello FL...

After years in the "Water keeping" hobby, I finally made the move to sponge filters. I keep several larger tanks and the weekly maintenance and periodic media replacement involved with the HOB filters I used was just too time consuming. For around $10.00 including shipping, I've been using Huijukon Double sponge filters in place of the HOBs. The sponge filters are easy to clean and have no moving parts, they simply need to be attached to a reasonably powerful air pump with a length of plastic tubing. A good air pump will cost about $25.00 shipped. this is much less than the cost of a good HOB filter. The only noise may come from a low humming sound from the air pump. The company makes sponge filters for tanks in excess of 50 gallons.

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HI !

I was wondering about sponge filters myself, are they sufficient enough with larger volume tanks? I have only used sponge filters for smaller grow out tanks. I do love my AC 110 that is on my 40 gallon but if sponge filters can do the same amount of work and not sacrifice my water quality, it's something I may look into.

 

A good prefilter sponge (like a Hydor II Sponge) on the intake of my HOBs means almost no weekly maintenance for the HOB. I don't even bother cleaning the sponge these days, only when it gets really clogged, which is like once a months or less often. No annoying air pump noise this way either. I have prefilter sponges on all my HOBs.

 

HI !

I was wondering about sponge filters myself, are they sufficient enough with larger volume tanks? I have only used sponge filters for smaller grow out tanks. I do love my AC 110 that is on my 40 gallon but if sponge filters can do the same amount of work and not sacrifice my water quality, it's something I may look into.

Hello Lch...

If you're a water change fanatic like me, then minimal filtration is all that's really needed. I under filter my tanks, because I remove and replace roughly 2/3 rds of the tank water weekly. So, whatever filter I have, is only filtering water that's already clean.

The sponge filter is perfect, because it's inexpensive with no moving parts to wear out and I really only need it for surface movement to mix oxygen into the tank water.

Old

 

Hello Lch...

If you're a water change fanatic like me, then minimal filtration is all that's really needed. I under filter my tanks, because I remove and replace roughly 2/3 rds of the tank water weekly. So, whatever filter I have, is only filtering water that's already clean.

The sponge filter is perfect, because it's inexpensive with no moving parts to wear out and I really only need it for surface movement to mix oxygen into the tank water.

Old

Thanks for your response! I do weekly WCs of about 50% and my nitrates never go above 10ppmp prior to the WC so I could potentially survive on a sponge filter but I am nowhere near comfortable at this point in removing my HOB but this is really great info and I am glad you posted this.