20 Gallon Tank Need advice for sponge filter replacement

Hello! I currently have a quietflo 20 gall filter and am considering switching to making my own sponge filter instead of having to change out these flimsy cartridges every month.
Thinking of purchasing these 3 items for the new perma filter. What do you think? Good set up or should I go for another type of media?

 

Nearly anything is better than the cartridge filters. They were designed for convenience, not necessarily for doing the best job. Another thing you can do is purchase large filter pads which you can cut to fit. Rinse the pads when they get dirty and only replace them when needed.

https://www.amazon.com/Acurel-Waste-Debris-Reducing-Media/dp/B00LRWLT1E

 

Yeah, I personally on my hob, just took the cartidges out, and put all the wanted media in. I have a section on it in my article Resource 'Filtration 101', it is at the very end.

 

Nearly anything is better than the cartridge filters. They were designed for convenience, not necessarily for doing the best job. Another thing you can do is purchase large filter pads which you can cut to fit. Rinse the pads when they get dirty and only replace them when needed.

Amazon.com: Acurel 3 Pack of Waste and Debris Reducing Media Pad, 18 by 10 Inch, Polyfiber Media Pad for All Aquarium Filters: Garden & Outdoor

Just this specific pad by itself inside the filter?

 

Just this specific pad by itself inside the filter?

Yeah, that works, sponges are biological and mechanical. And chemical is not necessary.

 

Just this specific pad by itself inside the filter?

This type of filter pad is designed to provide both mechanical filtration and biological filtration. It does not provide any type of chemical filtration. Acurel does sell other types of pads that are treated to remove ammonia, organics, phosphates, etc. if you have a specific need to do that.

If you have space in the filter, you can also add a small bag of the filter media of your choice. If you watch some of the YouTube videos on "**** My Filter", you will get some ideas of what might work for you.

 

I would get rid of the cartridge and add different media to it. Saves money in the long run. I have a regular sponge filter and a small HOB on my 5.5 gallon tank. The HOB came with a tiny sponge and an activated carbon insert. I did keep the carbon insert just because you can use it to remove medications if necessary. I used the sponge, added a fine filter pad, and some Seachem Matrix.

You could use sponge and biomedia, or sponge, something for fine filtration, and biomedia. You could just fill the entire thing with sponge too.

 

I would get rid of the cartridge and add different media to it. Saves money in the long run. I have a regular sponge filter and a small HOB on my 5.5 gallon tank. The HOB came with a tiny sponge and an activated carbon insert. I did keep the carbon insert just because yup can use it to remove medications if necessary. I used the sponge, added a fine filter pad, and some Seachem Matrix.

You could use sponge and biomedia, or sponge, something for fine filtration, and biomedia. Yup could just fill the entire thing with sponge too.

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Oooooooo would putting only 2 of those black sponges and some filter media in the middle like the one I listed above (or lava rocks I’m considering also) be a good option as well?

 

Oooooooo would putting only 2 of those black sponges and some filter media in the middle like the one I listed above (or lava rocks I’m considering also) be a good option as well?

I'm not sure how big your filter is, but if you can fit 2 of the black sponges in and some type of biomedia in that would work perfectly. I haven't used lava rocks before but they are nice and porous. There would be plenty of surface area for beneficial bacteria.

You can add even a sponge over the intake as a prefilter. Easiest way to do that is just cut into the middle of some sponge and slip it over the intake.