Sponge filter v/s power filter

I am having a new tank of 16.83 US gallons of dimenssions as follows
leangth = 18 inches
breath = 12 inches
height = 18 inches
I want to know that which of the filter (sponge filter or power filter) will be a better option for my tank

 

That depends on what you're hoping the filter does.

A sponge filter doesn't necessarily strain and filter particles out of the water. Suction created from the airline will bring floating particles towards the sponge and trap them in, but that 'gunk' is still going to be in the aquarium (in the sponge and built up on the bottom).

Whereas a power filter will physically pull water up and strain large and small particulates out of the water, making it clearer and keeping the bottom of the tank cleaner.

If you're looking for a strong bacteria colony tank, something for breeding. Than a sponge filter would be a better option.

If this tank is going in your house or office as a display tank, I would choose a power filter.

EDIT: I personally recommend Aquaclear brand filters because they have an open filter basket design. That is, you can add WHATEVER media you decide. Dont want to use carbon? take the carbon out and use all biological media. They're customizable whereas most other HOB filters are not (make you buy into 'filter pads' every month).

If for some reason you choose one type and find that it's not enough, you can simply add the other type to the tank and make no other changes. More filtration is rarely a bad thing.

On the lighting thing...I'm not exactly sure what you mean. The tank sounds something like a 15 Gallon. and I know to grow plants, the speculations is around 3watts per gallon, so that would be a light with at least....45watts?

But that sounds inflated to me...Something around 20Watts should light the tank I would think.

 

That depends on what you're hoping the filter does.

A sponge filter doesn't necessarily strain and filter particles out of the water. Suction created from the airline will bring floating particles towards the sponge and trap them in, but that 'gunk' is still going to be in the aquarium (in the sponge and built up on the bottom).

Whereas a power filter will physically pull water up and strain large and small particulates out of the water, making it clearer and keeping the bottom of the tank cleaner.

If you're looking for a strong bacteria colony tank, something for breeding. Than a sponge filter would be a better option.

If this tank is going in your house or office as a display tank, I would choose a power filter.

EDIT: I personally recommend Aquaclear brand filters because they have an open filter basket design. That is, you can add WHATEVER media you decide. Dont want to use carbon? take the carbon out and use all biological media. They're customizable whereas most other HOB filters are not (make you buy into 'filter pads' every month).

If for some reason you choose one type and find that it's not enough, you can simply add the other type to the tank and make no other changes. More filtration is rarely a bad thing.

thank you for this information

On the lighting thing...I'm not exactly sure what you mean. The tank sounds something like a 15 Gallon. and I know to grow plants, the speculations is around 3watts per gallon, so that would be a light with at least....45watts?

But that sounds inflated to me...Something around 20Watts should light the tank I would think.

I am not going to aquascape the tank so the minimum wattage required for it will be ?

 

OK so what is going in the tank?
Aquascape to me just says things other than fish will be in it (so not clean tank/empty glass). Could be planted (plant heavy with heavy light, ferts,s and often special soil. Sometimes CO2 injected) Hardscaped (lots of rocks and probably a stone or gravel substrate), Could be black water (this one not only covers the floating plants at the top but the actual addition of tannins from the wood leaving the water looking like tea). Could be stream/river high flow and most likely a mix of rocks and wood with low to no plants.

What is your fish load plan? A planted tank with no fish, is different than a 9" rainbow wolf fish, which is different than a flow hating betta, which is different than flow dependent fish like Hillstream Loaches .

For powered filters you have options.
HOB: Hang On the Back the classic box on the back of the aquarium. Lots of media capacity and flow. These are usually middle cheap and they forgive a multitude if sins.
Under gravel + power heads. Massive filtering and flow (if you fill all tubes). Not fashionable these days for large tanks. Amazon should have one in your size as they still make them for small.
Canister. More of an endgame filter and more spendy. You go to canister before sump and other exotic often home built solutions.
Or with your foam vs power head why not both?


Cheap, lots of surface area and flow. Unsightly but plecos love to cling to it/hide behind it. Note to self: I probably should have spun it to show the cactus and make a better composition for my terrible picture taking skills.

Now for your tank you'd probably run a single foam with a baby maxijet for the foam+power head solution.

Things to keep in mind. If you are running tiny fish or a sand base your canisters and HOBs should have a prefilter to keep the things from eating babies/small fish or eating sand and killing its motor. I do not know what the baby safe limit is for a 15 gal, I can tell you that 6 tubes running maxijet 1200s in a 55gal will pull baby cichlids down into the pea gravel if they get close (I told their parents not to breed but they didn't listen to me).
If you are working with flow hating fish that need a lot of filtration our suggestion is "bigger tank" our solution on a small tank is a prefilter on the output.
Buy a bigger filter than your tank. Not actual size wise but do not go looking to by a filter meant for a 15 gal tank because you have a 15 gallon tank. More filter, means cleaner tank and getting closer to all 0s on your water tests. I'm not going to give directions as to how far to go as I'd put an FX6 in a fish bowl (and people will tell you that is how you get fishgaritas... or a happy hillstream loach).

Now if you are running low to no load. For example 1 betta or a small school of small shoaling fish and 6 or more dwarf cories, or just shrimp you can run a foam and not worry about any more expense (buy a big cheap one on Amazon and put an air stone in it to make it nice and get rid of the *BLORP BLORP*. In my opinion most foams are the same and most come out of the same plants in China, so expensive ones are not that much if any better).

As for lighting, if you are not going for a planted tank I'd just buy a cheap Nicrew light of the right size from Amazon.

 

OK so what is going in the tank?
Aquascape to me just says things other than fish will be in it (so not clean tank/empty glass). Could be planted (plant heavy with heavy light, ferts,s and often special soil. Sometimes CO2 injected) Hardscaped (lots of rocks and probably a stone or gravel substrate), Could be black water (this one not only covers the floating plants at the top but the actual addition of tannins from the wood leaving the water looking like tea). Could be stream/river high flow and most likely a mix of rocks and wood with low to no plants.

What is your fish load plan? A planted tank with no fish, is different than a 9" rainbow wolf fish, which is different than a flow hating betta, which is different than flow dependent fish like Hillstream Loaches .

For powered filters you have options.
HOB: Hang On the Back the classic box on the back of the aquarium. Lots of media capacity and flow. These are usually middle cheap and they forgive a multitude if sins.
Under gravel + power heads. Massive filtering and flow (if you fill all tubes). Not fashionable these days for large tanks. Amazon should have one in your size as they still make them for small.
Canister. More of an endgame filter and more spendy. You go to canister before sump and other exotic often home built solutions.
Or with your foam vs power head why not both?
View attachment 641493
Cheap, lots of surface area and flow. Unsightly but plecos love to cling to it/hide behind it. Note to self: I probably should have spun it to show the cactus and make a better composition for my terrible picture taking skills.

Now for your tank you'd probably run a single foam with a baby maxijet for the foam+power head solution.

Things to keep in mind. If you are running tiny fish or a sand base your canisters and HOBs should have a prefilter to keep the things from eating babies/small fish or eating sand and killing its motor. I do not know what the baby safe limit is for a 15 gal, I can tell you that 6 tubes running maxijet 1200s in a 55gal will pull baby cichlids down into the pea gravel if they get close (I told their parents not to breed but they didn't listen to me).
If you are working with flow hating fish that need a lot of filtration our suggestion is "bigger tank" our solution on a small tank is a prefilter on the output.
Buy a bigger filter than your tank. Not actual size wise but do not go looking to by a filter meant for a 15 gal tank because you have a 15 gallon tank. More filter, means cleaner tank and getting closer to all 0s on your water tests. I'm not going to give directions as to how far to go as I'd put an FX6 in a fish bowl (and people will tell you that is how you get fishgaritas... or a happy hillstream loach).

Now if you are running low to no load. For example 1 betta or a small school of small shoaling fish and 6 or more dwarf cories, or just shrimp you can run a foam and not worry about any more expense (buy a big cheap one on Amazon and put an air stone in it to make it nice and get rid of the *BLORP BLORP*. In my opinion most foams are the same and most come out of the same plants in China, so expensive ones are not that much if any better).

As for lighting, if you are not going for a planted tank I'd just buy a cheap Nicrew light of the right size from Amazon.

I meant a non planted tank with fish in it

guppies, sword tails, neon tetras, zebra danios and mollies

 

If you follow stocking recommendations with those fish I'd just get a foam.

 

thankyou

If you follow stocking recommendations with those fish I'd just get a foam.

thankyou sir for the valuable suggestion