Sponge on intake tube from HOB filter

[BobbyTez]

Will a sponge on my intake tube from my Aquaclear 110 damage my filters motor or make it work harder?

 

[Rfinner]

It shouldnt affect your flow too much but if it does it won't hurt your filter your motor will just spin slower

 

[BettaDollar]

IMO - I wouldn't do it for the reasons you've stated. Consider a sponge filter if you're looking for more bio-media.
If it's for protecting small inverts or fish I use suitably sized mesh at end of intake.

 

[Cichlidude]

Actually a course intake sponge has very little effect on flow. Your impeller will be fine.

 

[BettaDollar]

I'm curious, what's the purpose? Extra filtration?

 

[Cichlidude]

I'm curious, what's the purpose? Extra filtration?

Usually placed there to keep small critters out, like shrimp and fry. But you can hot rod a filter with more media if you put a large sponge on the end. This will increase the surface area of your media adding to your filtration.

 

[BettaDollar]

Actually it sounds like a great polling question. I'd love to see just how many people use it!

 

[Suzanne2]

I use a course piece of filter foam slid over the intake tube on my HOB filter, it keeps debris from getting sucked in and clogging or damaging the impeller. I haven't noticed any affect on flow rate with it on or with it off.

If the tube were ever to get completely plugged (ie. fish stuck in it or something weird like that) it would simply stop drawing water in and the water inside the filter would stop overflowing back to the tank. The impeller would simply spin around in the water already in the filter. I use the sponge because I worry more about my plants getting shredded and sucked in and winding around the impeller (I have a crayfish who makes a mess).

 

[Derek2408]

I use one. They’re great to keep big stuff out of your filter and keep fish safe too. Doesn’t effect the flow of my aqua clear hob filter one bit

 

[kallililly1973]

I don't use them. I used to use them on my AC's but they gunked up too quickly and I found myself pulling them off every couple days with a net under them to catch any extra waste. so I finally put them in my misc. bowl and now I use the prefilter sponges to clean the glass both inside and out as well as my lights. Knew there would be an alternative use for them

 

[Cichlidude]

I don't use them. I used to use them on my AC's but they gunked up too quickly and I found myself pulling them off every couple days with a net under them to catch any extra waste. so I finally put them in my misc. bowl and now I use the prefilter sponges to clean the glass both inside and out as well as my lights. Knew there would be an alternative use for them

Tells me the ones you used were too high in ppi. Need to get a course one like 10 ppi.

 

[kallililly1973]

Tells me the ones you used were too high in ppi. Need to get a course one like 10 ppi.

If those numbers your using refer to the coarseness then I definitely agree. But TBH I don't have anything small enough currently that could be sucked in so its not much of a problem. Maybe once I try my luck on my 5.5 and ad shrimp to try to get a colony going I will go back to the prefilter sponge or I may just run a sponge filter and move my AC20 to my 10 and have 2 of them running on that tank. Can I ask what PPI is? pores per inch?

 

[Cichlidude]

Can I ask what PPI is? pores per inch?

Yup that is. I have posted these before. They fit my Sunun and Tidal intakes just fine.

Amazon.com : uxcell 9pcs Yellow Blue Black 2.6inch Dia Pre-Filter Sponge Filter Media for Aquarium : Pet Supplies

 

[kallililly1973]

Yup that is. I have posed these before. They fit my Sunun and Tidal intakes just fine.

Amazon.com : uxcell 9pcs Yellow Blue Black 2.6inch Dia Pre-Filter Sponge Filter Media for Aquarium : Pet Supplies

Thanks I will definitely keep these in mind if I ever need them in the future!!

 

[BettaDollar]

Got plenty of other bio-media that works better.
I'm not an authority though. Consider a sleeve unnecessary.
Another thing to buy. Something else to clean. Wonder why they're not sold with the hob's...