# DIY sponge filter



## awesome kid (Jun 10, 2005)

how can i make my own sponge filter?
i am working on a budget of 20$ every other week right now (mowing my lawn)
thanks for the info!


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## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

I would do this by buying a aquaclear sponge and running a airline down the center. Then you need to find a way to anchor it. If you use a regular sponge you risk exposing your tank to harmful chemicals. Most sponges contain anti bacterial or anti mold chemicals that are extreamly harmful for fish.


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## DavidDoyle (Jan 18, 2005)

Sponge filters are dirt cheap, it is probably a lot easier to buy rather than make one, esp if all you need is one.


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## awesome kid (Jun 10, 2005)

i plan to make 3 or 4 so i can breed some cories. probably _corydoras sterbai _ if i can find any. otherwise just whatever i can find. any suggestions? any ideas on what to use for a substrate or for the food for the first few weeks? then i plan to use BBS or grindal worms. thanks for the info!


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## Mr Aquarium (Jan 18, 2005)

find the cheapest place to buy the sponges, then price out how much PVC pipe it will need, it would prolly be cheaper to just buy them, but you get the PVC size you need, the caps the bottom end, drill a bunch of holes or slots in it where the sponge will fit over it at, and figure out a way to ancher it down, the cost of running to get the PVC and caps will more then likely outway he cost of just buying them ready to use..


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## awesome kid (Jun 10, 2005)

do you have any idea where i can get the supplies? i would like to build it myself because then i have a sense of accomplishment which i love.


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## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

That is what this forum is about. Building your own stuff. It is the sense of accomplishment not price that keeps people learning in this hobby. You learn way more by building than buying pre-fab items. 

Here are some quick plans for making your own sponge filters. They can be adjusted for any size to work in any layout or style tank. These work great in quarantine tanks due to them not containing carbon. They can work great in fry tank due to them not having the ability that HOT filters have for sucking fry up in lifter tubes.
For the sponge, you need to find a open cell foam. Hobby and fabric stores are the best place to find these. Be sure to check that there are no antibacterial additives used to treat the sponges. These additives are harmful for fish. 
Once you have the foam you can cut it to whatever shape works for you. That is what works nice about these filters you can shape them to work better with your décor if you don’t want the basic square, triangle, or circle. 

Now comes the trouble of getting the hole down the center of the sponge for the air tubing. There are two ways of doing this. The first is simple cut a x down the center of the sponge so the tubing can slide down into the X. The second is a bit more complex but gives a much more finished look. Place the sponge in a container with water. Make sure it is totally covered and seal it tightly. Then place this in the freezer until it is a solid ice cube. Then get out the drill with a bit just a tad bit smaller than the size of the tubing you want to use and drill a hole ½ way down the center of the sponge. You want to have the drill and bit ready before you pull the sponge because it has to be frozen solid in order not to tear the foam.
If you want to add a lift tube keep that in mind when drilling the hole but overall you just need a hole big enough for the airline and those white air stones work best. http://www.thatpetplace.com/Products/KW/F04/Class/Fish+Supplies+Airstones/T1/F04+0504+0128/EDP/44341/Itemdy00.aspx You can set it up not to use any air stones at all but the air stones give you a smaller bubble and less disruption in the tank. If you decide to use a lift tube you need to drill holes into the tube in the area that slips into the sponge. This will allow water flow through the sponge giving you the added biological filtration that these filters are created for. 
Hope this helps you out.


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## awesome kid (Jun 10, 2005)

> Hope this helps you out.


yea that helps alot. thanks. now to go build it...in about 2 weeks because thats the next time i mow my lawn and i have like, 5 bucks right now.


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## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

Let us know how it turns out.


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## awesome kid (Jun 10, 2005)

i will dont worry


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## fishboy (Feb 26, 2005)

http://www.petfish.net/sponge_filter.htm


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