# Sponge filter



## Elliott225 (Jan 9, 2014)

I read a lot about using sponge filters. Why? I have had fish for over 40 years and never used them. Seen them used in fry tanks and shrimp tanks with no substrate. Are they good to use in tanks with gravel?


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

absolutely Elliot...the vast majority of our 70 tanks have sponge filters..the only other filter we use are undergravel...many of the tanks with sponge filters do have gravel..or sand...
they do quite well...


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## big b (Aug 17, 2014)

I literally just set up 2 sponge filters for a tank with shrimp and a tank with endler fry. I think they are pretty good filters. They are perfect for tanks with slow fish or weak fish that would get stuck to the intake tube.


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## Elliott225 (Jan 9, 2014)

Do the sponge filters mostly polish the water?? They don't do much for large bit of waste or do they??
I think I just may try it in the betta tank instead of the air stone.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

They collect large particles and are very good at bio-filtration even with a low flow-rate which makes them good for small tanks and still water fish like betta. You take them to sink or the outgoing water bucket and squeeze out the crud until the water runs out clear. Do it when you do a water change and your tank will stay cleaner. They don't do "chemical filtration" like filters with carbon so you may get a oily sheen on the water if you feed fatty food. When you see slime on the water, either skim it off with a container or float a paper towel on the surface and then throw it away. 

You can generally use a sponge filter anywhere you have an airstone and can get them for <$10 and they last for years, they are cheap extra filtration, emergency "my filter died" insurance and allow you cycle your next tank almost instantly. The only drawback is looking at the sponge.


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## LizStreithorst (Aug 5, 2015)

I have 16 tanks ranging from 10's to 120's. I use sponge filters in every one. They are great biological filters.

Not sure what I'll do on particle filtration on my big tanks now that the Magnum 250's have been discontinued, but I still have 9 of them that are working well.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Another sponge lover here! They're just so darned handy. They polish water, seed new tanks, keep fry safe, help in emergencies... they're great.


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## Elliott225 (Jan 9, 2014)

Going to give them a try. Thanks.


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## big b (Aug 17, 2014)

Also they can be used as a prefilter for HOB filters.


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## Candymancan (Mar 10, 2010)

I only use sponges as a pre-filter for HOB filters or for those powerheads with the tube that are ment to slide over the tubes for the undergravel filter. They are great for that.

But as far as polishing the water... sponges are too porous i dont care how low of a micron you go the best thing for polishing water are those fabric polishing pads...


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## toddnbecka (Jun 30, 2006)

If you really want to "polish" your water a diatom filter can't be beat, they'll even filter out Ich. For general use though, old-school filter floss (aka polyester pillow stuffing, dirt cheap for a big bag) is great disposable media. Just stuff some into your hob or canister for a week then toss it out when you clean the filter.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Sponge filters are the modern box filters, cheap and effective and IMO less work. For water polishing, either a micron filter or a diatom filter.


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## LizStreithorst (Aug 5, 2015)

I don't know that y'all know but the Magnum 250's have been discontinued. Broke my heart when I heard that.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

LizStreithorst said:


> I don't know that y'all know but the Magnum 250's have been discontinued. Broke my heart when I heard that.


The HOT magnums? NOoo. I love them for bottom tanks. Fits in a small space, doesn't need height, quiet, and can be used for gravel washing or water polishing. I did think the bio-wheel attachments were stupid. 


If you see a clearance sale anywhere let me know.


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## LizStreithorst (Aug 5, 2015)

emc7 said:


> The HOT magnums? NOoo. I love them for bottom tanks. Fits in a small space, doesn't need height, quiet, and can be used for gravel washing or water polishing. I did think the bio-wheel attachments were stupid.
> 
> 
> If you see a clearance sale anywhere let me know.


Yes. I don't know what the company was thinking. So many of us depend on them. I've looked and they have all been bought up. I just got a whole bunch of micron filters on special from Big Al's. I still have 10 250's that are working well. 4 of them are new. They don't last forever, though.


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## Jeane09 (Nov 19, 2013)

I like sponge filters. I have a little one in my betta tank and the gentle flow is perfect for him. In my bigger tank I have a prefilter sponge on my HOB intake. It traps so much debris I have to rinse that sponge out twice as often as the regular media inside the HOB. And I don't have to worry about java moss threads and things like that tangling in the impeller.


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## LizStreithorst (Aug 5, 2015)

I use only sponges for collecting nutrients and changing them to harmless. They don't do much as far as cleaning the water from debris. For that I use Magnum 250's which I understand have been discontinued.


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## Aqua-purell (Apr 2, 2014)

My seven aquarium tanks have sponge filters will last pretty much until the material its self starts to break down or rip. You can continually and periodically rinse it until that time comes, to keep it from being clogged. I prefer to use the air sponge filters due to its better performance biologically. It traps the dirty debris from the water. To keep all of my aquariums looked much clear and clean that way. Looked good on them. I have been used them for about 5 years. I couldn't do without them. Really honestly I likes sponge filer.


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## Matt68046 (Nov 10, 2015)

They are great IMO. If you leave the uptake tube on and give it a good flow, the more porus ones like this http://premiumaquatics.com/products...5uu6AeH6tScR0KJxkYfLGJpDTi3f68JZUUaAnnB8P8HAQ
Will actually pick up quite well, and not get clogged hardly at all.
Oh man 40 years and your still using gravel.....


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## toddnbecka (Jun 30, 2006)

Matt68046 said:


> Oh man 40 years and your still using gravel.....


What's wrong with gravel? It doesn't eat hob filter impellers like sand does, lol.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

i have been in this hobby sine 1973.i have very few tanks with sand of any kind.the rest of our tanks are either bare or have gravel substrate..
but i have found that folks that tend to bash established practices that others do have little real knowledge of the hobby.


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