What Do You Need For A Sponge Filter

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Now, you probably know what most of the filter types are for aquariums. Even so, ane type of filter that ofttimes gets overlooked is the sponge filter.

While sponge filters are not all that well-known and not hugely popular vs other filter types, it does have some expert uses and benefits that make this low-price filtration choice attractive.

In this article you will learn:

What is a sponge filter?
How does a sponge filter work?
How to utilize an aquarium sponge filter.
The right way to fix your sponge filter.
Pros and cons of using sponge filters.

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Table of contents

What Is An Aquarium Sponge Filter?
What Does An Aquarium Sponge Filter Practise?
Aquarium Sponge Filter Setup
Aquarium Sponge Filters – Utilise & Maintenance
- Maintenance
- Cleaning
- H2o / Bacteria
Uses For Sponge Filters
The Cons Of Sponge Filters
- No Chemical Filtration
- Visual Appeal
Practice I Also Need An Air Stone For My Sponge Filter?
Determination

What Is An Aquarium Sponge Filter?

As the name implies, an aquarium sponge filter is a filtration tool used to clean the water, one which uses a sponge in order to filter out droppings and other things as well. A sponge filter uses some kind of air pump or water pump to draw water through a sponge which acts as the filter.

These sponge filters can be located on the inside of the aquarium walls and or be placed under the substrate, as well. They are really not all that different from other types of filters in terms of their function.

fish tank with filter hose — Image Credit: RaKav007, Shutterstock

Simply put, sponge filters use some kind of method to describe water through the filtration machinery, which in this example is a sponge, to filter out debris and other unwanted substances, eventually returning the clean and clear water into the tank.

Sponge filters in some cases tin can be connected with other filtration units for some really clean and clear water. The cool part virtually sponge filters is that sponges can come in unlike shapes, sizes, and with unlike sized pores, thus making them very versatile and adaptable to varying filtration needs.

What Does An Aquarium Sponge Filter Do?

Ok, so we know that sponge filters are a type of filter, but what exactly does it filter out? Well, showtime of all, the sponge acts equally a mechanical filter. This means that information technology filters out solid debris like uneaten food, fish waste material, and other small particles out of the water.

The smaller the pores on the sponge, the smaller the particles that information technology tin capture, but information technology does mean a slower going due to less water flow. In other words, the principal purpose of a sponge filter is mechanical filtration.

Notwithstanding, that is not all considering sponge filters as well act as a biological filtration unit. Biological filtration is essential for the health of whatever fish tank, whether saltwater or freshwater. You see, fish waste releases a lot of ammonia, which is deadly to fish and plants fifty-fifty in small quantities (more than on lowering ammonia levels here).

clean-fish-tank — Image Credit: Pixel-Shot, Shutterstock

Biological filters, past having beneficial ammonia-eating bacteria, help to degrade and pause downwards the ammonia into nitrite, which is still harmful to fish.

Yet, those same bacteria and so break down the nitrite into nitrate, which is less harmful to fish. That being said, an aquarium sponge filter does non engage in chemic filtration. So, only put, a sponge filter is a mechanical and biological filtration tool used in various aquarium setups.

Aquarium Sponge Filter Setup

We have already talked about how to employ a sponge filter, but here is a quick guide on how to set upwardly a sponge filter. Don't worry; it'due south very straightforward.

Step One: First, make sure that you lot take all of the required components. This includes the airline elevator tube, an air pump, a check valve, and the sponge filter itself. Some people also choose to use an air stone.
Stride Two: To begin the setup process, adhere the airline to the nipple on the top part of the lift tube.
Step 3: If you lot are using an air rock, attach the airline to the second nipple at the bottom of the height plate of the lift tube, and then plug in the air stone to the airline.
Stride Iv: Now it is fourth dimension to install the check valve. Install the check valve with the air pump on the side where the air goes through. The all-time identify to put the cheque valve is upwards by the rim of the tank.
Footstep Five: At present you lot tin can plug the filter into the air pump, making certain that the air pump pumps the air through the sponge filter, along with the water.

Aquarium Sponge Filters – Employ & Maintenance

Ok, and then asking how to use an aquarium sponge filter is non exactly a question that is easy to answer, mainly because there are some differences between models.

Simply put, you need to mount the sponge on an aquarium wall or nether the gravel. You demand to connect the intake and outtake tubes for the water, the mechanism which pulls the water through the sponge. And you lot demand to hook up the power, too.

Notwithstanding, your all-time bet is to merely read the instructions on the packaging of the specific sponge filter you got for the platonic setup.

Maintenance

At present, when it comes to maintenance, luckily sponge filters don't require too much of information technology, plus it is adequately piece of cake to do likewise. Yous volition desire to make clean the sponge regularly, anywhere from every week to every four weeks.

These sponges get visibly dingy, and so it is not difficult to tell when cleaning is needed. Also, keep in mind that the corporeality of fish, plants, food, and other factors nowadays in the tank will affect how oft the sponge filter needs to be maintained.

Cleaning

The easiest way to make clean sponge filters is to remove some of the aquarium water and place information technology in a bucket. Take the sponge and squeeze it in and out for a few minutes until you are satisfied that all of the debris and particles have been removed and flushed out.

Water / Leaner

The reason you want to use existing aquarium h2o to do this is because of the leaner. If you use water other than that in your aquarium, yous will be killing off and removing the beneficial bacteria needed for biological filtration, and yous will have to wait for them to grow back and multiply.

Yet, if you do need to use clean h2o, such every bit could be the case if yous are doing a water change due to really dirty water, you need to let the sponge soak in the aquarium water after rinsing it out in order to get some bacteria back into it.

Other than that, y'all might need to flush out the intake and outtake tubes every now and again, only there is not much else to exist done in terms of maintenance.

Uses For Sponge Filters

There are several unlike situations where you lot might find that a sponge filter is the best mode to get. And so, what are these situations where your best option might only exist this odd little filtration tool?

If you accept fish or animals that do non do well in a strong electric current, a sponge filter will do well. Animals like betta fish, other slow swimming fish, and even shrimp do not similar strong currents. Sponge filters create minimal currents are therefore ideal for these kinds of fish, plus this likewise makes them ideal for breeding tanks where many small fry volition exist present.
Sponge filters are also platonic for tanks with many really small creatures that may exist sucked up past other filters. Since these have a slow flow rate, they are not likely to suck up whatever creatures in your aquarium.
The low flow rate and currents created by sponge filters also make them ideal for hospital and quarantine tanks. Weak fish tin't handle strong currents, but they still need their water to be filtered, thus making sponge filters an ideal selection.
Sponge filters are too ideal for colonizing fresh tanks with beneficial ammonia-killing bacteria. Y'all can use a sponge in an aquarium, permit information technology build upward with leaner, and then transfer that same water-soaked sponge into a freshly established tank. This volition go a long style in cycling the tank and volition immediately introduce benign bacteria into your new setup.
Yous can too use a sponge in canister filters. They act equally a good mechanical and biological filtration tool, so adding a minor sponge or 2 into the media trays of your canister filter is non a bad idea either.

The Cons Of Sponge Filters

In that location are a couple of drawbacks to aquarium sponge filters that you lot might need to know virtually. Kickoff off, they do merely engage in 2 of 3 types of filtration which almost people would consider necessary for a fish tank to thrive.

No Chemic Filtration

While they exercise a great job in terms of mechanical and biological filtration, they absolutely exercise not engage in whatever chemic filtration at all. This means that certain odors, colors, and other substances may not be fully removed from the water.

That being said, most people would as well agree that a really strong and efficient mechanical/biological filter can brand up for a lack of chemical filtration.

cleaning aquarium — Image credit: Sergiy Akhundov, Shutterstock

Visual Entreatment

The other negative aspect of these sponge filters is that they only don't look very overnice. Subsequently all, it is a sponge and unless you have a lot of plants to hide it in the groundwork, it is fairly visible. This is a minor drawback, just information technology is one that people tend to mention when they talk about sponge filter cons.

Do I Also Need An Air Rock For My Sponge Filter?

You may use an air rock if you lot cull, simply it is not 100% necessary.

You will notice that if yous are not using an air stone, the bubbling coming out of the filter volition be very large, which is non ideal for proper water aeration and oxygenation.

An air stone will really diffuse those big bubbling into much smaller bubbles, which non only oxygenates the h2o improve, just also looks much improve too.

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Conclusion

As you can see, while sponge filters do lack chemical filtration abilities, they are notwithstanding a dandy choice to go with for a variety of situations.

We hope that this article has helped you effigy out exactly what a sponge filter is, what it does, and how y'all can employ information technology to keep the water in your aquarium as make clean and clear equally tin can be.

Featured image: Andrey_Nikitin, Shutterstock