My Sponge Filter Modification is Simple
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- čas přidán 20. 01. 2020
- Aquarium sponge filter modifications can really help better how these filters work. The best sponge filters are the Hydro high flows in my opinion. I feel like your going to get more biological and mechanical filtration out of them.
Added random fish tank talk:
He looks fine to me! New fish need time to adjust. He may just be a little stressed. You could add a bit of stress coat to help with that but he looks healthy to me. Ranchus do have a tendency to head tip and swim slowly just because of their shape. If you think he is constipated, shelled peas can help.
So I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong. I have an AquaClear 50 filter for my 30 gallon planted tank and I'm having to clean the sponge part once a week bc this happens. I do my water changes twice a month or more often depending on my parameters but there usually fine so Ill skip it. But I feel like I'm having to clean my filter way to often and I'm scared I'm going to crash my tank cleaning it this much. Do I need a better filter? Or is this normal for this filter?
Make sure your filter tray and sponge are pushed all the way down. Only rinse out your sponge in tank water to preserve the most beneficial bacteria. Take carbon out and only use when treating with medications. Get double bonded filter floss from Amazon and cut to size like recommend above. I have no plants so I do 50% water changes every week and replace the filter floss when needed. Usually every other week. But my sponge also gets nasty af every week so I rinse it out in tank water every week. Use SeaChem Stability if you're worried about losing some beneficial.
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• Hygger Double Sponge F...
When you say "Have to" does that mean the filter is blocked or flow is severely reduced? I clean my filters as little as possible. Only is flow is slowing down. A dirty filter is a good filter, it is a sign of good bacteria growth and as long as you have flow you are good.
How old is the sponge? It may be time to replace it. You could also consider a sponge on the intake to pull some detritus before it gets into the filter. I was using Fluval intake sponges but I had to wash them daily and they were preventing flow. I switched to coarse intake sponges and they’ve been working well.
You need an intake sponge!!! You can get them cheap on Amazon. A tube like sponge that goes on the intake. It prefilters what goes into the filter so it won't get clogged. I just had the same issue with my Aquaclear 50.. But I hadn't been keeping up on sponge cleaning. I keep an extra sponge around now so that if it happens I can swap it out quickly and then rinse the dirty one when I do a water change.
I remove the sponges from inside those filters, and place them onto the intake tubes as a pre-filter. Then I fill the filters hopper with a couple layers of filter floss, and as much bio-media as it will hold. It doubles the efficiency of the filter, and maintenence is much easier. Just rinse the sponge when you do water changes, and replace the floss maybe once every 2 months.
For me a lot of people do way to many water changes i do maybe 20% a month and my do tests often and the only time somethings is slightly of is for a few days after the water changes If i was you i would get a bigger filter a good external one and don’t rinse the media under the tap do it in a bowl of tank water and don’t worry as much if the media is a bit dirty that’s normal.
Ditch the carbon, you don’t need it unless your trying to remove medications. Pour the dirty water out of your filter,clean the filter basket, and motor. This will solve your problem. So all you Pleco folks, I'd love some input before I make a final decision on what type pleco to buy. I've done a bunch of reading and if I'm understanding right, Rubber Lip and BN plecos are the only ones that stay small enough for a 29 gallon tank, is that correct? I have plenty of algae and drift wood in my tank for grazing on and I know I would need to feed veggies and pleco specific food as well, like Repashy Morning Wood. Of those two small enough options, which one would be the best choice to help reduce the algae on wood and glass? The snails and corydoras are keeping the plants pretty clean but they need a little back up help. I currently have 11 kuhli loaches, 8 corydoras and 7 zebra danios. Someday I would like a dwarf powder blue gourami but that may not happen. I'm thinking I should stick to just one pleco, not two. Any glaring problems with that idea? Do either of these species of pleco get aggressive as they get older and start eating small fish? I've read that some of the bigger species do that. Thanks y'all.
Best tip I've had in years. I went from clean to 3D over night. I had a small package (5) of those fittings that I used for something long ago and they were unused in the bottom of my aquarium findings drawer. I immediately changed over based on your advice. WOW what an epiphany. Incredible improvement overnight. I use large flow/large cell sponges; your're right about small cell, they clog too much. So thanx for the info. It really makes a difference in my aquarium. No worries any more with clogged air-stones nor the unnecessary expense in buying them.
New sub, I really like what you talk about in this channel. Last Sunday I was trying to get my sponge filter to work, I had the same issue and glad you showed this method, will try it. :)
I have modified a few sponge filters with air stones. Since I use a bag when cleaning my sponge filters, not a big issue about perhaps them falling off the air line. Wish I were local, would enjoy having the Midas. Good luck with finding him a home with someone that will take care of and enjoy him. I'm sure there is someone. Thanks for sharing another way to modify filters.
I've never used air stones in my sponge filters. I can control the bubbles with a gang valve
I use a clog-free air stone in my sponge filter. I like the more uniform look, it is a bit quieter, and happy with the surface agitation. The cichlids like swimming through it as well.
Went to my LFS and Petco today and I was browsing sponge filter stiff and straight up thought about your videos haha
I never even knew you were supposed to use airstones. I always just put the airline into the body through a nipple, sometimes putting media in the tube but usually just bare with sponge on either arm. Works fine. Can order a preassembled and sealed system for under 5 with sponges and just replace it with your own larger ones. It does something to diffuse the bubbles before the outlet and it even works with the outlet emerged to reduce flow . I’ve seen them in stores too
Nice edits and format on this video, good info too, Thanks
That’s a great tip honestly. Apt of the aquatop sponge filters don’t utilize air stones anymore they just have a plastic tube that runs to the bottom of the filter. The rep said it had to do with causing larger bibles which in turn caused more suction along with more agitation like you stated making the filters truly long lasting and highly effective
Love that idea man will have to try it
Control valve fixes the issue with back-pressure as it allows excess to carb out. Hissing if it is an issue can be fixed with a short strip of airline on the release. But I like the idea of not being dependent on something that basically requires constant disposal & replacement.
I use the ones from aquarium co-op, along with their never clog air stones.
thanks for the tip, your vids are amazing and helpfull
I like air stones it is quiet and the water doesn't splash like with the big bubbles. But that just me.Great video thanks
Yes like a syringe plunger, one big bubble pulls more water through to displace the rising air. The smaller bubbles allow water to go around instead of plunging effectively
I keep only 2-3g aquariums and I have a lot of luck with mini sponge filters. At 2" wide at the base and a mere 2" to the top of the sponge and 4" to the top of the outlet tube there is no room for a standard sized air stone inside the housing. I agree that fine bubbles are probably no better than big bubbles however, I find finer bubbles more visually appealing. And there are probably airstones tiny enough to work but I don't want to pay for them. So I took a 1" length of tubing, sealed the end with silicone, then punctured the length with a needle. Nice makeshift air diffuser.
There’s those air stones I can’t remember the name but their the layered rainbow ones and they let bubbles out different layers at a time to make all kinds of surface movement have you tried that ?
I use my sponge filter as it came and it works great. just cleaned the sponge with some of my left over water change water and that seems to help a ton.
Love the flowerhorn miss having them.
Nah dude, that's brilliant. Good tip for people using that style of sponge filter.