Life span of an aquaclear sponge

Happy Holidays everyone

:-* :-* :-* :-*
Was wondering what's the longest someone has used their aquaclear sponge. Mine are three months old and apart from being stained brown are doing quite well at keeping the ammonia and nitrite at zero

Chris

I started using Aqua Clears a couple of years ago and the sponges are still holding up. I don't bleach them. I use the microwave if I want to sterilize them.
Carol :heart1:

The only thing I could think of that would break-down a sponge would be chlorine. Hopefully you don't have that in your tanks... ;)

My trick is to put floss or filter pad under the aquaclear sponge so all the poop is filtered by the pad. This leaves the unclogged sponge to function as biofilter. I change the pads every two weeks and just squeeze the sponge in a bucket with aquarium water. I have sponges that have been working for close to a year.

walton

Thanks guys, I didntnt think that they would be good that long. Time to redirect spinding to get those blackworms that everyone is talking about

;D ;D

I have several sponges that have been in service for 4 years. Interestingly, there is some variation in the texture of aquaclear sponges. Some are softer after some time, whereas some become stiffer. But they look the same and serve the same. If on the other hand, used sponges are taken out of use for a good while, and then put again to use, their consistence changes substantially and they become somewhat "brittle".
Aquaclear sponges used as prefilter in my tanks (I have now changed to different prefilters in some tanks) do have a limited lifespan (1-2 years), because they get squezzed a lot more and thus abused. In discus tanks I squeeze daily and even the toughest of sponges last only a while, although it is a good while.
Cheers, Francisco.