Number of sponge filters

[ganesan]

I have seen barebottom discus aquarium with just one sponge filter and some with more sponge filters. Some have a k1 media in a bottle turned upside down attached to sponge filter out put pipe with holes and media moving inside these plastic bottles. My query is that is kaldness media filtration better than sponge filters in the sense will the k1 media break more waste into nitrates or not. Secondly the more sponge filter there is more discus one can add is this correct. Thirdly some have sponge filters without any outlet pipe. Will this reduce the sponge filters efficiency. Fourthly how many maximum number of discus fish can be kept in a 5x2x2 feet aquarium. All are about 4 inches long. Lastly I read that keeping 7 discus in any aquarium is the lucky number. Is this always the case.

[brewmaster15]

That is alot of questions! I won't answer the one about the kaldness media filtration because I dont use them and never have..

Secondly the more sponge filter there is more discus one can add is this correct.

yes to a point. More sponges mean more surface area for good bacteria to colonize. These in turn will break down the waste of more fish and the additional sponges being air driven will oxygenate the water better.But theres more to the adding discus part.. more discus means more wastes not broken down by those bacteria and more nitrates. To add more discus you need to also increase your tank maintenance and water changes in most cases..depending on fish numbers.

Thirdly some have sponge filters without any outlet pipe. Will this reduce the sponge filters efficiency

yes it can.the outlet pipe is a lift tube. As air bubbles rise through it the water is lifted as well and causes more water to be drawn into the sponge. With out lift tubes the flow is reduced into the sponges. I dont use lift tubes usually as I hate cleaning them.. instead I increase the flow of air into the sponge...doing so works for me well..I can tell that by how dirty the sponges are when I rinse them.

Fourthly how many maximum number of discus fish can be kept in a 5x2x2 feet aquarium. All are about 4 inches long. Lastly I read that keeping 7 discus in any aquarium is the lucky number. Is this always the case.

This question really cant be answered. Theres too many variables that go into it.. water parameters, water changes,food fed, filtration etc. As for 7 being the lucky number..thats not true and really takes no account of what your goals are with a tank or volume of water. 7 can be a decent number of fish in one size tank and too few in another . Usually you run into issues when you have only a few discus especially if pairing starts... more discus minimize territory fights. Though I do not adhere to it, the 1 discus per 10 gal rule is really not a bad guideline.. but for some tanks it will be too many and others too few.

Hth,
Al

[jeep]

I always use more sponge filters than needed because you can't have too much, and, there's no waiting if I need a seeded filter for a new tank...

[ganesan]

Thanks for the reply very interesting points

[ganesan]

I too have thought before that one could use one of the many sponge filters from one aquarium to an another new aquarium should the need arise and we would have a cycled sponge filter with all the bacteria required in the new aquarium

[Greg-Florida]

I always use more sponge filters than needed because you can't have too much, and, there's no waiting if I need a seeded filter for a new tank...

Good point, and they're cheeep! I'm thinking a bigger air pump can drive 2 or 3 and there you go!

[dagray]

I use sponge filters on the intake of my HOB and canister filters as pre-filters. I also use sponge filters on the return lines of my canister filters to diffuse the flow and also help remove any total suspended solids.