Sponge filter

[joeBob]

Hi all! I am new to the forum and had a quick question. I see a lot of people prefer a BB tank and sponge filters to grow out there discus. My question is if you are using the sponge as a bacterial medium for you bio filtration can and how often should you was the sponge? Should you use treated/aged water as to not kill the bacteria with the chlorine?
Thanks all,

[diamond_discus]

When I do WC, I put the old tank water into a 5 gallon bucket, and squeeze out the sponge in there.

[Darrell Ward]

When I do WC, I put the old tank water into a 5 gallon bucket, and squeeze out the sponge in there.

Same here. It's amazing how much dirt these things pick up in a short amount of time. They work far better than you would think just by looking at them.

[diamond_discus]

BTW, I found out recently that the stronger the pump you have, the better your sponge filter will perform. Also, the quality of the airstone makes a big difference as well.

The question I have : Is the lift tube really useful ? I have seen people using sponge filter without the tube.

[Chad Hughes]

I clean my sponges when they look dirty or once a week, whichever comes first. Squezzing them in waste water, as mentioned above, works well. Never use unconditioned tap.

Yes, the lift tube IS important. Also, the larger the bubbles are that travel through the lift tube, the more water you move. Think of the bubbles as elevators lifting water up the tube, thus pulling more water through the sponge. If you diffuse the bubbles, there is less lifting action as the bubbles are smaller and allows "slippage" of the water column in the tube.

Hope that helps!

[diamond_discus]

I clean my sponges when they look dirty or once a week, whichever comes first. Squezzing them in waste water, as mentioned above, works well. Never use unconditioned tap.

Yes, the lift tube IS important. Also, the larger the bubbles are that travel through the lift tube, the more water you move. Think of the bubbles as elevators lifting water up the tube, thus pulling more water through the sponge. If you diffuse the bubbles, there is less lifting action as the bubbles are smaller and allows "slippage" of the water column in the tube.

Hope that helps!

Chad:
So are you saying that we don't need to use airstone/diffuser for the sponge filters ?
-Larry

[Chad Hughes]

I don't. I use air stones to generate fine bubbles to break surface tension and increase gas exchange. This also "vents off" excess air that my LPH80 creates. IMO they are not effective in a sponge filter. They may quiet down the "bubbling" sound, put it's making that filter less effective.