Free swimmers attracted to sponge filter

[ilaizm]

When the wrigglers become free swimmers they are mostly attracted to my sponge filter which has two black sponges. Would it be ok to remove the sponge filter completely at that stage? If so how long can a breeding tank go with just an airstone?

[William Palumbo]

It's ok to remove the sponge. I do it at times. The tank can go a few days with just the airstone, tho most times after they attach solidly to the parents, you can put the sponge back in with no problems. If you need it out longer, make frequent water changes and you should be alright. Keep the old sponge bubbling in another tank, or in a container of water...Bill

[jimg]

Just wrap white filter floss around the black sponges.hold with rubber bands

[nc0gnet0]

You can find a hunk of white pvc piping (sewer,etc) larger than your sponge (allow 1" clearence around the perimeter of the sponge) , drill many small holes and then cover it in white mesh material (check out in the bird feeder section for finch feeders, they make a mesh for holding the thistle seed).

White filter floss seems like it should work as well but will foul quickly.

[jimg]

Never fouls with me.Water is supposed to be changed quite often,uneaten food vacuumed. filter is only in my tanks for bio. I use hob with a nylon bag and gravel around intake tube for mech. filtering. It also gets taken off filters when they are a few weeks old. Big Als has rolls of the fabric/floss cheap.
I think with pvc setup the fry will get lost in it, not be able to get out.

[nc0gnet0]

When I said foul I meant to discolor. The pvc setup has a mesh bag over it, no fry can get in.

[jimg]

Good idea with fine mesh. I will try that too.

[nc0gnet0]

White nylons work equally well, its just with the pvc you can do everything outside the tank without disturbing an already in place sponge filter and just slip it over the top.

[jimg]

It does sound easier. I like the floss because i wrap it around a new filter if I need it and transfer it to the new fry tank to seed the new sponge.It all depends on how long I keep it in the breeder tank.
Would be so much easier if they just made the big sponges a pale color instead of black too

[Eddie]

I've ran breeder tanks with fry and pair without any filtration at all, up until it was time to remove the parents or fry. I relied on 100% WCs twice a day. ;)

[joanr]

It does sound easier. I like the floss because i wrap it around a new filter if I need it and transfer it to the new fry tank to seed the new sponge.It all depends on how long I keep it in the breeder tank.
Would be so much easier if they just made the big sponges a pale color instead of black too

Some company in Europe is making white sponge filters, saw them in some pics of a Discus connvention in Denmark or somewhere like that, just can't recall the thread right now. But they looked great! Maybe search here on white sponge filters since several people remarked about them in the thread replies.

[Keith Perkins]

White nylons work equally well, its just with the pvc you can do everything outside the tank without disturbing an already in place sponge filter and just slip it over the top.

+1 on the white nylon knee highs. They're quick and cheap and work great for keeping the bbs from all disappearing into the sponge when you get to that stage too. One word of warning though, if you're male you should let the woman in your life know what you're going to do before they find strange nylons laying around. :D

[joanr]

Found the thread with the white sponges, it was a show in Turkey.

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=73902&highlight=white+sponge

[grantbudd74]

wow thats some white foam!!!Just looking at it it has a very open cell look. The black filter foam is a more closed cell so maybe this foam is something else just adapted for fish use.

I am thinking it is pipe lagging material? I have seen this before back home in the UK where is bloody freezing and we cover all of our pipes to prevent them from freezing and bursting!

You can join the split with aquarium safe silicon and voila you have a filter foam....

Dam so simple Im off to bunnings to look around tomorrow!!!

anyone else got any ideas? Bleach would keep them looking spotless when you need to. I have white ish cartridge foam filters but they turn brown very easily.

Anyone else care to share?

[grantbudd74]

sorry I think that it is closed cell foam :-)

[grantbudd74]

You could make a couple of white sponges to replace the black sponges on your sponge filter using a AquaClear 110 replacement sponge.

Just cut the AC 110 sponge in half and make a rounded hole in the center of each.

[ilaizm]

Eddie, How do you manage to perform a 100% waterchange when you have free swimmers swimming everywhere? Don't you end up sucking them up?

[jimg]

That's the reason I keep filters going, I do only bottom vacuuming and small water changes until the fry are close to parents.

[vera]

Hi Ilai
depending on how big is the breeding tank the pair can stay without filtration,but just with air stone till fry attached , min feedings blood worms willl keep water from fouling and u can always perform small wc placing hose away from fry and parents
TC

[Eddie]

Eddie, How do you manage to perform a 100% waterchange when you have free swimmers swimming everywhere? Don't you end up sucking them up?


Drain the tank until the parents are on their sides. Begin filling the tank, while still siphoning on the other end of the tank. Then I stop siphoning after a few minutes and the tank fills up. Easy as pie and never had a single problem with the fry or parents. ;) This is all done after attachment, still no filters running.