sponge filter ???

[mench]

what do you folks do to really clean your sponge filters? I have read where they have been put in dish washers and washing machines...what type of soap would ya use....bleach....I have been just rinse them in warm water,ring them out and air dry.
thanks
Mench

[Jennie]

HUH! What do you mean by cleaning them?? as Regular maintenance?

[Altum Nut]

Hello Mench,

Just the sponge should be taken out maybe once a week and gently squeezed in a bucket of tank water during your w/c.
I would never use soap,ring-out and no need to dry.

...Ralph

[Jennie]

If you mean to put away for storing I believe the same would be applied as in sterilizing a tank. 1pt blch to 10 pt water...rinse super thoroughly many times and air dry

[Ed13]

Mench is no newbie to the discus game, so I assume he means for whatever reason dissinfection. With this assumption I say: "it's not worth it to "save" them". Of course, this may vary for whatever you need to "clean" them. Also, strong chemicals like bleach or alcohol may damage or alter them, while I personaly don't trust others to really "dissinfect".
MANY say to nuke them in the microwave but if I ever attempt to pull that, my stuff would be out on the street so fast:wave:, I myself would do not like the microwave idea either:p

[mench]

when I rinse them I have to do around 20 sponges,and I have a lot of extras that I rotate in the tanks...I was just wondering,that is something us old guys do when we can't find the tv remote....if I wanted to really clean them I was thinking maybe throwing a bunch in the washing machine with some bleach then into the dryer on low heat or untill the bride catches me...what do ya think...I just want to make sure there is no nasty stuff in them

mench

[William Palumbo]

I used to run a cycle on my washing machine with just hot water. No soap or items. Then I would put the sponges in the water with just bleach, no soap! Then I would run it an extra time without any bleach just to rinse them...Bill

[Jennie]

I would NOT use a laundry machine. It has soap residues in it

[Eddie]

what do you folks do to really clean your sponge filters? I have read where they have been put in dish washers and washing machines...what type of soap would ya use....bleach....I have been just rinse them in warm water,ring them out and air dry.
thanks
Mench

I wet the sponge and microwave it for a short time. :D If you have alot, do it in a bog bowl. This is merely for sterilizing, not really cleaning. For cleaning I just rinse them all under tap.

[Skip]

I wet the sponge and microwave it for a short time. :D

wrap in syran wrap... for 15 secs... thats what i do with my kitchen sponges.. it gets SUPER HEATED>. kills all the bugs :)

[scottthomas]

Yes, Me too . I microwave wet till really hot.

[Justice]

Yes, Me too . I microwave wet till really hot. Me three!

When i told My Wife I wanted to nuke My filters in the microwave She said "not no but hell no", So in the spirit maintaining marital bliss i just said ok and dropped the subject, But...... as soon as she leaves to go to town I make a mad dash for the filters and nuke like theres no tomorrow.

[Jennie]

lol! be ready to get rid of lingering smell. personally I'd rather have it go throw a microwave than a dishwasher for sanitary purposes

[angel eyes]

I simply squeeze mine out in the sink and rinse them with room temp'ish water.

[Jhhnn]

For normal maintenance, I squeeze 'em out repeatedly in a bucket of water from their own tank. To disinfect, I run the plastic parts thru the dishwasher then soak and rinse in clean water. I just pitch the sponges because I keep spares, generally order more from Ken whenever I need anything else. I use the #3 size, and they're $1.85ea, $2.85 for the coarse ones... shipping from ken is basically free when I order something else, because they weigh virtually nothing... he uses 'em to pad the rest of the order...

[Discusgeo2]

I never really clean mine I do not want to lose the good bacteria in it. I may squeeze it out a little while doing a water change every 3 or 4 months but I have 3 or 4 sponge filters in each tank always running in case I need one for another tank. I have never stuck one in the washing machine or microwave but I have ruined them with bleach water so I no longer do that.

[fishorama]

I'm a really hot tap water rinser, bleach seems to degrade them a bit but not a big deal if I feel something's not right. $3 for replacements is not a biggie...

[Jhhnn]

I'm a really hot tap water rinser, bleach seems to degrade them a bit but not a big deal if I feel something's not right. $3 for replacements is not a biggie...

I recently sanitized a tank with a strong bleach solution- poured ~ a quart into a 75 gal. After a couple of days, the fine ati sponges looked like spent mushrooms- shapeless blobs on the plastic holders... I'd planned on replacing 'em, anyway... the bleach cleaned out the airstones quite well, however...

[roundfishross]

strong bleaach will melt that fine sponge matierial! I have also found this out the hard way.