tanks with sponge filters?

[discus day]

how do you clean the sponge without harming the bacteria? today during my water change i notice alot of stuff stuck to my sponge and i was wondering hw do you guys clean it?

also is 1 hydro v sponge filter enough to handle 16 discus or should i get another one? currently i have 1 in my 125 with 11 discus and i dont know if i should add another before i move my new group out of qt into the tank. should i consider getting 2 more? or would 1 more be enough or the single one i have in there now good?

water change is daily at 75-85% 3-4 times feeding daily

edit: also when i refill the tank should i dose prime first before refilling? or after? does it matter? will my bacteria die from the new water within a minute?

[Keith Perkins]

Just put about 3 or so gallons of tank water in a 5 gallon bucket and squeeze away. If you do it half in the water half out a bit you can kind of see how much crude is coming out of it.

What size discus are in the 125? Never anything wrong with a little more.

WCs and feedings sound good...depending what you're feeding.

[discus day]

Just put about 3 or so gallons of tank water in a 5 gallon bucket and squeeze away. If you do it half in the water half out a bit you can kind of see how much crude is coming out of it.

What size discus are in the 125? Never anything wrong with a little more.

WCs and feedings sound good...depending what you're feeding.

the range from 3-6" and i feed beefheart and flakes gonna try black worm soon since kenny sent a free sample from al =p. and if i just squeeze it in the 5g bucket with tank water it should be fine?

[wildwiley]

Ok

[MKD]

i'll put 2-3 sponge filters depends on tank footage (2 for short and 3 for long tank). also agree with CozyKeith, just clean sponge filter with TANK WATER.

[discus day]

ok great its a 6ft 125 and i was wondering should i leave the sponge in the bucket and then dose the tank with prime then add the sponge back in?

[oscarzx]

you guys really go to the extreme.. bb bacteria can last about two hours without water. so you can see how hardy it is... you can clean your sponge with sink water just as long as its warm...

Sent from my DROID X2

[discus day]

well i rather do some extra work than lose 2k worth of kenny's discus. =p

[Jennie]

Oscaryx, how is it beneficial to rinse sponges in chlorinated water(tap), when chlorine is designed to kill bacteria??

[Bud]

AHHHHHH!!!!the pressure!!!!!Kinda funny but cool I remember when i worried about everthing little thing.what other filters are in there(besides hydros).i have 2 in my 75 along with an ac110 with prefilter.im sponged out!Getting ready to move my grow-outs to a 125 and Ill have the two sponges,the ac 110,and an oceanclear canister stuffed with plastic pot scrubbers(it also has uv).Overdone for my piece of mind.

[Bill63SG]

Dose the tank before filling.

[discus day]

AHHHHHH!!!!the pressure!!!!!Kinda funny but cool I remember when i worried about everthing little thing.what other filters are in there(besides hydros).i have 2 in my 75 along with an ac110 with prefilter.im sponged out!Getting ready to move my grow-outs to a 125 and Ill have the two sponges,the ac 110,and an oceanclear canister stuffed with plastic pot scrubbers(it also has uv).Overdone for my piece of mind.

i have an aqueon 55/75 and a cascade 1200 i was hopping to remove those 2 and just have sponge filter during growout

[Bill63SG]

75gal and down I'll just run sponges,anything bigger,I'll also run and emperor 400 or the equivilant.

[MKD]

you guys really go to the extreme.. bb bacteria can last about two hours without water. so you can see how hardy it is... you can clean your sponge with sink water just as long as its warm...

Sent from my DROID X2
what happen when you're on vacation or can't do WC in couple days?

[Orange Crush]

I use tap water treated with dechlor; that way I do not kill any BB on the sponges but I'm reducing the amount of bad bacteria/parasites etc. that might be in the sponges and tank.

[Jennie]

Yeah OC but he's talking abt running sponges under straight tap..I don't think thats a good idea or advice to give..everyones water sources/additives are different..city to city, state to state. And of course unless he meant to say tap with dechlor added

[WMD]

i never clean mine. its invisible to the poop and food

[Orange Crush]

Yeah OC but he's talking about running sponges under straight tap
Which is why I said I used dechlor, I was trying to point out that you should not use straight tap

[Sean Buehrle]

Definately do not rinse sponges in tap water, it will kill your filters for sure.

Squeeze em out in tank water.

[Orange Crush]

Definately do not rinse sponges in tap water, it will kill your filters for sure.
Squeeze em out in tank water.
Even with dechlor? I have been doing it this way for 20 years and have never had a problem or a mini-cycle from doing it this way. Please elaborate....:)

The consenses on this forum is that discus need good water quality and that doing frequent water changes limits the amount of bad bacteria/parasites they are exposed to which helps to limit illness and death. Another consenses is that sponges should not be rinsed in water with chlorine (straight tap) because that kills BB.
So why is it the water that we put into the tank (tap with dechlor), that is good enough for the discus considered "bad" for cleaning a sponge but using the water that has been in the tank and contains the things we are trying to limit our fish from being exposed to as much as possible the appropriate thing to use to clean a sponge with?

[Keith Perkins]

I just try to keep it simple. I know my tap has chlorine and I suspect they toss in a little chlorimine (sp?). So with my memory I'd put tap in a bucket and forget the dang dechlor. Just easier for me to use tank water, and the temps guaranteed.