sponge filter

hoddit · Post by **hoddit** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 3:49 pm

I saw in Mustafa's intro article that sponge filters are recommended for shrimp.....Has anyone had experience with http://www.ultimatesponge.com? I ran across an auction on aquabid and it looks impressive.....

I've never had a sponge filter in my experience...I'm a Fluval guy I guess and I thought I'd solicit some feedback before I purchased since these are out of my comfort zone. TIA..

call_apple · Post by **call_apple** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 4:20 pm

I use sponge filters in all my shrimp tanks. It's really your preference as to which one you use. I prefer the one that stick to the side of the tank. Shrimp really like feeding off the bottom of the sponge.

carbon etc · Post by **carbon etc** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 4:53 pm

I personally wouldn't spend much on a sponge filter. If there's enough room for enough bacteria, I'm happy with it. I don't expect much out of it filtration-wise, because you don't use one because they're good, you use one because they're safe.

On bigger shrimp tanks I use a cannister filter that filters before the impeller (I think most if not all of them do). It acts as kind of a baby shrimp nursery... they get sucked up when they're tiny, grow up just fine with new food being sent down 24/7, and they're safe from anything you might have in the tank that would find babies appetizing (I don't have anything, but some people might find that useful). And it's like christmas every time you open the filter up... you never know how many new shrimp you'll get.

I have two experiences ever with a larger shrimp getting caught in the inlet. But you just reach in and give it a little nudge, and it crawls out and swims away like nothing ever happened.

What amazes me is people who have success with filters where the impeller is before the filtration. I wouldn't recommend that one...

Newjohn · Post by **Newjohn** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 5:16 pm

Hi hoddit

I have bought and used sponges from ultimatesponge.com .

I have had no problems with them. The only thing I do not like about them is that, the shrimp like to hang upside and feed off the bottom on my Hydro-sponges, and can not do this on the ultimatesponge. The sponge is glued to the weighted bottom.

There is less grazzing area. But , for the price. You can't beat them.

I hope this helps.
John

hoddit · Post by **hoddit** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 5:33 pm

thanks for the input...much appreciated! I've seen several pics on this site and others with the upside down grazing newjohn mentioned and I think that may steer me to the Hydro...

Dumb follow-up: I'm used to having chemical filtration as a part of the process and the sponge filters setup seems to pass that by entirely. Is there a particular reason that chemical filtration is not used in a shrimp tank?

carbon etc · Post by **carbon etc** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 5:57 pm

You can always get something like this:

Put a sponge, carbon, zeolite, ceramic beads, whatever you want in it.

Though you might get babies who decide to live in there, and you have to let them out when they can't fit through the slats anymore.

YuccaPatrol · Post by **YuccaPatrol** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 7:35 pm

I use HOB type filters in my shrimp tanks, but I cover the inlets with a cylindrical sponge. I get the best of both worlds: the safety of a sponge filter and the mechanical and biological filtration of a HOB filter.

My favorite brand is the Aquaclear line. Because the sponge can cut the flow rate drastically, I seriously oversize my filters so that I can adjust the flow rate up or down as necessary. An AC-50 does a good job on a 10 or 15 gallon shrimp tank even though it is advertised for a much larger aquarium.

Also, I don't like the sound of air pumps nor do I think that sponge filters are very attractive.

The cylinder shaped sponge that I use is a replacement part for a "Tetra Billi". I have no idea what a Tetra Billi is, but the sponge is a perfect fit over any small HOB filter intake and it only costs about $3.

Post by **Mustafa** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 7:50 pm

hoddit wrote:Is there a particular reason that chemical filtration is not used in a shrimp tank?

Because it's really not necessary in any tank (fish or shrimp). Normal, dechlorinated, *cold* tap water that's safe to drink for humans is usually also safe for fish and shrimp. You don't need any activated carbon or anything to make it even safer. Only if you know that you have contaminated well or tap water, is it necessary to take additional measures. But even then a reverse osmosis unit is much more appropriate than using chemical filtration.

The best "filter" in addition to a sponge filter is a "plant filter." Fast growing plants such as Najas, Egeria densa, hornwort etc. will take up both macronutrients (nitrate, phosphate etc.) and heavy metals (iron, copper, zinc...etc.). They are basically an "all in one" chemical sponge. Highly recommended.

By the way, in addition to being shrimp-safe, sponge filters are *excellent* biological filters, which can give any other type of filter a run for their money. Also highly recommended.

MoltenLava · Post by **MoltenLava** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 1:22 am

Newbie here, seeking sponge filter recommendation.

Something seemingly as simple as buying a sponge filter can be a challenge for a newbie.. I went to a local pet store to get a sponge filter. Ended up buying a Marineland Penguin sponge filter. Well, it kinda works but there are two problems. It creates very strong currents in my 10 gallon tank. Looking at the description it says it can move 170 gallons per hour.. Evidently that's too powerful for a small 10 gallon tank. The second problem is the size of the pores in the sponge. The sponge is way too coarse to allow shrimp babies to pass through.

I did some googling of sponge filters, and found out most of basic sponge filters do not come with the motor, and they are attached to powerheads. I just need something small and quiet, and one that does not create strong currents. I like to get some solid recommendation on exactly what to get.

YuccaPatrol · Post by **YuccaPatrol** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 4:21 am

MoltenLava,

It sounds like you bought a powerhead with a sponge on the inlet. That will work, but most of the sponge filters people are using in shrimp tanks are driven by an air pump. Flow can be adjusted by lowering the air flow with a valve.

MoltenLava · Post by **MoltenLava** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 2:16 pm

YuccaPatrol,

Thanks for the explanation. Yes, what I bought is like a powerhead connected to sponge filter..

I have more stupid questions coming.. I thought air pumps are usually connected to the bubble bars or ornaments like treasure chests, used to push the air through the device. How do I use that with the sponge filter?? I imagine whatever connected to the sponge filter needs to suck in the water.

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 3:33 pm

It is just clever use of bouyancy. Bubbles inside the lift tube pulls water up to the top & out. Water gets sucked in through the foam to make up the difference. If you clog the cells in the foam, you get bubbles and no flow. With just bubbles you won't hurt the shrimp if they go through the filter.

Neonshrimp · Post by **Neonshrimp** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 3:33 pm

The air pump driven sponge filters are designed to use the air blown through them to move water though the filter. This flow of water provides the suctioning which filters the water from the outside though the sponge.

MoltenLava · Post by **MoltenLava** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 6:04 pm

Ah, thanks for the clarification. So the air line is connected to the bottom of the sponge filter, and the rising air bubbles cause the water to be sucked in through the foam. Being a newbie and not having many friends with fishtank, I haven't seen such application. But it all makes sense now. Thanks again.

Mikee · Post by **Mikee** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 10:59 pm

I use a home made sponge filter similar to the hydro sponge filter for my 29 gal shrimp tank. My shrimp love eating the little things that are on it and i dont have to worry about the young getting sucked up i think sponge filters are the way to go