Freshwater Madness
Would you like to react to this message? Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue.



 
RegisterHomeSearchLatest imagesLog inFWMadnessGallery
Similar topics

 

 sponge filter

Go down 
+2
dirtydawg10
eltrut420
6 posters
AuthorMessage
eltrut420
Member
eltrut420


Male Posts : 113

Age : 47
Location : SE Wisconsin
Favorite Fish : the ones that poop the least

sponge filter Empty
PostSubject: sponge filter   sponge filter EmptySat Nov 07, 2009 8:29 pm

i saw somewhere someone buried a sponge filter under the gravel? can i do this and if so whats the advantage
Back to top Go down
dirtydawg10
Global Moderator
dirtydawg10


Male Posts : 3098

Age : 52
Location : Connecticut
Favorite Fish : Severum

sponge filter Empty
PostSubject: Re: sponge filter   sponge filter EmptySat Nov 07, 2009 9:01 pm

The advantage I see is that you can hide the filter and also possibly get some additional surface area on which to grow beneficial bacteria. The problem is I suspect you will be cutting down on the efficiency of the filter by blocking the filter media. So the filter would have to be oversized even more. I'm not sure it's a great idea but if you decide to try it let us know what you find out.
Back to top Go down
eltrut420
Member
eltrut420


Male Posts : 113

Age : 47
Location : SE Wisconsin
Favorite Fish : the ones that poop the least

sponge filter Empty
PostSubject: Re: sponge filter   sponge filter EmptySat Nov 07, 2009 9:53 pm

i thought maybe it was common practice to bury the sponge kinda like an undergravel filter
Back to top Go down
saint_felony
The Turtle Whisperer
saint_felony


Posts : 1930


sponge filter Empty
PostSubject: Re: sponge filter   sponge filter EmptySun Nov 08, 2009 12:14 am

I don't do it with sponge filters, but for hatchling aquatic turtle tanks, I use Whisper 10i (the internal kind) half buried down into the gravel, to where the gravel covers up the thin vents, so no small turtle limbs get stuck in.

I've never seriously tested it, but it *seems* like it works better that way when I have it hanging out. It should make for a lot more area for bacteria to grow.

With sponge filters being so low powered I think it would entirely depend on the gravel you had. Something big and chunky (or maybe even something like marbles) may work far better than a very fine gravel.
Back to top Go down
Mostlycichlids
Cichlid Specialist
Mostlycichlids


Male Posts : 4566

Age : 44
Location : New Mexico USA
Favorite Fish : Jaguar Cichlid

sponge filter Empty
PostSubject: Re: sponge filter   sponge filter EmptySun Nov 08, 2009 12:43 pm

It is not common practice to bury them in my experience. I think they will be just as efficient not buried besides it will be more of a PITA when you want to take em out to clean them.
Back to top Go down
http://www.freshwatermadness.com
saint_felony
The Turtle Whisperer
saint_felony


Posts : 1930


sponge filter Empty
PostSubject: Re: sponge filter   sponge filter EmptyMon Nov 09, 2009 2:09 am

I was thinking about it from a technical standpoint, but yea. I think your right MC.

All I've ever seen sponge filters being used for now a days are in bare bottom tanks for fry.
Back to top Go down
Wyomingite
Fish Wrangler
Wyomingite


Male Posts : 1781

Age : 56
Location : Wonderful Windy Wyoming
Humor : "I drank what?" - Socrates
Favorite Fish : I won't choose and ya can't make me!

sponge filter Empty
PostSubject: Re: sponge filter   sponge filter EmptyMon Nov 09, 2009 10:44 am

dirtydawg10 wrote:
The advantage I see is that you can hide the filter and also possibly get some additional surface area on which to grow beneficial bacteria. The problem is I suspect you will be cutting down on the efficiency of the filter by blocking the filter media. So the filter would have to be oversized even more. I'm not sure it's a great idea but if you decide to try it let us know what you find out.

saint_felony wrote:
...With sponge filters being so low powered I think it would entirely depend on the gravel you had. Something big and chunky (or maybe even something like marbles) may work far better than a very fine gravel.

I played around with this years ago, for the exact reasons dawg mentioned. I always ended up plugging the substrate against the sponge filter as well as the sponge. It was a PITA as MC mentioned. I decided that if I ever wanted to use the substrate as a bio filter, I'd just use a u/g filter.

I always tried it with smaller gravel that clogged easily, it may work better with large pebbles or marbles, but with the gaps between the pebbles or marbles I seriously doubt that there would be a significant benefit. The main purpose of pulling water through a substrate is to maximize/optimize contact between water high in dissolved oxygen with the surface area colonized with nitrifying bacteria. I suspect the extra contact if large chunks were used would be negligible in the overall scheme of things.

WYite
Back to top Go down
Celticwraith
FWM Graphic Designer
Celticwraith


Male Posts : 561

Age : 57
Location : Ontario, Canada
Humor : Some times!
Favorite Fish : All the ones I have.

sponge filter Empty
PostSubject: Re: sponge filter   sponge filter EmptyMon Nov 09, 2009 7:09 pm

I'm with MC on this one, it would just be a PITA.
Back to top Go down
Sponsored content





sponge filter Empty
PostSubject: Re: sponge filter   sponge filter Empty

Back to top Go down
 
sponge filter
Back to top 
Page 1 of 1
 Similar topics
-
» Africans and filter sponge foam.
» FS Hydro sponge filters / Silicone Air line Tubing
» In the filter.

Permissions in this forum:You cannot reply to topics in this forum
Freshwater Madness :: General Freshwater Madness :: General Freshwater-
Jump to: