Sponge Filters are The Worst Aquarium Filter

Hello Fellow Fish Keepers!
In this video we share why sponge filters might not be the best choice for your aquarium.

Want to learn more about sponge filters? Check out these videos!

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Thank you so much for watching!

#aquariums #aquariumfish #fishtank

[PrimeTimeAquatics]

Want to learn more about sponge filters? Check out these videos!


For the latest in the fish room check us out on Instagram primetime_aquatics

For more cool behind the scenes stuff consider becoming a member!

If you want to see all the cool stuff Joanna does with other types of scapes check out her channel!

[thieflack]

Watching this as I stare at my aquariums with sponge filters

[HalfManHalfCichlid]

All my sumps and HOBs have been converted to sponges with some pot scrubbies. I have been in the hobby 60 years and my tanks range from 45 - 500 gallons. Now that I use essentially only sponges, my tanks have never been healthier and easier to maintain. Moral of the story? Let's think about sponge filters more broadly than just the bubbling corner filter.

[jasonpeculiar]

One great advantage of the sponge filter, for the fishkeeper with multiple tanks, is that you can keep spare sponges going in other mature tanks so you always have cycled filters ready to go when you (inevitably) add another tank or ten. I also like how I can run multiple filters from one pump. This means I'm only using one power outlet and I'm always struggling for outlets anyway. Another advantage of this is that keeping one spare air pump is the same as keeping many spare filters, in terms of the moving, breakable parts.

[sarahwoodring]

Them's fightin words! I love sponge filters and run them in all my tanks in addition to HOBs in the larger ones. I don't count on them for filtration as much as for aeration. I think every tank needs air, and running that air through a sponge filter gives me bonus bio filtration. They're also great to have around for quarantine, hospital, or new tanks to jump start the cycle.

[fishybusiness]

I use sponge filters in all my tanks, breeding tanks especially. I find that if you clean them regularly they are a great choice and I would not use HOBs. They are also amazing for smaller tanks in which many other types of filtration take up too much space or just wouldn’t work. I think they are great for low maintenance aquariums because of their small size and how inexpensive they are compared to HOBs. Great video though, the multifasciatus tank is looking amazing!

[CyprinusCarpioDiem]

Ive been doing this professionally for abour 12 years now, i would VERY MUCH prefer maintaining sponges vs sumps and HOBs.

[denniss]

I respect your knowledgeable opinion, but I must say. After I modified mine with a Air stone, and using it in a much smaller tank.. The thing is absolutely godsent. But I don’t think I’d use one in a larger tank.

I think these sponge filters have a special place in our realm, for sure.

[MelCarter]

⬅️⬅️⬅️ nervously clicks as I just got a sponge filter in the mail yesterday.

[ZacharyGames]

I keep sponges in my tanks even the one that has a canister because if something happens with that canister I always want there to be a backup on the ready

[Outlander]

I use double, super fine sponge filters in my breeding tanks and i can go for a couple of months between cleans which isn't bad. They start spluttering when clogged and I squeeze them out during the next water change. The super fine ones keep the water really polished and crystal clear. All are powered by a single blower type pump. This set up is super quiet and economical. I've tried a few different hang on backs and just never really liked them tbh. Whatever works for you I suppose : )

[Icehso]

I use the relatively clear old water at water changes to rinse my sponge in the bucket. A few minutes of squeezes and most debris is out. Of course with 80 tanks you probably aren't using buckets for water changes. I drill out the center so I can pass the air hose into the tube and place an air stone at the bottom to make it quieter. I hide mine behind a planting and learn to ignore it. Good video again.

[stangace]

I still prefer them to HOB filters, especially in tanks with fry/shrimp.

They're also really not that hard to maintain, just pull them up by the air hose, disconnect hose, rinse in sink, reattach hose and drop back down (2 minute job)

[feliciaheater]

Am I crazy?! This was a satirical review right? Hence the flashbacks at the end where jason points out that they’re literally the best. Idk. I have course sponges in most of my tanks and seriously considering changing over to finer sponges because like Jason said, they don’t hold the funk in when you try to take them out and clean them.

[survivalofthefishiest]

I have a HOB and Sponge in every tank. This way if one fails, or needs replaced, I'm not losing my cycle.

[MIKoenig]

Very well said: they're the worst and the IMO, they only belong in fish rooms and quarantine tanks. Always love the content!

[irvingcobian]

Maybe I'm just different but I've never had an issue with seeing a filter in the Aquarium. I made my own filters from pvc that work ok and I'm currently working on another filter that will hopefully work better

[anthonygaitan]

I feel like the negatives you brought up are pretty subjective, I noticed most of the points are regarding the higher degree maintenance than other filters, but many people including myself really don’t mind having to do all that. I have carpet in my room and can’t necessarily just pull filter floss out of my HOBs without getting fish doodies all over the place, I usually have to rip the entire filter off the back and take that into the bathroom. I feel like a good point to have made at the end along with having a proper set up would be theres a smaller margin for error when you start to get lazy lol (which happens to the best of us)

[johnnycruz]

I run sponge filters in all my 12 aquariums ranging from 90 to 3 gallons, primarily for bio filtration.

[CrowsRoots]

25 tanks from 5 to 175, every one uses sponge filters.

Most experienced aquarists I know, don't just pull floss out of their hob, they also rinse and return it to the filter after rinsing, which also gets yiur hands wet and waste time.

If you can't hide a sponge with aquascaping, you're doing it wrong.

👎