What Are Aquarium Filter Sponges Made Of?

One of the most crucial factors in raising and breeding healthy fish is to install filters in the aquarium that cannot only maintain favorable and healthy water conditions, but are mild enough not to harm the fish. Sponge filters are an ideal and effective form of filtration. This type of aquarium filter is made up of a sponge along with few other fixtures and parts. It functions like any other aquarium filter, but the water flow can be adjusted. Usually, the filter has a replaceable sponge. Ensure that you get an air pump, a check valve, an air control valve and a heater along with the sponge.

  1. How Does a Sponge Filter Work?

    • Bubbles of air are used to draw water through the sponge. The water drawn out through an external air pump or an integral water pump is replaced by water entering the sponge. Though it acts as mechanical filter, the sponge filter provides a bed for beneficial bacteria, making it a biological filter as well. A sponge filter is ideal for a small-sized aquarium. This type of filter consists of a sponge mounted on a frame, which is connected to a lift tube and a water pump. The filter can be placed at the bottom of the aquarium or it can be attached to the side of the aquarium.

    Maintenance of Sponge Filter

    • Rinse or replace the sponge every time it gets dirty. The frequency of replacing will depend on the number of fish in the aquarium, type of fish and food fed and cleaning schedule observed. Carbon cartridges that are found in some sponges need to be replaced frequently, preferably daily, as these may get overloaded with waste chemicals, which could, in turn, release toxins into the aquarium.

    Replacing the Sponge Filter

    • The same sponge filter can be used for many years. However, when it gets dirty, replace it or rinse it out. Most probably, you would clean the sponge every one to four weeks. When you replace the sponge due to deterioration, you are replacing the entire biological filter. So, you would have to seed the new sponge again with beneficial bacteria. Otherwise, your fish may end up suffering from new tank syndrome or ammonia poisoning. This problem can be overcome by installing a second sponge filter before removing the deteriorated one.

    Sponge Filter as a Breeder Filter

    • Sponge filters are low maintenance filters and are largely used by breeders in fry tanks and nursery tanks, as they prevent the fry from getting trapped in the filter or sucked into it. This is because the filters hardly produce any kind of water current, but still manage to filter the water effectively.