Sponge Filters

[Traid Angels]

I was wondering how often should sponge filters be removed and rinse out.

[l_james7897]

When your water starts getting a milky tinge to it. That usually mean that they aren't flowing anymore. The last time I rinsed mine out was about a month ago.

[Carol]

It all depends on load and feeding, but I try to clean mine up once a month. I have a lot of small pore ones and in bare bottom tanks you can usually notice when they are loading up.

When you see tuffs of stuff coming out the top you are overdue!

Some people clean them in a bucket with their tank water, I do it with the hose outside, but my water is chlorine free at the tap.

[Traid Angels]

Ok well it sounds like I am well over due on atleast one of them. It has been running a couple months now and have had many frys in there has I would say one to 2 huundred right now

[Carol]

How many filters you got in there?? I would clean one at a time so you don't need to worry about accidently killing the filter.

[Traid Angels]

Its a 10 gallon tank and I only have one filter in there . All my tanks only have one in them .

[Carol]

you should put an extra filter in any that are large enough so you always have an extra ready when you need one. in my 75 gallon tanks I have 5 going for just that reason.Though it doesn't hurt to have the extra bio either

[Traid Angels]

Yes I am getting ready to place an order for some more . Seems like I cannot keep enough tanks or filters anymore.

[Carol]

that is so true when you have a fast growing family!

[Traid Angels]

I know what you mean and to think back not that long ago I could not even get wigglers , then with alot of help from this wonderful forum I now have no free tanks and fish in just about every room in the house.

[DWFISH]

I do every two weeks with weekly water changes. I know if you do weekly water changes you can go a long time before you need to change.

[Traid Angels]

Thanks for the information I do a nightly water change cause they are in my fry tanks. I am atleast going to do it once a month if not more .

[The Wet Fish]

If you set your tanks up in systems you can get along with a lot less sponge filters - like having a couple in the sump for just in case you want to isolate a tank by itself. A system would use a filter that had pads to collect the debris before reaching a container of something like volcanic rock - keeping the rock clean and healthy. The bacteria on this rock would support all the tanks connected to it. Keeping the tanks clean is related to how the water is introduced and allowed to leave each tank. Using a flow of water across the bottom of the tank moves the larger debris to the overflow that is at the opposite end of the tank also at the bottom of the tank. Only a small amount of skimming is needed to remove proteins from the surface of the tanks but a jet across the top is needed to keep the protein moving towards the skimmer. You should be able to find examples in the DIY section. Lou