Want to learn more about sponge filters? Check out these videos! Beginners Guide to Sponge Filters: th-cam.com/video/yQSI-3rUsIs/w-d-xo.html The Science Behind Why Cleaning Sponge Filters in Tap Water is OK: th-cam.com/video/kN5F8q7aFGg/w-d-xo.html Sponge Filter vs HOB Filter: th-cam.com/video/TN_eagzIEyY/w-d-xo.html Sponge FIlter vs Matten Filter: th-cam.com/video/kN5F8q7aFGg/w-d-xo.html Should You Use a Powerhead on Your Sponge Filter: th-cam.com/video/1H1PDbCVaR4/w-d-xo.html Our new shirts can be found at: www.primetimeaquatics.com/merch 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! th-cam.com/channels/YVN7EN0ALL6CE4U7NpMUTA.htmljoin If you want to see all the cool stuff Joanna does with other types of scapes check out her channel! th-cam.com/channels/PEZk1MpOTGiBVh6BtWjlRg.html
i have 6 Aqua-top 250's in my 300 gallon rubbermaid stock tank, each one is rated for a 250 gallon tank, they're ran by a Vivosun air pump that's good for 1250 gallons an hour, i clean my sponge filters once every 3 months, i have never had any issues with reduced performance of my sponge filters over time, my water stays crystal clear all the time, I think the key factor with BIG sponge filters is having a powerful air pump
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.
All up to you. Personally I want to use a matten filter (Hamburg matten filter) in my first aquarium. Idk if I will. Depends what I can find out there for used aquariums that may come with a hob. The hob I would plan to "hot rod" it.
@@unnie7834 I don't replace them, I modified them with sponges and bio media, so I basically have the same as a Sponge Filter (and even more) just outside the tank
What about if you lose power? Some hob filters have been known to leak or burn out once power comes back on because they didn’t get primed….. that alone could be a sponge filter
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.
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!
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.
I used two on opposite ends in a 75 with two large tiger oscars and an even larger pleco. Bare tank with a middle piece of drift. All sides panted black expect the front. They didnt stand out as bad in a dark tank designed to look like it was in deep water. I also did the air stone trick with mine. Those Oscars can be monster sized and intelligent for a fish.
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.
I don't run air on any of my tanks, the 90, the 125 or the 300 gallon. The plants and running the water through the sump system more than provides enough air in the tanks. It's just a matter of different strokes for different folks. I would agree though that they are great for quarantine and hospital tanks.
Same here. I run sponge filters as an addition to my HOB filters on all my tanks for air. Then when I need to set up a hospital or quarantine tank, I can pull one out and I’m off and running.
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.
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
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 : )
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)
For me, my absolute biggest plus with sponge filters is that they can’t possibly cause a leak. Ive had leaks from an Aquaclear and a Fluval 207. Stinky bedroom for quite some time.
@@linjasonlin Don't really see how it's clickbait. He brought up a lot of positives and negatives and made the conclusion they are technically the worst kind of filter but there are still reasons to use them. What do you expect?
@@bullythebooks It's clickbait because he knows it's not true. Anyone with any real experience knows its not true. It's a manipulative, intentionally inflamatory statement. He even admits that he couldn't have his fishroom or youtube channel without them. He made this video because he KNEW that people would disagree with what was so very clearly not true, and that would provoke people to click on the video. He didn't make this video because he actually believes what he is saying. In this instance, he is not trying to convey truthful information. He is trying to get clicks, and hey, it worked on me, but at the cost of his credibility, to anyone paying attention anyway.
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)
I agree! I have shrimp and don’t like the HOB filters. Saying they’re the worst filters to use is a bit dramatic 🤣 I have no issues with mine and you can hide it well with your plants and wood!
I have a very expensive sump system for my 150 gallon tank. In operation mode it runs 55 gallons and holds 75 gallons total. I still run 2 large sponge filters in the tank. These are there for if/when the power goes out and I need to keep filtration going with the small battery operated (USB) air pumps. They will have the beneficial bacteria already built up and should help keep the tank going. Do I need them during normal operation, nope. But they are back up plus they provide the surface breaking needed to help the air circulate into the water allowing gas exchanges.
I agree with you. I have a regular filter but I use it when I’m changing my water to keep some oxygen in the plastic container. Also this guy talks about pet who don’t clean the sponge for a long time.
A couple of decades ago, I got some sick fish from a breeder/importer friend of mine. These fish brought in some very virulent new diseases, mostly from Africa. There was literally no way to save the fish, most went fast, but they left behind aquariums that remained deadly to anything I put into them, plus the risk of spreading the diseases around my fish room were simply too high to play with these infected aquariums. Chemically steralizing the tanks and gravel was pretty easy, but my sponge filters tended to dissolve in harsh disinfectant chamicals. At the time most of my sponge filters were new or almost new... What a waste! I had some old box filters laying around from back when I was a kid in the 1960's, I upgraded the charcoal to lava rock, for their anerobic benefits breaking down nitrates and substituted polyfill for the glass wool... and they worked a treat! Lava rock was dirt cheap at the garden center and polyfill is also dirt cheap and is as easy to replace as a cartridge in a hang on back filter. Moar of the most advanced hobbiests also use box filters with gravel in them. For special circumstances I can add charcoal or any other special media to a box/corner filter as needed... and box filters are easy to steralize in bleach. peroxide or alcohol. Box filters also don't eat fry. Box/corner filters are cheap, easier to clean, don't eat fry, easy to steralize, also run on air and are light years more flexible than sponge filters. And best of all, you can see exactly when they need to be cleaned by just looking into your tank. As a seriious 50+ year hobbiest, breeder and published fish author, I intend no disrespect to folks that use sponge filters, (they do work) but if you are serious about keeping and breeding tropical fish and you are dealing with nitrates by changing water anyway... ditch the sponges and upgrade to box filters when you replace your sponge filters. You will never go back.
@@qalpitor3458 Mostly because all of the "influencers" are sponsored or have their own gigs selling something new and improved to hobbyists that don't know better. "If you want to keep fish all you need to do is buy something expensive from me or my sponsor."
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.
I use both a hob and a sponge filter. The hob does a great job of cleaning the water and the sponge helps me know the bacteria population will be maintained. The sponge doesn't need to be very big this way, and I have an immediate filter for a good quarantine tank when needed. This is an idea I got from Irene at Girl Talks Fish.
@@High_Octane I just changed out the hob on my 20 gal. from a cartridge filter to an Aquaclear. I'm impressed at how quiet it is, and I like the flow adjustment. I am a little intimidated on how to maintain it though. I put in very coarse filter material first, then less coarse, then a thin sheet of fine, and a small pack of bio-rings. What do you think? How often do you clean and/or replace the materials?
@@High_Octane Thanks so much for the information. I have an aquaclear for my 55 gal. I'll get set up today. Following your advice I made a coarse filter for the intake on my small aquarium . I have some tiny rasboras in there, having that intake filter will also help keep them safe.
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
I have come to enjoy your sense of humor more and more over time. I use sponge filters, HOB sometimes, and cannister filters. The fact I can easily run three small tanks on one air pump (Eheim is pretty quiet btw) is important when you consider energy costs. The cost of a sponge filter is lower than other filters so they lose on that front as well :).
Jason you are right. I am big believer of canister filter and using one for more than 10 years. But recently I start buying a sponge filters as back up and main filter for smaller Betta tank. They are so versatile that no body beat it.
Have a sponge filter in every tank even though they all have hang on back or canister filters. Great to have a back up filter running incase one breaks which happened once when on holiday ofcourse!
New to hobby, but I recently got a sponge filter ... it's got 2 smaller sponges and you can pull them right off the top, so easier to clean than the type you show in the video. I have a HOB as well, leaving it on until the sponge has had time to get up and going. Pretty full tank (fish and snails) and debating if I should keep both now ...
Quite the love-hate relationship you have going with sponge filters, LOL! I agree, they are an eyesore, and if you hide them too well they can't do their job. But when you're running a zillion tanks, it's the only way to go (and you can always run an HOB or a can on your 2 or 3 show tanks). BTW, those albino heckelii are NUTS! Thanks Jason.
Praise the lord!!!! Somebody finally said it!!! I have NEVER liked sponge filters. EVER. I keep one in my 125 just to have it in case I need BB for a hospital/quarantine tank, but it isn't worth a crap for cleaning! THANK YOU!!!!!!
Do I detect a little sarcasm? Lol.The hardest thing for me is is to take all the info that is out there and decide what is best. I think I finally have my tank set up and established to the point that it I requires very little maintenance. I narrowed it down to only watching a few fish keepers. You and Joanne are my top. Appreciate all the info you share. Im in for the relaxation and enjoyment. Thank you.
For commercial guys, I see the application being used, but for my house it's cannister filters!! Cleaner, clear water! Also first video I've seen with a both sides review. I appreciate the honesty.
I am so appreciative of this video! I've been using HOB on my three small tanks (5, 10, 20), but I've been seeing so many people like yourselves use sponge filters. This provided some really valuable context for me! Cheers!
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. 👎
great vid. they are a must for me, i go away for 3 weeks at a time, i clean them before leaving etc. they are good for several months before getting clogged, so that covers me when i am away. HOB may or may not clog up, and if they do, they may leak if not properly set on an angle. thanks.
Great video. And a good pro & con discussion. Personally I don't have a preference. Sponge filters, HOB, and canisters all provide the same filtration at different speeds and scales. So, it's user preference. Your will get aerobic nitrification and basic mechanical filtration from all 3 options. I personally favor more complex filtration methods, that are more expensive, harder to scale, and require effort to set up. But with only one system; it's a one-time purchase, I only set it up once, and I have options for automation, testing and monitor probes, media reactors, anoxic zones, refuge zones for invertebrates or specialty organisms, and I keep not only my filter but also my heater out of the display... What do I prefer: A Sump.
lol I actually use panty hose instead of a plastic bag to keep the gunk from dumping back into the tank. Works awesome! I use knee highs for my HOB pre filters, just pull the knee high over it while it’s still in place on the filter intake tube ❤️❤️
Great video 😆 for me, sponge filters (that you got me into) are the best, I have lots of inverts that love hanging out on them eating all the little bits, and they're completely internal with air stones so they're quiet in the house, I use the coarse ones from Aquarium Co-op and they are great, they are weighted so they don't float and they haven't clogged yet, I used to use internal submerged filters and I had a filter failure one day that we think had happened days earlier, thankfully all of my fishies and inverts were ok but now I really like being able to look across the room and see that my filters are running. I'm about to set up more tanks and I'm definitely sold on sponge filters 🙂
I’ve always hated sponge filters. Pain is A to clean etc. but I really love the Heiger double sponge filter with the media in bottom. Very slick and easy to clean. I use them only tanks with HOBs that floss my water clean. Just using HOB for bacteria.
I hate hobs, but use sponge filters attached as pre-filters to my canister filters, on my discus breeding tank I have two. It takes me 10 minutes to clean a canister and the sponge filter attached to it. I have a heavy duty air pump, but only use it for aeration on my tanks. But with any filters it all comes down to not over feeding and water changes. On my planted tanks I skip over the sponge for a fine stainless steel mesh filter guard as they look so much better. BTW I only clean my canisters on my planted tanks 4 times a year. On my discus once a month. How many times a year would you have to clean a HOB? I have used them and had to clean them weekly or at least every 2 weeks. Sponges are alright on pre-filters or a supplement filter, but not as main filtration, except if it is a large hamburg matten hooked up to a small pump rather than using air. I find air just does not pull the water through enough for my liking.
Nicely played Sir 😉 I love sponge filters. I would need a little more for an Oscar but for general fish and especially breeding and nano fish they really are the best
I got 2 Aquaclear 70 HOB filters on my 55 gallon tank, I also have 1 up to 60 gallon sponge filter, do I even need the sponge filter with the 2 Aquaclears?
I have owned fish tanks, fresh and salt, for 50 years. I have used many filter types. Sponge filters offer the weakest suction and only catch things nearby. Your substrate houses more beneficial bacteria. Beneficial bacteria increase or decrease dependent on fish load/feeding/elimination. Hang on filters aerate/circulate/filter you tank more than sponge filters. Easy to service and visualize when to clean especially with decreased outflow. I really enjoys sumps. Use an old aquarium with a few pieces of pvc. Store bought overflow or diy. Powerful ac or dc pumps. Huge mechanical filter socks with easy visualization and cleaning with a hose. Hide all your heaters, biomedia in the sump. Higher circulation with sumps or use of circulation pumps in main tank. Biggest deal with sumps is the added water volume. 40 gallon tank with a 20 gallon sump. That is a big deal! Enjoy your videos
A sponge filter is one of the few products where it does such an outstanding job at what it does that i have come to not mind the look of them anymore. It's like the (Toyota)Camry, not pretty but works so well, you actually don't mind how it looks, as long as it does its function.
The best fish keeping video ever - love the way you give the manufacturers a run for their money - you are right! It is the most ugliest thing in a tank. Looks like a floor mop or enema device. Cant understand that they can't design a more modern version. Lots of people are going to hate you for this - but I AM SUBSCRIBING!
I used to use hob filters and sponge filters, but now I just use my guppy grass as my bio filtration and my tanks are just as clear as when I used hob filters.
I love them in my breeding tanks. The fry absolutely love to feed off them. Yes they are ugly but they really do have an important place in my fish room.
Having used sponges, hang on back, and canister filters I have to say that my #1 is the hang on back. For me it strikes the best compromise between filtering capacity and easy of upkeep. Now if I had a livebearer breeding tank I would almost certainly go with sponge filters. Same if I had a bunch of tanks. That way I could just plumb in an air system and tap in and run all of the filters off of a single air pump. another advantage to the sponge filters is that you don't have that filter hanging on the back meaning you can slide the tank back a few more inches to free up floor space.
Out of the 26 tanks that we have, what's not running either under gravel, or hang on backs, we run sponge filters, some we run a combo of hob and sponge, every tank from our 5s to our 240s , no canisters here, ugf, hob or sponge, with the exception of one running a diatamatious earth filter.
Sponge filters are great, but they are not a miracle tool. They’re just a tool and every job needs the right tool. If you need water polishing or higher flow rates, get a hang on back or better. If you need aeration and biological filtration, a sponge is a great first step.
Never ran a sponge filter but run an undergravel with a hang on back. Undergravel for biological and hang on back for mechanical. I dont understand why undergravels get all the negative feedback. They work great.
A Matten corner filter in the left or right rear corner of the tank gives you more surface area, is more easily disguised, and has the same footprint as your typical clunky sponge filter. In addition it will provide directional surface agitation which will yield better circulation. You just need to plan for and install it when starting up (or renovating) the tank, as it requires waiting for the silicone to dry on the holding frame pieces. You once said you were intrigued and would one day audition one. What are you waiting for?
I do need to try it still. Haha. Part of it is how heavily I stock some of my tanks. I have to clean the sponge filters every week to keep the tanks clear. The though of having to do that with a corner matten filter scares me a bit.
@@PrimeTimeAquatics Well, I take your point about a heavily stocked tank. You need to be fast on your toes, so to speak, especially with so many tanks. You're really working on a different plane than your average viewer with 2 or 3 tanks in their bedroom. Two points. If you set up a more permanent, moderately stocked tank, something for watching and presentation, a show tank, the Matten corner filter is certainly is a prime choice if you're not going for a powered HOB. Second, it certainly gains "bio media" surface area over a standard sponge filter and should last a long, long time between cleaning. Just don't pile up gravel at it's base and it should be easy to remove the top reflector and slide the sponge up and out.
I use a smaller sponge filter as well as a hob since it's basically an upgraded airstone. It sits in the corner behind a large amount of tall crypts so I barely see it at all.
Sponge filters are "ok". I consider them an addendum filter, meaning "in addition to" a more substantial filter in the aquarium. Personally, the water has to be looking very clean for me. Have run sponge filters along with a powerhead with filter floss or even an HOB, with good success. 👍📺😎
THIS Was reading all of the comments and they are all comparing filters like it’s either one or the other. I have a HOB and a sponge filter both work together to keep the tank clean. It’s great for the problem areas of the tank.
I'm new to fish keeping but the fist sponge filters I own are aquarium coop filters. I have a 20g tall andba 36g bow front and I have a hob plus 2 sponge filters from the coop in both of my aquariums. I know they are ugly and take space but I feel safe in case the hob stops working because I have the aquarium co -op filters with a never clog stone running on a nano USB air pump. I know this setup only works 4 people with not that many thanks but so far has work for me.
Off topic: your shell dweller tank is awesome! Sponge filter: you forgot one thing. Noise! My pump makes no noise (36db). But the bubbles out of the filter is loud (>46db). I use them just in quarantine tanks. For aquascapes: I have just put mosses all over (with small wood /roots). Unfortunately then my husband banned them due to noise.
I have two sponge filters because I only have two tanks. I also had a hang-on when I first started I just found that the hang-on was more expensive to maintain so I switched to sponge filters and I haven't regretted it.
I have many different set ups. I have a few female Betta sororities, shell dweller community, Krebensis community, giant Gouramis, many types of Puffers, Killies, live bearer community...oh goodness...so many more 🥰
In general I quite like sponge filters but most arent very good at sucking up that much fish poop and for high flow tanks aren't the best. not to mention that you need an air pump and maybe an air stone which instantly bumps up the cost so overall are mostly best for nano and shrimp tanks
I like mine. Used a round lid on the hose and a regulator to help diffuse the bubbles. My HOB filters have been unreliable. Eventually they plug up. Switching over to the Hyyger style sponge filters in all my tanks now. You can adjust the angle of the outlet and the sponges so they are easier to hide. If they have two sponges you can pull an old one off to seed a new tank and pop a new one on without crashing the cycle. Im still new to the hobby but the pros far outweigh the cons for me.
I only use a sponge filter for the opposite end of whatever current is up. It works mainly to break up and supply another current where the water doesn't cycle easily, corners, behind rock shelves and such. They're a good buffer for tank health. It will cumulatively benefit the ecosystem when there is no dead zones in your tank besides intended cover. Prevent the build up of particles by drawing them to one spot.
well i do agree with all you said but in my opinion the sponge with a powerhead is really good at mechanical and biological filtration although you do need to oversize the sponge and it does look ugly but if you are breading fish and dont do it on a larger scale and you hate the noise the airpump makes they are still the best option . i do have all types hob sponge internal and canister they all have theyr uses but sponge filter is still the easiest to maintain out of all of them :D
As a thirty-five year aquarium enthusiast and sponge filter advocate, reading the title got my cackles up for sure. But I have to say, you ain't lying! Also, I guess beauty is subjective as I kinda like the look, especially the sound of the bubbles. Brings me back to the old days when mom and pop petshops were everywhere and you'd walk in and hear that beautiful sound of all those tanks running UGF's. And they certainly do go bad, especially when you have plecos knawing on them. I guess it all comes down to what makes you happy. I for one love the maintenance aspect of keeping fish so I'm not too bothered by the trouble. I also run power heads on my sponges in my big tanks, they do very well cleaning the debris, but need cleaning that more often. Take care and thanks for what you do!
sponge filters are that classic filter you find in the average fish tank or breeder tank. HOB filters give much better mechanical filtration though, their filter floss and media capacity is great so you really can’t beat them, I run both setups in my tanks... at the very least the sponge filter is oxygenating the water while the HOB is actively “sifting” the water for loose particles is the way I see it...
i would love someone to make a hybrid filter. the time it takes to clean a filter is irrelevant for me, as i only have 4 tanks. however i would love to see a design that combines the multiple types of filtration into one superfilter. it's like an HoB, with a swirl filter, with a sponge filter in the sump, with biomedia, with some kind of spillway filter. it just sounds like that's where the industry is heading.
I use both sponge and HOB/or Shark filters. When I do a weekly water change (25%) the sponge filter stays on, it's more an oxygen provider than a filter for me. On the bigger 55's I switched to Hygger with easy slip-on sponges. Much cleaner Pleco heavy tanks with weekly sponge changes. I will switch all my remaining smaller sponge filters to the single-sponge or micro Hygger.
I have the Hygger double sponge filter with two compartments for filter media. (Not an ad for Hygger, there’s at least one other brand that makes these but mine is made by Hygger.) I really needed to increase my KH for my snails and for pH stability, and I didn’t want a crushed coral substrate, so I needed the compartments to put crushed coral in. I didn’t want a HOB filter because the bacteria can quickly die off if the filter stops running. My filter also came with two extra sponges and a lot of ceramic bio beads, more than the two compartments can hold. I alternate between the two and clean one sponge every week. I can rinse it in tap water and wring it out in the sink until the water runs completely clear, and it’s never caused my cycle to crash or caused a bacterial bloom. It’s way more of an eyesore than your average sponge filter, though. I almost returned it, but I’m glad I didn’t. Edit: I actually got two in case I need to start a hospital tank, in which case I can just take out one of the two sponges from my tank and add it to the new filter.
I have sponge filters for all my tanks plus a couple tiny hang on the backs for added filtration for two of the 16 tanks I have and I love them. For me it’s the electric less chords plugged in. I was struggling with the outlets for all the heaters and hob and light and then air stone. Side note. I don’t think they are that ugly. People always go right to how horrible they are. They do take up a lot of space plus you gotta think about the circulation. Still beneficial for me. Two thumbs up for me!
I really loved the presentation of this one, your videos keep improving in overall quality and always provide me new info and ideas. Thank you guys for all your efforts.
You know what’s a great alternative to sponge filters and are driven the same way? k1 style containers or BPA free water bottles. I’m using a BPA Free water bottle with a bunch of holes poked in it aerated via a 2” air stone with ceramic media and coarse sponges for media in my 20 gallon planted blackwater biotope . Only reason I’m not running filter floss in it is because I’m trying to keep the tanin in the water. I do want to get rid of it eventually once I am able to DIY a small canister filter with a tall rubber maid container
Like others have said I keep large pore sponge filters in my tanks because we have recurring power shut offs in our area. I run battery back up air pumps to keep them going until I can get home and get the generator running and start the HOB’s and canisters going again. We don’t run the generator at night, so they come into play then also. I think it keeps the biological filtration stable and causes less stress on the fish.
I have been running 2 of the medium Aqqa sponge filters in my 40 for over a year and they work great, my goal with this tank is once the small fish have lived their life in there and only 2 to 3" fish remain I will be getting an African butterflyfish. So with the Aqqa sponge filters I didn't have to modify the plastic piece of the Versa top, which leave no gaps for the butterflyfish to jump out of the tank, and therefore sponge filters work really well for me.
Well you said it they're the best and the worst. I currently run 40 tanks many have a sponge filter in conjunction with a hang on back or a canister. Worst thing is no matter how careful I try to be you pull the filter out of the tank and much of the dirt winds up pouring out and back into the tank. But what else are you going to do with fry tanks or shrimp tanks?
One of the greatest filters for those with a fish room but all good points. Another downfall I would like to highlight is that if your an avid pleco enthusiast and you like Pseudacanthicus (the Cactus family) you will likely end up with bits of sponge all over the aquarium. This genus regurly feasts on freshwater sponges in South America and those teeth are well equipped to tear them up and throw chunks of sponge through out the aquarium (and quickly at that) . Good video !
Sponge filters are a must for me. You didn't mention the #1 kiss of death for a HOB filter. If the power goes out, and the HOB runs dry, then the power comes back on and you're not around to notice this fiasco, then you have a dry motor burning itself out. End of story. If that scenario happens with a sponge filter, with a one-way valve in the line, then it comes right back on when the power is restored. Also, sponge filters, as you mentioned, aren't going to suck up anything you don't want sucked up, like little baby fishies, etc... So, for me, it's sponge filters all the way.
I have a fiddler crab tank that requires a low water filter. I have a lot of aquascape so I have no issue hiding it. My HOB for my other main fishtank is okay but I want to switch to a sponge filter.
I use an aquarium coop sponge filter as the intake for my FX4 so it doesn't suck in the live bearer fry and keeps my kuhli loaches from getting to adventurous. I stacked two on top of each other and they just have an ungodly amount of capacity as a prefilter sponge because of how their held in the stack. it means that half of the tank is very relaxed current wise because all of that water volume is getting sucked in over a wide area instead of a small intake. I just used some plumbing parts so i can run vinyl tubing up to tank and just slid the vinyl over the lift tube. all i have to do is pop off the top cap and lift it up over the rocks and into a bag so i can get it to the sink. it really increases the amount of time i have in between taking apart the FX4 to about 3-4 months. And the sponge doesn't really get totally clogged that often either because of the sheer flow power the FX4 has it just kind gives the time for what ever is trapped in the sponge to mechanically or biologically break down before getting sucked down into the canister until it's drain time. All the benefits of mulm with none of it in the tank it's self.
I have a 21 gallon long tank, I purchased the Aquaneat Filter system on Amaz for under 10. I had a 10 gallon tank with a Whisper, 2 very small goldfish, I adopted/kidnapped from my employer. No one was willing to properly care for them, so I took it upon myself to give them a proper home. It has two sponges, they are spiked on the filter tubes. It's an upside down T system. The sponges set upon the stand, no worries of it sitting on substrate. Hose and Air pump was all I needed for the full system. The center tube for air flow, has a telescope top, bubbling away. I had freshwater aquariums for 18 years in the past. My one goldfish lived 15 yrs. Had I had a Sponge Filter, oh how much easier life would have been. He grew huge, he alone in a 46 gallon tank. Always doing water changes, all the filter systems, cartridges, bio-wheels, carbon, on and on. ( $$$$$) The Two Goldies I have now have tripled in size in their new 21 gallon tank. They are loving the Sponge system. I haven't had it for long, 3wks. I just cleaned the sponges. It took a whole 10 mins. Their water near clear even so. Boy those sponges hold a lot of debris. It was SO EASY. I captured the Sponge system in a large zip lock with the tank water. Gave them some good squeezes, the debris fell into the bag. Dumped the dirty water, replaced more tank water, squeezed, repeat. Water in the bag clear, I replaced the Sponge filter back in the tank. Done. I had a Whisper running, 20 gallon same time. I removed it from the tank. The filter needed replacing. I chose to remove it completely just now binge watching " Sponge vs Hang Filter Systems" My boys are swimming like champs. The water is clearing, not that it was bad. This Aquaneat System is for up to 55 gallons. The other size smaller up to 10 gal, there are others sold, near identical, 20 gallon, being that the Kids eat a lot of shrimp, algae etc, I went with the bigger. A ton of space opened up. They're zooming around, playing with each other. They so are Best Buddies. I am going to watch the tank closely. Knowing the capability, the solid air flow, the clarity of the tank water improved tri-fold with the Sponge System. I think we're going to be okay without the Whisper.
I tried sponge filters and I ended up not using them anymore. As you said about planted or scaped tanks they are ugly and getting them out of the tank is messy! I went back to a hang on back filter I just like it better.
I run 2 seachem tidal 110s on my 55g. They hold a lot of biomedia each plus the course sponge and filter floss, it keeps the water very clear. Well I also run a uv sterilizer 24/7 as well
I love my spong filter but I don't use it on it's own, I also have another type of internal filter that does most of the work. I added a spong filter purely because I wanted an air pump and figured might as well use a sponge filter with it since they are so cheap and will give my bacteria that little bit of extra help. I also like that when I need to replace the cartridge in my internal filter I don't need to worry so much about seeding the new cartridge with bacteria since the spong filter is there to take the slack while the new cartridge establishes itself.
This is what I'm using for my 20 gal hex (24'' tall) tank. Planted, shrimps cherry, amano, blue diamond. Nerite snails and also produces delicious pond snails for fishes in other tanks. Can't think of better filter for that setup. Oh and..I'm gonna say it. I find it beautiful :P
Air pumps sure are going to make noise. However I’ve noticed they become like white noise. & sponges still require a pump. My HOB’s do crap out quite often especially the larger Aqueon ones. Meant for 75 gallon plus tanks. I kept buying TWO 75 gallon filters for a 55 gallon tank. Bc in my opinion u can’t over-filter there’s no such thing as over filtration. Especially w my larger cichlids
I use canister filters, ok the technology is for a small pool but really is the only way to house enough bacteria to get a well cycled tank, now if I was breeding then the spong filter is the only option. Or a fry incubator maybe.
Want to learn more about sponge filters? Check out these videos!
Beginners Guide to Sponge Filters: th-cam.com/video/yQSI-3rUsIs/w-d-xo.html
The Science Behind Why Cleaning Sponge Filters in Tap Water is OK: th-cam.com/video/kN5F8q7aFGg/w-d-xo.html
Sponge Filter vs HOB Filter: th-cam.com/video/TN_eagzIEyY/w-d-xo.html
Sponge FIlter vs Matten Filter: th-cam.com/video/kN5F8q7aFGg/w-d-xo.html
Should You Use a Powerhead on Your Sponge Filter: th-cam.com/video/1H1PDbCVaR4/w-d-xo.html
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I hate them so much I have dozens to sneer.
i have 6 Aqua-top 250's in my 300 gallon rubbermaid stock tank, each one is rated for a 250 gallon tank, they're ran by a Vivosun air pump that's good for 1250 gallons an hour, i clean my sponge filters once every 3 months, i have never had any issues with reduced performance of my sponge filters over time, my water stays crystal clear all the time, I think the key factor with BIG sponge filters is having a powerful air pump
Watching this as I stare at my aquariums with sponge filters
Lol same scenarios
Same 2
Lmao,
Watching this before I proceed with order
Just an opinion. Try everything.
Um, yeah me too!
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.
Man I'm confused i have a 200 gallon tank , should i buy an air pump and few sponge filters or a build myself a diy filter using water pump ,
What kind of sponges do you use can you post a link
@@samanthamorris2207 do a Google search for Swiss tropicals in the US. THE FOAM IS CALLED poret
All up to you.
Personally I want to use a matten filter (Hamburg matten filter) in my first aquarium. Idk if I will. Depends what I can find out there for used aquariums that may come with a hob.
The hob I would plan to "hot rod" it.
@@ryuu6958one undergravel instead of few sponges
Ive been doing this professionally for abour 12 years now, i would VERY MUCH prefer maintaining sponges vs sumps and HOBs.
Why is it better (or easier) to maintain a sponge filter over a HOB?
@@mayerkatz2836 cost. U pay every time u replace filters
@@unnie7834 I don't replace them, I modified them with sponges and bio media, so I basically have the same as a Sponge Filter (and even more) just outside the tank
Not if you use the tidal HOB.
What about if you lose power? Some hob filters have been known to leak or burn out once power comes back on because they didn’t get primed….. that alone could be a sponge filter
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.
Well, there you go planning ahead, and thinking of efficient redundancies.
Yes, great for impulse fish purchases.
That’s why I have one. I can just pull it out and have a quarantine tank setup in about 5 minutes
This is what we do. I alwayw have bioballs behind my HOB cartridges and always have extra sponges. I'm never waiting 6 weeks to cycle a tank again.
I have several extra sponge filters resting in other tanks. Instant cycle
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!
Great point made, wholeheartedly agree
Thank you!! I also think a better pump would be a good idea to get better suction.
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.
I used two on opposite ends in a 75 with two large tiger oscars and an even larger pleco. Bare tank with a middle piece of drift. All sides panted black expect the front. They didnt stand out as bad in a dark tank designed to look like it was in deep water. I also did the air stone trick with mine. Those Oscars can be monster sized and intelligent for a fish.
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.
I have the same setup in my 40 breeder. Aquaclear 50 and a medium sponge for extra filtration, movement, and my only source of air.
I'm sure your setups are great :-)
I don't run air on any of my tanks, the 90, the 125 or the 300 gallon. The plants and running the water through the sump system more than provides enough air in the tanks. It's just a matter of different strokes for different folks. I would agree though that they are great for quarantine and hospital tanks.
Same here. I run sponge filters as an addition to my HOB filters on all my tanks for air. Then when I need to set up a hospital or quarantine tank, I can pull one out and I’m off and running.
@@brendalemay8384 same
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.
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
Also, good if you need to move the sponge to a quarentine tank to cycle it quickly.
Exactly
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 : )
⬅️⬅️⬅️ nervously clicks as I just got a sponge filter in the mail yesterday.
It will work just ifne :-)
You’ll like it! I use a HOB and Sponge on all my tanks. I like them both.
@@PrimeTimeAquatics I have a hob, and a sponge filter with 2 sponges. This one suctions to the glass and I really like it so far
Me too
I just got 2 sponge filters today. Ugggg.
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)
For me, my absolute biggest plus with sponge filters is that they can’t possibly cause a leak. Ive had leaks from an Aquaclear and a Fluval 207. Stinky bedroom for quite some time.
and made the title like click bait...really disappointed in this video
Jason Lin Thats just how the algorithm works and the way the game is played when you’re a youtuber. Honestly no big deal.
@@linjasonlin Don't really see how it's clickbait. He brought up a lot of positives and negatives and made the conclusion they are technically the worst kind of filter but there are still reasons to use them. What do you expect?
@@bullythebooks It's clickbait because he knows it's not true. Anyone with any real experience knows its not true. It's a manipulative, intentionally inflamatory statement. He even admits that he couldn't have his fishroom or youtube channel without them. He made this video because he KNEW that people would disagree with what was so very clearly not true, and that would provoke people to click on the video. He didn't make this video because he actually believes what he is saying. In this instance, he is not trying to convey truthful information. He is trying to get clicks, and hey, it worked on me, but at the cost of his credibility, to anyone paying attention anyway.
just to be cantankerous I published a vid after yours praising sponge filters. Keeping it lively.
Awesome! :-)
@@PrimeTimeAquatics Mind if I link?
Will return the favor.
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)
I agree! I have shrimp and don’t like the HOB filters. Saying they’re the worst filters to use is a bit dramatic 🤣 I have no issues with mine and you can hide it well with your plants and wood!
won't rinsing in sink kill off the bacteria??
@@craftwanderer8802we swish/squish ours in water change water.
If they are bad I don’t want to be good.
I have a very expensive sump system for my 150 gallon tank. In operation mode it runs 55 gallons and holds 75 gallons total. I still run 2 large sponge filters in the tank. These are there for if/when the power goes out and I need to keep filtration going with the small battery operated (USB) air pumps. They will have the beneficial bacteria already built up and should help keep the tank going. Do I need them during normal operation, nope. But they are back up plus they provide the surface breaking needed to help the air circulate into the water allowing gas exchanges.
I agree with you. I have a regular filter but I use it when I’m changing my water to keep some oxygen in the plastic container. Also this guy talks about pet who don’t clean the sponge for a long time.
I have a HOB and Sponge in every tank. This way if one fails, or needs replaced, I'm not losing my cycle.
A couple of decades ago, I got some sick fish from a breeder/importer friend of mine. These fish brought in some very virulent new diseases, mostly from Africa. There was literally no way to save the fish, most went fast, but they left behind aquariums that remained deadly to anything I put into them, plus the risk of spreading the diseases around my fish room were simply too high to play with these infected aquariums.
Chemically steralizing the tanks and gravel was pretty easy, but my sponge filters tended to dissolve in harsh disinfectant chamicals. At the time most of my sponge filters were new or almost new... What a waste!
I had some old box filters laying around from back when I was a kid in the 1960's, I upgraded the charcoal to lava rock, for their anerobic benefits breaking down nitrates and substituted polyfill for the glass wool... and they worked a treat! Lava rock was dirt cheap at the garden center and polyfill is also dirt cheap and is as easy to replace as a cartridge in a hang on back filter. Moar of the most advanced hobbiests also use box filters with gravel in them. For special circumstances I can add charcoal or any other special media to a box/corner filter as needed... and box filters are easy to steralize in bleach. peroxide or alcohol. Box filters also don't eat fry.
Box/corner filters are cheap, easier to clean, don't eat fry, easy to steralize, also run on air and are light years more flexible than sponge filters. And best of all, you can see exactly when they need to be cleaned by just looking into your tank.
As a seriious 50+ year hobbiest, breeder and published fish author, I intend no disrespect to folks that use sponge filters, (they do work) but if you are serious about keeping and breeding tropical fish and you are dealing with nitrates by changing water anyway... ditch the sponges and upgrade to box filters when you replace your sponge filters. You will never go back.
Yes idk why box filters r less popular.
@@qalpitor3458 Mostly because all of the "influencers" are sponsored or have their own gigs selling something new and improved to hobbyists that don't know better. "If you want to keep fish all you need to do is buy something expensive from me or my sponsor."
Box filters are very versatile, I'm hlad someone mentioned them.
I can't find box filters for love nor money.
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.
They represent the duality of man. Haha - sometimes good and sometimes bad!
I use both a hob and a sponge filter. The hob does a great job of cleaning the water and the sponge helps me know the bacteria population will be maintained. The sponge doesn't need to be very big this way, and I have an immediate filter for a good quarantine tank when needed. This is an idea I got from Irene at Girl Talks Fish.
@@High_Octane I just changed out the hob on my 20 gal. from a cartridge filter to an Aquaclear. I'm impressed at how quiet it is, and I like the flow adjustment. I am a little intimidated on how to maintain it though. I put in very coarse filter material first, then less coarse, then a thin sheet of fine, and a small pack of bio-rings. What do you think? How often do you clean and/or replace the materials?
@@High_Octane Thanks so much for the information. I have an aquaclear for my 55 gal. I'll get set up today. Following your advice I made a coarse filter for the intake on my small aquarium . I have some tiny rasboras in there, having that intake filter will also help keep them safe.
Very well said: they're the worst and the best.....lol. IMO, they only belong in fish rooms and quarantine tanks. Always love the content!
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
I have come to enjoy your sense of humor more and more over time. I use sponge filters, HOB sometimes, and cannister filters. The fact I can easily run three small tanks on one air pump (Eheim is pretty quiet btw) is important when you consider energy costs. The cost of a sponge filter is lower than other filters so they lose on that front as well :).
Appreciate you being here!
Nope. Sponge filters ruined my first ever experience with keeping tropical fish.
I and my houseplants don't mind the cleaning aspect of the sponge filter. All of the "gunk" makes my plants happy and grow nicely ❤️
Jason you are right. I am big believer of canister filter and using one for more than 10 years. But recently I start buying a sponge filters as back up and main filter for smaller Betta tank. They are so versatile that no body beat it.
Have a sponge filter in every tank even though they all have hang on back or canister filters. Great to have a back up filter running incase one breaks which happened once when on holiday ofcourse!
New to hobby, but I recently got a sponge filter ... it's got 2 smaller sponges and you can pull them right off the top, so easier to clean than the type you show in the video. I have a HOB as well, leaving it on until the sponge has had time to get up and going. Pretty full tank (fish and snails) and debating if I should keep both now ...
Quite the love-hate relationship you have going with sponge filters, LOL! I agree, they are an eyesore, and if you hide them too well they can't do their job. But when you're running a zillion tanks, it's the only way to go (and you can always run an HOB or a can on your 2 or 3 show tanks). BTW, those albino heckelii are NUTS! Thanks Jason.
Thank you! :-)
Praise the lord!!!! Somebody finally said it!!! I have NEVER liked sponge filters. EVER. I keep one in my 125 just to have it in case I need BB for a hospital/quarantine tank, but it isn't worth a crap for cleaning! THANK YOU!!!!!!
I run sponge filters in all my 12 aquariums ranging from 90 to 3 gallons, primarily for bio filtration.
Do I detect a little sarcasm? Lol.The hardest thing for me is is to take all the info that is out there and decide what is best. I think I finally have my tank set up and established to the point that it I requires very little maintenance. I narrowed it down to only watching a few fish keepers. You and Joanne are my top. Appreciate all the info you share. Im in for the relaxation and enjoyment. Thank you.
For commercial guys, I see the application being used, but for my house it's cannister filters!! Cleaner, clear water! Also first video I've seen with a both sides review. I appreciate the honesty.
I am so appreciative of this video! I've been using HOB on my three small tanks (5, 10, 20), but I've been seeing so many people like yourselves use sponge filters. This provided some really valuable context for me! Cheers!
Finally! Someone that is not pro sponge filters! I HATE sponge filters for all the reasons you listed!
I use a sponge/HOB combination in every tank. That's been the winning combo for me for years.
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.
👎
I think I might remove a HOB filter from the back of a tank once every couple years? :-)
Sponge filters are amazing but don't expect them to do it all. A HOB and a sponge is an amazing combo
great vid. they are a must for me, i go away for 3 weeks at a time, i clean them before leaving etc. they are good for several months before getting clogged, so that covers me when i am away. HOB may or may not clog up, and if they do, they may leak if not properly set on an angle. thanks.
Great video. And a good pro & con discussion.
Personally I don't have a preference. Sponge filters, HOB, and canisters all provide the same filtration at different speeds and scales. So, it's user preference. Your will get aerobic nitrification and basic mechanical filtration from all 3 options.
I personally favor more complex filtration methods, that are more expensive, harder to scale, and require effort to set up.
But with only one system; it's a one-time purchase, I only set it up once, and I have options for automation, testing and monitor probes, media reactors, anoxic zones, refuge zones for invertebrates or specialty organisms, and I keep not only my filter but also my heater out of the display... What do I prefer: A Sump.
lol I actually use panty hose instead of a plastic bag to keep the gunk from dumping back into the tank. Works awesome! I use knee highs for my HOB pre filters, just pull the knee high over it while it’s still in place on the filter intake tube ❤️❤️
Great video 😆 for me, sponge filters (that you got me into) are the best, I have lots of inverts that love hanging out on them eating all the little bits, and they're completely internal with air stones so they're quiet in the house, I use the coarse ones from Aquarium Co-op and they are great, they are weighted so they don't float and they haven't clogged yet, I used to use internal submerged filters and I had a filter failure one day that we think had happened days earlier, thankfully all of my fishies and inverts were ok but now I really like being able to look across the room and see that my filters are running. I'm about to set up more tanks and I'm definitely sold on sponge filters 🙂
I’ve always hated sponge filters. Pain is A to clean etc. but I really love the Heiger double sponge filter with the media in bottom. Very slick and easy to clean. I use them only tanks with HOBs that floss my water clean. Just using HOB for bacteria.
I hate hobs, but use sponge filters attached as pre-filters to my canister filters, on my discus breeding tank I have two. It takes me 10 minutes to clean a canister and the sponge filter attached to it. I have a heavy duty air pump, but only use it for aeration on my tanks. But with any filters it all comes down to not over feeding and water changes. On my planted tanks I skip over the sponge for a fine stainless steel mesh filter guard as they look so much better. BTW I only clean my canisters on my planted tanks 4 times a year. On my discus once a month. How many times a year would you have to clean a HOB? I have used them and had to clean them weekly or at least every 2 weeks. Sponges are alright on pre-filters or a supplement filter, but not as main filtration, except if it is a large hamburg matten hooked up to a small pump rather than using air. I find air just does not pull the water through enough for my liking.
I like how Jason looks so proud in the thumbnail saying sponge filters are the worst type of Filtration 😂
Nicely played Sir 😉 I love sponge filters. I would need a little more for an Oscar but for general fish and especially breeding and nano fish they really are the best
I got 2 Aquaclear 70 HOB filters on my 55 gallon tank, I also have 1 up to 60 gallon sponge filter, do I even need the sponge filter with the 2 Aquaclears?
My rule for sponge filters is hook them up to a 60 or a 100 gallon air pump min and you’ll be fine
I have owned fish tanks, fresh and salt, for 50 years. I have used many filter types. Sponge filters offer the weakest suction and only catch things nearby. Your substrate houses more beneficial bacteria. Beneficial bacteria increase or decrease dependent on fish load/feeding/elimination. Hang on filters aerate/circulate/filter you tank more than sponge filters. Easy to service and visualize when to clean especially with decreased outflow. I really enjoys sumps. Use an old aquarium with a few pieces of pvc. Store bought overflow or diy. Powerful ac or dc pumps. Huge mechanical filter socks with easy visualization and cleaning with a hose. Hide all your heaters, biomedia in the sump. Higher circulation with sumps or use of circulation pumps in main tank. Biggest deal with sumps is the added water volume. 40 gallon tank with a 20 gallon sump. That is a big deal! Enjoy your videos
A sponge filter is one of the few products where it does such an outstanding job at what it does that i have come to not mind the look of them anymore. It's like the (Toyota)Camry, not pretty but works so well, you actually don't mind how it looks, as long as it does its function.
Yeah I'm all for function over looks. I don't use substrate in my tanks either because it's just easier to clean that way.
The best fish keeping video ever - love the way you give the manufacturers a run for their money - you are right! It is the most ugliest thing in a tank. Looks like a floor mop or enema device. Cant understand that they can't design a more modern version. Lots of people are going to hate you for this - but I AM SUBSCRIBING!
Appreciate you being here!
I used to use hob filters and sponge filters, but now I just use my guppy grass as my bio filtration and my tanks are just as clear as when I used hob filters.
I love them in my breeding tanks. The fry absolutely love to feed off them. Yes they are ugly but they really do have an important place in my fish room.
Having used sponges, hang on back, and canister filters I have to say that my #1 is the hang on back. For me it strikes the best compromise between filtering capacity and easy of upkeep. Now if I had a livebearer breeding tank I would almost certainly go with sponge filters. Same if I had a bunch of tanks. That way I could just plumb in an air system and tap in and run all of the filters off of a single air pump. another advantage to the sponge filters is that you don't have that filter hanging on the back meaning you can slide the tank back a few more inches to free up floor space.
If I only had a few tanks HOB for me too!
Out of the 26 tanks that we have, what's not running either under gravel, or hang on backs, we run sponge filters, some we run a combo of hob and sponge, every tank from our 5s to our 240s , no canisters here, ugf, hob or sponge, with the exception of one running a diatamatious earth filter.
Sponge filters are great, but they are not a miracle tool. They’re just a tool and every job needs the right tool. If you need water polishing or higher flow rates, get a hang on back or better. If you need aeration and biological filtration, a sponge is a great first step.
Never ran a sponge filter but run an undergravel with a hang on back. Undergravel for biological and hang on back for mechanical. I dont understand why undergravels get all the negative feedback. They work great.
A Matten corner filter in the left or right rear corner of the tank gives you more surface area, is more easily disguised, and has the same footprint as your typical clunky sponge filter. In addition it will provide directional surface agitation which will yield better circulation. You just need to plan for and install it when starting up (or renovating) the tank, as it requires waiting for the silicone to dry on the holding frame pieces. You once said you were intrigued and would one day audition one. What are you waiting for?
I do need to try it still. Haha. Part of it is how heavily I stock some of my tanks. I have to clean the sponge filters every week to keep the tanks clear. The though of having to do that with a corner matten filter scares me a bit.
@@PrimeTimeAquatics Well, I take your point about a heavily stocked tank. You need to be fast on your toes, so to speak, especially with so many tanks. You're really working on a different plane than your average viewer with 2 or 3 tanks in their bedroom. Two points. If you set up a more permanent, moderately stocked tank, something for watching and presentation, a show tank, the Matten corner filter is certainly is a prime choice if you're not going for a powered HOB. Second, it certainly gains "bio media" surface area over a standard sponge filter and should last a long, long time between cleaning. Just don't pile up gravel at it's base and it should be easy to remove the top reflector and slide the sponge up and out.
I use a smaller sponge filter as well as a hob since it's basically an upgraded airstone. It sits in the corner behind a large amount of tall crypts so I barely see it at all.
Sponge filters are "ok". I consider them an addendum filter, meaning "in addition to" a more substantial filter in the aquarium. Personally, the water has to be looking very clean for me. Have run sponge filters along with a powerhead with filter floss or even an HOB, with good success. 👍📺😎
THIS
Was reading all of the comments and they are all comparing filters like it’s either one or the other.
I have a HOB and a sponge filter both work together to keep the tank clean. It’s great for the problem areas of the tank.
I've only ever used sponge filters when I was growing small fry in a seperate tank
I'm new to fish keeping but the fist sponge filters I own are aquarium coop filters. I have a 20g tall andba 36g bow front and I have a hob plus 2 sponge filters from the coop in both of my aquariums. I know they are ugly and take space but I feel safe in case the hob stops working because I have the aquarium co -op filters with a never clog stone running on a nano USB air pump. I know this setup only works 4 people with not that many thanks but so far has work for me.
Off topic: your shell dweller tank is awesome!
Sponge filter: you forgot one thing. Noise! My pump makes no noise (36db). But the bubbles out of the filter is loud (>46db). I use them just in quarantine tanks.
For aquascapes: I have just put mosses all over (with small wood /roots). Unfortunately then my husband banned them due to noise.
Thank you - good points!
I use both hang on back filter and sponge filter in the same tank. Is this good to do? I'm new in the hobby
Sure - we do that in a number of tanks.
There is no such thing as too much filtration.
I have two sponge filters because I only have two tanks. I also had a hang-on when I first started I just found that the hang-on was more expensive to maintain so I switched to sponge filters and I haven't regretted it.
I have at least one sponge filter in every aquarium. I currently have 34 tanks in my fishroom and other rooms in my house 😳🤪🥰
Yep - you need them just like me :-)
you don't have a fishroom , but have a fish house instead . wow 34 tanks , what's the fish you keep ?
I have many different set ups. I have a few female Betta sororities, shell dweller community, Krebensis community, giant Gouramis, many types of Puffers, Killies, live bearer community...oh goodness...so many more 🥰
@@audrameyer9558 you're wasting all that with no videos. Make a channel!
I wanna come live with you. I only have 6 tanks. 😜😂
In general I quite like sponge filters but most arent very good at sucking up that much fish poop and for high flow tanks aren't the best. not to mention that you need an air pump and maybe an air stone which instantly bumps up the cost so overall are mostly best for nano and shrimp tanks
Love the spin at the end!
You can just gravel vacuum a sponge filter while it’s in the tank to clean it, plus they’re perfect for cycling a new tank set up
That will remove some detritus from the surface of the filter but usually doesn’t remove the stuff inside the filter (which clogs it).
I like mine. Used a round lid on the hose and a regulator to help diffuse the bubbles. My HOB filters have been unreliable. Eventually they plug up. Switching over to the Hyyger style sponge filters in all my tanks now. You can adjust the angle of the outlet and the sponges so they are easier to hide. If they have two sponges you can pull an old one off to seed a new tank and pop a new one on without crashing the cycle. Im still new to the hobby but the pros far outweigh the cons for me.
The walking monolog! Taking this 90s boy back!
Love the video! Very well done!
Too funny !
I only use a sponge filter for the opposite end of whatever current is up. It works mainly to break up and supply another current where the water doesn't cycle easily, corners, behind rock shelves and such. They're a good buffer for tank health. It will cumulatively benefit the ecosystem when there is no dead zones in your tank besides intended cover. Prevent the build up of particles by drawing them to one spot.
well i do agree with all you said but in my opinion the sponge with a powerhead is really good at mechanical and biological filtration although you do need to oversize the sponge and it does look ugly but if you are breading fish and dont do it on a larger scale and you hate the noise the airpump makes they are still the best option . i do have all types hob sponge internal and canister they all have theyr uses but sponge filter is still the easiest to maintain out of all of them :D
As a thirty-five year aquarium enthusiast and sponge filter advocate, reading the title got my cackles up for sure. But I have to say, you ain't lying! Also, I guess beauty is subjective as I kinda like the look, especially the sound of the bubbles. Brings me back to the old days when mom and pop petshops were everywhere and you'd walk in and hear that beautiful sound of all those tanks running UGF's. And they certainly do go bad, especially when you have plecos knawing on them. I guess it all comes down to what makes you happy. I for one love the maintenance aspect of keeping fish so I'm not too bothered by the trouble. I also run power heads on my sponges in my big tanks, they do very well cleaning the debris, but need cleaning that more often. Take care and thanks for what you do!
Thanks for being here!
The vital question is.....is it "sponge worthy" ?
Elaine says yes.
sponge filters are that classic filter you find in the average fish tank or breeder tank. HOB filters give much better mechanical filtration though, their filter floss and media capacity is great so you really can’t beat them, I run both setups in my tanks... at the very least the sponge filter is oxygenating the water while the HOB is actively “sifting” the water for loose particles is the way I see it...
i would love someone to make a hybrid filter.
the time it takes to clean a filter is irrelevant for me, as i only have 4 tanks.
however i would love to see a design that combines the multiple types of filtration into one superfilter.
it's like an HoB, with a swirl filter, with a sponge filter in the sump, with biomedia, with some kind of spillway filter.
it just sounds like that's where the industry is heading.
Another great video. This one in particular had great editing that really helped tell the story. Thanks!!
I use both sponge and HOB/or Shark filters. When I do a weekly water change (25%) the sponge filter stays on, it's more an oxygen provider than a filter for me. On the bigger 55's I switched to Hygger with easy slip-on sponges. Much cleaner Pleco heavy tanks with weekly sponge changes. I will switch all my remaining smaller sponge filters to the single-sponge or micro Hygger.
I have the Hygger double sponge filter with two compartments for filter media. (Not an ad for Hygger, there’s at least one other brand that makes these but mine is made by Hygger.) I really needed to increase my KH for my snails and for pH stability, and I didn’t want a crushed coral substrate, so I needed the compartments to put crushed coral in. I didn’t want a HOB filter because the bacteria can quickly die off if the filter stops running. My filter also came with two extra sponges and a lot of ceramic bio beads, more than the two compartments can hold. I alternate between the two and clean one sponge every week. I can rinse it in tap water and wring it out in the sink until the water runs completely clear, and it’s never caused my cycle to crash or caused a bacterial bloom. It’s way more of an eyesore than your average sponge filter, though. I almost returned it, but I’m glad I didn’t.
Edit: I actually got two in case I need to start a hospital tank, in which case I can just take out one of the two sponges from my tank and add it to the new filter.
I have sponge filters for all my tanks plus a couple tiny hang on the backs for added filtration for two of the 16 tanks I have and I love them. For me it’s the electric less chords plugged in. I was struggling with the outlets for all the heaters and hob and light and then air stone. Side note. I don’t think they are that ugly. People always go right to how horrible they are. They do take up a lot of space plus you gotta think about the circulation. Still beneficial for me. Two thumbs up for me!
I really loved the presentation of this one, your videos keep improving in overall quality and always provide me new info and ideas. Thank you guys for all your efforts.
Thank you!
You know what’s a great alternative to sponge filters and are driven the same way? k1 style containers or BPA free water bottles.
I’m using a BPA Free water bottle with a bunch of holes poked in it aerated via a 2” air stone with ceramic media and coarse sponges for media in my 20 gallon planted blackwater biotope . Only reason I’m not running filter floss in it is because I’m trying to keep the tanin in the water. I do want to get rid of it eventually once I am able to DIY a small canister filter with a tall rubber maid container
So if the sponge filter is bad, what would u recommend for a 5 gallon betta tank.
I really like the Aquatop Forza 5-15 HOB
@@PrimeTimeAquatics thank you for the recommendation 😊 love your channel
Like others have said I keep large pore sponge filters in my tanks because we have recurring power shut offs in our area. I run battery back up air pumps to keep them going until I can get home and get the generator running and start the HOB’s and canisters going again. We don’t run the generator at night, so they come into play then also. I think it keeps the biological filtration stable and causes less stress on the fish.
I have been running 2 of the medium Aqqa sponge filters in my 40 for over a year and they work great, my goal with this tank is once the small fish have lived their life in there and only 2 to 3" fish remain I will be getting an African butterflyfish. So with the Aqqa sponge filters I didn't have to modify the plastic piece of the Versa top, which leave no gaps for the butterflyfish to jump out of the tank, and therefore sponge filters work really well for me.
I love the concept of this video 😁
Well you said it they're the best and the worst. I currently run 40 tanks many have a sponge filter in conjunction with a hang on back or a canister. Worst thing is no matter how careful I try to be you pull the filter out of the tank and much of the dirt winds up pouring out and back into the tank. But what else are you going to do with fry tanks or shrimp tanks?
One of the greatest filters for those with a fish room but all good points. Another downfall I would like to highlight is that if your an avid pleco enthusiast and you like Pseudacanthicus (the Cactus family) you will likely end up with bits of sponge all over the aquarium. This genus regurly feasts on freshwater sponges in South America and those teeth are well equipped to tear them up and throw chunks of sponge through out the aquarium (and quickly at that) . Good video !
Sponge filters are a must for me. You didn't mention the #1 kiss of death for a HOB filter. If the power goes out, and the HOB runs dry, then the power comes back on and you're not around to notice this fiasco, then you have a dry motor burning itself out. End of story. If that scenario happens with a sponge filter, with a one-way valve in the line, then it comes right back on when the power is restored. Also, sponge filters, as you mentioned, aren't going to suck up anything you don't want sucked up, like little baby fishies, etc... So, for me, it's sponge filters all the way.
At this point I only recommend HOB filters with motors that are in the water - that solves the priming issue.
I have a fiddler crab tank that requires a low water filter. I have a lot of aquascape so I have no issue hiding it. My HOB for my other main fishtank is okay but I want to switch to a sponge filter.
What's a good set up for a 20 gallon fish tank with a black moor and goldfish.
I use an aquarium coop sponge filter as the intake for my FX4 so it doesn't suck in the live bearer fry and keeps my kuhli loaches from getting to adventurous. I stacked two on top of each other and they just have an ungodly amount of capacity as a prefilter sponge because of how their held in the stack. it means that half of the tank is very relaxed current wise because all of that water volume is getting sucked in over a wide area instead of a small intake. I just used some plumbing parts so i can run vinyl tubing up to tank and just slid the vinyl over the lift tube. all i have to do is pop off the top cap and lift it up over the rocks and into a bag so i can get it to the sink. it really increases the amount of time i have in between taking apart the FX4 to about 3-4 months. And the sponge doesn't really get totally clogged that often either because of the sheer flow power the FX4 has it just kind gives the time for what ever is trapped in the sponge to mechanically or biologically break down before getting sucked down into the canister until it's drain time. All the benefits of mulm with none of it in the tank it's self.
I have a 21 gallon long tank, I purchased the Aquaneat Filter system on Amaz for under 10.
I had a 10 gallon tank with a Whisper, 2 very small goldfish, I adopted/kidnapped from my employer.
No one was willing to properly care for them, so I took it upon myself to give them a proper home.
It has two sponges, they are spiked on the filter tubes. It's an upside down T system.
The sponges set upon the stand, no worries of it sitting on substrate.
Hose and Air pump was all I needed for the full system. The center tube for air flow, has a telescope top, bubbling away.
I had freshwater aquariums for 18 years in the past. My one goldfish lived 15 yrs. Had I had a Sponge Filter, oh how much easier life would have been.
He grew huge, he alone in a 46 gallon tank. Always doing water changes, all the filter systems, cartridges, bio-wheels, carbon, on and on. ( $$$$$)
The Two Goldies I have now have tripled in size in their new 21 gallon tank.
They are loving the Sponge system. I haven't had it for long, 3wks. I just cleaned the sponges. It took a whole 10 mins. Their water near clear even so.
Boy those sponges hold a lot of debris. It was SO EASY. I captured the Sponge system in a large zip lock with the tank water.
Gave them some good squeezes, the debris fell into the bag. Dumped the dirty water, replaced more tank water, squeezed, repeat.
Water in the bag clear, I replaced the Sponge filter back in the tank. Done. I had a Whisper running, 20 gallon same time.
I removed it from the tank. The filter needed replacing. I chose to remove it completely just now binge watching " Sponge vs Hang Filter Systems"
My boys are swimming like champs. The water is clearing, not that it was bad. This Aquaneat System is for up to 55 gallons.
The other size smaller up to 10 gal, there are others sold, near identical, 20 gallon, being that the Kids eat a lot of shrimp, algae etc, I went with the bigger.
A ton of space opened up. They're zooming around, playing with each other. They so are Best Buddies. I am going to watch the tank closely.
Knowing the capability, the solid air flow, the clarity of the tank water improved tri-fold with the Sponge System. I think we're going to be okay without the Whisper.
I tried sponge filters and I ended up not using them anymore. As you said about planted or scaped tanks they are ugly and getting them out of the tank is messy! I went back to a hang on back filter I just like it better.
Try the tidal series. Changed my life on the maintenance side.
I run 2 seachem tidal 110s on my 55g. They hold a lot of biomedia each plus the course sponge and filter floss, it keeps the water very clear. Well I also run a uv sterilizer 24/7 as well
I love my spong filter but I don't use it on it's own, I also have another type of internal filter that does most of the work. I added a spong filter purely because I wanted an air pump and figured might as well use a sponge filter with it since they are so cheap and will give my bacteria that little bit of extra help. I also like that when I need to replace the cartridge in my internal filter I don't need to worry so much about seeding the new cartridge with bacteria since the spong filter is there to take the slack while the new cartridge establishes itself.
GREAT VIDEO
If you were running a rack of ONLY 3, 20 longs, lightly stocked would you recommend sponge filters, dual sponge filters or HOB?
Peace ✌️
I would probably run three HOB - probably three Seachem Tidal 35
This is what I'm using for my 20 gal hex (24'' tall) tank. Planted, shrimps cherry, amano, blue diamond. Nerite snails and also produces delicious pond snails for fishes in other tanks. Can't think of better filter for that setup.
Oh and..I'm gonna say it. I find it beautiful :P
You can find them beautiful 😀
I find them nice to look at as well, mine have shrimp and snails always on them and I love watching them scavenge the little bits 🙂
@@jessicaklimekalexander3679 Same here, they are so beneficial for those critters that I think that's what makes me find them pretty.
Air pumps sure are going to make noise. However I’ve noticed they become like white noise. & sponges still require a pump. My HOB’s do crap out quite often especially the larger Aqueon ones. Meant for 75 gallon plus tanks. I kept buying TWO 75 gallon filters for a 55 gallon tank. Bc in my opinion u can’t over-filter there’s no such thing as over filtration. Especially w my larger cichlids
I use canister filters, ok the technology is for a small pool but really is the only way to house enough bacteria to get a well cycled tank, now if I was breeding then the spong filter is the only option. Or a fry incubator maybe.