Are sponge filters good enough to replace my current filter?
Well I have a 20 gallon tank with a couple little fish here and there. Now I read that sponge filters are good for colonizing beneficial bacteria. Is that true?
And my current filter isnt even a real fish tank filter… =] Its actually a turtle tank one, but we read that it will do just fine. So, would a sponge filter actually work?
And if you have used a sponge filter, how do they work? Are they electronic?
Sponge filters are great for biological filtration, and also do an excellent job at fine partical filtration. The only thing they do not do is larger mechanical filtration.
They work with an air pump, the air rises up and draws the water in through the sponge. The stronger the air pump, the stronger the filter essentially becomes.
No matter what type of filter you will be cleaning, other than just getting the filter media unclogged, you must also do so without killing off beneficial bacteria colonies that inhabit the filter media. Therefore, never ever wash your sponge filter with direct tap water. The chlorine in the tap water is meant to kill any microrganisms and using it on the sponge will immediately destroy all bacterial colonies that you took so long to cultivate.