Sponges

[Mugwump]

Who uses sponges?......how do you drive them?..airstones? just airline??...are you running a HOB filter as well?...what supplier is your favorite for sponges? Do you drive you sponges hard?..medium? or gentle?....why?

I use sponges in all my tanks. In some tanks, I prefer an airstone to reduce surface turbulance a bit, usually smaller tanks. On some larger tanks I run a HOB filter too, it helps with debris from food, etc. I get most sponges from Jehmco, but bought a case from David at AngelfishUSA that dissipate the air without need for an air stone, very nice, and I may invest in another case.
Other suppliers are places like Ken's .....
I tend to drive my sponges not hard, but at a good clip. I keep them gentle in small fry tanks.

[b125killer]

I'm using sponge filters in all my tanks. I like the Hydra Aquatic Sponge Filters. I get them from Jeff Michels at Aquatic clarity. Mostly because I can get them at the swaps And I don't need air stones for them. I'm running a fluval 405 on my 72 with a couple of sponge filters. That tank just looks so dirty if I don't run a mechanical filter. My other tanks I have a couple of canister filters I switch between the tanks after cleaning them. I like to drive the sponges hard but not so much to make a noise when the bubbles break the surface.
The funny thing about it is before I met Jon I didn't know what a sponge filter was. After I seen them I didn't like how big and ugly they are. Now I wouldn't run a tank with out one or two.   

[greydragon]

i am waiting for my first shipment of replacement sponges i have been using mine for about 8-9 years so i think its about time to replace them as several have been eaten by my marmorkrebs(self cloning crayfish) been checking out the tracking info and was wondering why it has not even been picked up then remembered that it is presidents day today

[Jdmcfast]

I use the hydra/ati sponges in most of my tanks, both the fine and the pro sponges. I also use some of the cheaper very small chinese sponges off of ebay in really small tanks.

[BillT]

marmorkrebs(self cloning crayfish)

Self cloning crayfish?
What's the story with them?

[PaulineMi]

I have a Mattenfilter and an HOB filter in my discus tank. There's a sponge filter from Angels Plus and a HOB filter in the QT tank.  The shell dwellers have an ATI Hydro sponge in their tank.

I'll be putting the still-in-the-box Mattenfilter in the 55 planted angel tank when I get the shelf put up for the air pump.

[EvanJ]

I use angelsplus mag sponge filters. Old slate bottom filtets
And ATI filters but with these I find the pipe to large for good flow so I replace it with 1/2pvc. If u use a smaller pipe you can use a lot less air and get the same or better flow than with the larger factory pipe.

[greydragon]

several years ago i had heard about the self cloning crayfish so i ordered one the lady on the phone tried to get me to order 5 but i said i only want one when it arrived it was less then an inch so i  kept it in a tank all by her self, she berried up and i had about 125 little one i now have about 6 big breeders and a lo of food for my bichor

[Mugwump]

several years ago i had heard about the self cloning crayfish so i ordered one the lady on the phone tried to get me to order 5 but i said i only want one when it arrived it was less then an inch so i  kept it in a tank all by her self, she berried up and i had about 125 little one i now have about 6 big breeders and a lo of food for my bichor

Interesting...do the adults all stay about an inch in size??

[Jdmcfast]

several years ago i had heard about the self cloning crayfish so i ordered one the lady on the phone tried to get me to order 5 but i said i only want one when it arrived it was less then an inch so i  kept it in a tank all by her self, she berried up and i had about 125 little one i now have about 6 big breeders and a lo of food for my bichor

Interesting...do the adults all stay about an inch in size??

No the adults get about 3" max. I just got a couple of these a few weeks ago, still in QT though

[BillT]

several years ago i had heard about the self cloning crayfish so i ordered one the lady on the phone tried to get me to order 5 but i said i only want one when it arrived it was less then an inch so i  kept it in a tank all by her self, she berried up and i had about 125 little one i now have about 6 big breeders and a lo of food for my bichor

Very interesting. Never heard of this before.

There is some kind of fish in Cuba that lives in puddles in the roots of mangrove trees that is self fertilizing. The population is now a few different inbred clones. The gonads produce both sperm and eggs, which fertilized each other before they come out. This should result in completely inbred homozygous genomes because fertilization is involved rather than just duplicating a maternal genome like the only female mollies do.

[BallAquatics]

Very interesting little creatures.  I got some several years ago as a food source for some Red Eared Slider turtles.  If you keep them in softwater and low light conditions, they turn a lovely blue.....

Dennis

[EvanJ]

I dont really like airstones with sponge filters. I kind of think of the uplift tube of the filter to that of a engines cylinder. With multiple fine bubbles like that with a airstone it does not create a good seal and has blowby like a engine with loose rings. Big single bubbles equals good high compresion

[Mugwump]

I dont really like airstones with sponge filters. I kind of think of the uplift tube of the filter to that of a engines cylinder. With multiple fine bubbles like that with a airstone it does not create a good seal and has blowby like a engine with loose rings. Big single bubbles equals good high compresion

This is true, but in smaller tanks, it helps to slow turbulence, while driving them adequately, and for 'house' type display tanks, it keeps the noise down...I've seen folks drive their sponges too hard..remember it's not used to clean your tank water of debris, it's to control, and house, the bio colonies. Most folks who run just sponges step up their water change schedule, and cleaning, to maintain their tanks, I do...
Good sponge health is vital, so regular 'squeezing"/cleaning helps to bust up the existing colonies and allows for newer ones to continue to populate..

[Barb]

I have at least one good air driven sponge in each tank, along with a HOB filter.  When our power goes out, as it can do in hurricane season, I know I can put a battery powered air pump on the sponge in each tank and keep the water filtered and airated if I need to.
Barb