Aquarium Sponge Filter Use
Carlrs
Type of Sponge Material Used (Important):
The
type of sponge material can affect both mechanical and biological
filtration. This is where many of the cheap knock offs, or even name
brand sponge filters such as the Lees sponge filter, do not perform as
well. Not all sponge materials are created equal! These utilize pores
that are too fine and are made with a foam material that is too dense
resulting in poor flow, clogging, and a far less than desirable
biological function.
Unfortunately with the flood of low quality sponge filters now
dominating the hobby, along with the "cut & paste nature of the
Internet including YouTube Videos/Facebook, many otherwise knowledgeable
aquarium keepers do not understand this and the fact a good sponge
filter such as the AAP Hydro sponge (both regular & PRO) or DIY
filters using HMF (Hamburger Mattenfilter) can in fact out perform any
comparably sized HOB filter in both mechanical and in particular bio
filtration.
The picture to the above shows the two types of patented sponges
made by ATI/AAP HydroSponge where the pore density is obvious and quite
different from just about any other sponge filter available.
The patented reticulated "PRO" sponges are for higher flow and more
coarse particulates. While the standard patented sponges are for lower
flow, but smaller particulates.
A good test of the quality of the sponge material is
when you go to rinse/clean the sponge. Upon removal, the patented AAP
Hydro Sponge filter along with all others will likely drip some of the
trapped "yuk" from your aquarium while removing if you are not careful
due to material trapped just at the surface.
However upon rinsing in a bowl or small bucket of used aquarium water,
one will often find it does not take nearly as many squeezings to clear
most every sponge made as when compared to the Hydro sponges which will
often take 2 or 3 buckets of clean rinse water to clear since these
sponges trap/hold so much more!!!
As well, the cheap knock offs may look like the Hydro Sponge regular
in particular, but besides trapping much less as per the rinsing, it is
also noteworthy that these cheap knocks will sometimes shed bits &
pieces of the sponge with each rinsing.
This is a HUGE difference, as I have in particular a couple #2 Regular AAP Hydro Sponge Filter sponges that while not in perfect condition, are still holding together after nearly a decade!!
Be careful to no judge all sponge filters by these look alike cheap knock offs!
Another controlled test that involved many aquariums
(some with equal bio loads along with controls), where regular high
capacity Hydro Sponges, PRO Sponges, and a mixture of other sponges
& filters were used; I would then add a measured amount of pureed
fish food and then tracked ammonia & nitrite spikes.
The aquariums of a MIX of both types of Hydro Sponges performed best,
while others responded differently depending upon the original bio load.
The low quality sponge material as well as many HOB filters responded
worst
As noted, this material as per my tests, has far more bio/mechanical
capacity than any of the cheap foam sponge material used in most common
and Chinese knock offs. As even the DIY or similar products using poret
foam (such as used by SwissTropicals) still does not match capacity as
per my use/tests.
In fact as per the Swiss Tropical Sponge Filters that are pushed in
small circles, these are not as versatile, but more importantly this
square design has been known and demonstrated for years by aquarium
professionals to be less efficient.
It is also noteworthy that while these knock offs have not gotten the
sponges right, they have copied the patented modular design. So when
you purchase these knock offs such as the Deep Blue or Aquarium
Solutions, you are infringing on a patent.
Hydro Sponge w/ Power Head & Air Pump