sponge filter ignorance

[fishloverRon]

CrazedAce... Don't forget, the sponge filter works best when it's ''dirty''. It's a veritable bed of bacteria, therefore, it is your sewage treatment plant inside your tank. So when you squeeze it to clean it out, don't get it perfectly clean. Leave some gunk...!!!!

 

[Anthraxx]

i myself have never used a tumbler, and tbh i never bothered with trying to rear the betta fry, when i finally tore down the tank to sell it i ended up finding half a dozen rice sized babies, a cpl larger ones too. a tumbler would be good for either right after they hatch or once you know theyve all been fertilized. im not sure of the gestation period for bettas so you may want to look that up and do it as late as you can (to make sure any that do fungus arent mixed in with the fry)

 

[CrazedAce]

So its been a total of three weeks now, and the sponge filter looks like it's still brand new, no "gunk" comes out when I squeeze it. I am highly doubting that it is working properly, and though you said, pbmax, that it is hard to screw up the design, it appears this company did. Will not be buying sponge filters from lfs ever again. What's the best design? The best place to order? I prefer cheapest of course, but I prefer ones that work. Lol

 

[pbmax]

Just because a whole bunch of crap doesn't come out doesn't mean that it's not working. Got a link to the one you bought or a photo? What are you running it with - air or a powerhead? If air, how big is the pump?

 

[CrazedAce]

Running it with an air pump. Powering a 5gal (only 6-7" of water) and a 10gal. I can't remember the brand, only that it had more Asian lettering than English... I only have internet access on my phone or the library, and I have no gas, and very little data. Forum site = less data and talking to other fish fiends, which is fun to see what other hobbyists do lol

I only have the water covering the sponge, if that could cause a problem or not due to lack of pressure? Idk, I'll try to stay optimistic

 

[pbmax]

Do you mean that the lifter tube is protruding from the water? Or did you remove the tube?

 

[nick_76]

Water level above the intake on your sponge filter.

Shake it up and down? Why are you doing this? All you have to do is stick the siphon end into the tank, submerse it in the tank, turn it upward so that the siphon tube fills up with water, once the water starts flowing down the tube and the level of water in the siphon part starts lowering, then stick the siphon tube back into the water, and your done, water should be flowing.

scaring the crap outta fish aside, i always found those shake the captive ball valves to be lacking....nothing so convieniet as putting one end in the tank and sucking on the other...

as for the occaisional mouthfull of water...well...dont start at the gravel! im a hiker, i spent 20 yrs in the army..im used to austere conditions, so a mouthful of aquarium water? bring it!

 

[CrazedAce]

Still ignorant in some areas, and I tried searching for this with no luck; one of my cichlids (pundamilia nyererei) has ich and I plan to move him into a hospital tank that is currently setup to be a betta tank. It has sponge filter in it, though I am planning to use aquarium salt to help get rid of the ich. Should I remove the filter and just put an airstone? Will the salt kill the bacteria on the filter? I will also be adding melafix to the tank, as he has been going at it with the younger male and has damaged fins.