Home-Made Sponge Filter

[caudatadude28]

I made a sponge filter last night and thought I would post some pics. The sponge part is a chunk of grout sponge, the blue stuff is some sort of tubing, there is a magnet in the sponge and on the outside of the tank. With the magnets it can be put anywhere on the glass sides. The tube goes 1.5-3 inches down into the sponge with an airstone in the bottom of the tube. I was wondering, could a person wrap the carbon infused sponge material found at petstores around the the grout sponge to help with chemical filtration?

Here is a picture:

 

[gcollin]

Wow that looks like it works well.

 

[caudatadude28]

Yea, it does work well for a sponge filter. It is just a temporary filter though, for big permanent tanks though I use filters with biological, mechanical, and chemical filtration.

 

[Jennewt]

Nice design. The magnet may rust, and it will release metal ions into the water. I think you will need to find some other way to keep this secured to the bottom of the tank. Things made of iron are not recommended in aquariums.

Are there holes in the lower part of the blue tube? This will provide more places for the water to be sucked into the sponge.

If you want to include carbon, just put a few pieces of rinsed carbon material right into the tank. Or you could put a piece of the carbon infused sponge material right into the tank anywhere, it wouldn't need to be around the filter. However, I don't think either is necessary - I run a lot of tanks without any carbon.

 

[caudatadude28]

Thanks Jennewt. I will get rid of the magnets then. Thats too bad they have to go. I have not drilled holes in the bottom of the tubing but I was thinking about it and will do so. This is my first time making a sponge filter so its nice to have tips.

 

[gcollin]

How did you make that?, i could use something like that.

 

[caudatadude28]

To make it just get a grout sponge, cut it to a desired shape and size, then cut a hole about half way through the sponge and insert a tube of some sort. And as Jennewt suggested, drill holes in the part of the tube that is in the sponge. Add an airstone to the bottom of the tube and you have a sponge filter.

 

[gcollin]

Thank you, but how does it clean the water?