Sponge filters

[Bcake86]

I would like to try sponge filters, anyone have experience with them? I have only found them for sale on eBay. How do I know which one to get? Are they noisy? Are they efficient? Do they do a good job?

[Matilda]

I like the ones I get at www.kensfish.com . They're really good quality, you can use an airstone with them so they make finer bubbles which means less water disturbance & they're really cheap! I've got a few of them & they work really well.

[babystarz]

They're mostly all the same in terms of function, it just depends on whether you prefer a filter sitting on your substrate or attached to the tank wall. Most of them are sized according to how many gallons they can filter. The filters themselves are not noisy at all, the air pumps can be but they're much less noisy than intake filters in my experience.

I think they're very efficient and I've had no issues with them at all. It's nice that I don't have to worry about my bettas' fins getting shredded by their filter, which is a danger with any intake filter. Sponge filters are safe enough even for fry.

These filters are also low-maintenance. Just squeeze them out and swish them around in old tank water once or twice a month and that's it!

[Geomancer]

Sponge filters are best for small tanks, even up to say a 55 gallon tank. They create low flow, which the vast majority of fish prefer, and as said they are easy to clean and nothing needs replaced.

They do make noise though, the sound of the bubbles is pretty minimal, the air pump however is noisy, but not much different than a HOB.

Internal filters (small tanks) and Canisters (larger tanks) are the quietest options if noise is the primary concern. There are *some* internal filters that are slow enough to be used in the ~5g size range.