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Sponge Filters & Pump Recommendations

CrazyCory42

Member
Joined
22 Oct 2020
Messages
41
Location
Tamworth
Hiya all, I’ve had my fish tank for about 3 years now and have had several different internal filters and now a canister filter. However, with the cost of electric going though the roof and my canister filter using 14w to run, I was looking into switching across to sponge filters instead. But I have no experience with them and don’t really know what I’m doing.

How many would I need for my tank? How powerful does the pump need to be? I was always told to double the filters manufacturers capacity. So my current filter is recommended for tanks up to 250L despite my tank only being 100L. Is that the same for pumps and sponges?

The tank is also in my bedroom so I need a quiet pump really. It doesn’t need to be silent, I know no air pump will be and I don’t mind a bit of a buzz. But I don’t want it to be super loud.

Thanks for your help.

Tank Specs:
100L tank (36”L x 12”D x 15”H)
Heated 23-24C
EF-250 All Pond Solutions external filter
50% weekly water change (seachem prime)

Stocking:
6 harlequin Rasboras
2 honey gourami
8 false julii corys
1 pepper cory
3 bronze corys
1 unknown cory
50 something RCS
6 amano shrimp
1 assassin snail

Water quality (tested with API master test kit):
Ammonia 0
NO3 40 (Tap water sits at 40ppm)
NO2 0
GH 8
KH 6
pH 7.2
CI2 0
C92B4957-93F0-4F96-B709-B1F9266B38B3.jpeg
 
Hi @CrazyCory42 I don't have much specific filter recommendations, but if you want an equivalent turnover (L/h) I don't think your going to save much electricity by going internal. Depending on your bio-load / stocking level you can likely get away with much less filtration though - perhaps the EF-150 will suffice - that only uses 6 watts. Also, you might be able to slash 1 C degree on the tank temp (at least your harlequins, Corys and RCS will be fine at 22 C, the gourami's too I think ) and make sure you have adequate temperature distribution in the tank and make some gain in terms of electricity saving by doing that. And of course, reducing the photoperiod or lower the light intensity might work as well depending on your plants particular needs etc. I am sure others will have ideas to slash your energy budget... Well, and there is always that 60w bulb that runs 24/7 somewhere in the house can be shut off :lol:

Cheers,
Michael
 
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Based on my recent experience of using air pumps to drive a floating media sump I can say they are quite loud. Personally I wouldn’t consider one for a bedroom. Of course you experience may differ and if you already have an air pump then you might want to run it in the room for a while and see if it’s bearable or not.
Have you considered a standard internal filter instead?
 
Well if you go back to the 80s and 90s many aquarists used sponge filters as did shops. I can recall one shop every tank used sponge filters and as l remember 2 sponge filters on the larger tanks just external on the displays. Wattage is what to look for and l believe impellor driven are quite cost effective on energy use. Fluval externals use lower wattage than their completion and IME quiet
 
Based on my recent experience of using air pumps to drive a floating media sump I can say they are quite loud. Personally I wouldn’t consider one for a bedroom. Of course you experience may differ and if you already have an air pump then you might want to run it in the room for a while and see if it’s bearable or not.
Have you considered a standard internal filter instead?
I did use to use an internal filter. I had a fluval U4 and upgraded it to the canister filter on the recommendations of the Pond Guru on YouTube. I was trying to lower the nitrate in my tap water and his channel suggested using biohome media because it support anaerobic bacteria that create a full cycle. But my internal filter wasn’t big enough to hold the media so I got the canister instead. That was over 6months ago and I haven’t seen a change in the nitrate. 🫤
 
Air pumps can be quite noisy, not just from the pump itself, but the constant stream of bubbles - too much for a bedroom I would agree with @goldscapes

You could consider a HOB filter such as the Oase Biostyle 180 - that is only 4.5 watts which would be the same as a decent air pump. That being said, your EF-250 is only 14 watts, so you're only saving around 10 watts. With the new energy price cap, that's about 11p odd per day - so it's going to take some time to claw back the cost of any new kit you buy.

An easier course of action could be just to reduce your water heater temperature down to around 21-22 degrees, which should be fine for your fish. A 3 degree drop in temp on a 100 litre tank should save you in excess of 10 watts.
 
I did use to use an internal filter. I had a fluval U4 and upgraded it to the canister filter on the recommendations of the Pond Guru on YouTube. I was trying to lower the nitrate in my tap water and his channel suggested using biohome media because it support anaerobic bacteria that create a full cycle. But my internal filter wasn’t big enough to hold the media so I got the canister instead. That was over 6months ago and I haven’t seen a change in the nitrate. 🫤

That guys is a shill, I would take a great deal of what he says (particularly about the filter media he is trying to flog) with a proverbial pinch of salt. Nitrate is never going to be a concern for you (unless it runs out), as the best consumers of nitrates, are the plants in your tank.
 
Hi all,
However, with the cost of electric going though the roof and my canister filter using 14w to run
I agree with @Wookii .
With the new energy price cap, that's about 11p odd per day - so it's going to take some time to claw back the cost of any new kit you buy.
I'd stick with the canister filter, now you've got it. I know that every little counts, but 14W really is "little" and that enery will go to heating the room via the "Law of conservation of energy".
canister filter on the recommendations of the Pond Guru on YouTube.
That guys is a shill, I would take a great deal of what he says (particularly about the filter media he is trying to flog) with a proverbial pinch of salt. Nitrate is never going to be a concern for you (unless it runs out), as the best consumers of nitrates, are the plants in your tank.
<"Biohome and the "PondGuru">, he gets a <"few mentions on the forum">.
I was trying to lower the nitrate in my tap water and his channel suggested using biohome media because it support anaerobic bacteria that create a full cycle.
Have a look at <"Denitrifying Aquarium Filter Media">
This paper was sent to the “Pondguru”, a British distributor of Biohome who has a YouTube channel which seems to be the “bible” for some folks. Note this YouTube channel got a 1% accuracy rating from the author and that was generous. The “Pondguru” YouTube videos on Biohome are two ten minute rambles about how Biohome “duplicates Nature” in the aquarium. No testing. No real science. Nothing! Pure snake oil salesmanship! And note that ALL the Pondguru videos are just pure snake oil!

The best the replies from the Pondguru and the “manufacturer” could do defending their product was to say they has many anecdotal stories from users of their products where the product worked as advertised

cheers Darrel
 
A bit late to the conversation, but If I could recommend one budget filter that would be APS HOB-500. It's not your typical trickle filter, it's like a canister that you hang on the back.

It's 6W, but as the pump sits at the water level, it provides surprisingly good flow. I would go as far as to compare it to my Biomaster 250 that I had sitting below the tank.
I use it in my grow out 60p (100 L) and use the spray bar that it comes with. I had to turn it down around 50%, as it was too strong.
I have a thin layer of coarse sponge and filter floss in the first basket and filled the rest with one pack of plastic K1 that Biomaster came with and also used 500g of smaller version of ceramic rings, so it actually quite roomy.

It's also way quieter than any other trickle/sponge filters that I had.

The only drawback was that it did not come with the skimmer intake, but I had another APS filter that did and actually the parts fit, so I also have a skimmer intake with it.
 
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