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Great Sponge Filters Cheap

G

gups

Guest
Hello All
I purchase some sponge filters a year ago and I very impressed with them. They work great and are made by a breeder with my needs thought of. I found them very easy to use and alot easier to clean than anything else I used. So if you looking for a good sponge filters cheap. I ordering 12 more this week to expand my fishroom once again. Just thought people should now. I would rather save my money and buy more fish. So check them out at www.ultimatesponge.com
gups
Anyone else use them also??
 

Mike Wise

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5 Year Member
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11,201
Location
Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.
Looks like sponge filters that I've been making for myself for 20 years now. I prefer clear rigid tubing & use 4x4x4" (10x10x10 cm) blocks of open-cell foam with a 4x4 piece of glass siliconed to the bottom. If you want a nice round hole, just freeze the foam in some water to form a solid block & then drill a hole a bit smaller than the tube. They cost maybe $1 to make & last ... well I'm still using some I made 20 years ago. One word of warning. A fellow aquarist & furniture upholsterer warned me that some foams are processed with certain chemicals that acidify water. So check out the foam by circulating water through some in a power filter & checking the pH of the water. If the pH of the water drops, it's not the foam to use.
 

brad

New Member
5 Year Member
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118
I agree with Mike. I made some out of a few Aquaclear foam inserts because I could cut them to the shape and size I needed to hide them properly and only cost a few pennies. I've had one going for probably about 8 years now and it still works great. Plastic pipes is about 10 cents a foot.
 

eranu

New Member
5 Year Member
Messages
57
Location
Sheffield, UK
I prefer clear rigid tubing & use 4x4x4" (10x10x10 cm) blocks of open-cell foam with a 4x4 piece of glass siliconed to the bottom.

This is just what I'm looking for, to use in my fish house, cheap and simple. I have a few questions, maybe you could draw a sketch and scan it in if needed to explain it to me?

Why is the glass on the bottom?

Are there small holes drilled into the vertical tube around the bottom (in the foam)?

Do you just drop an airline into the tube?

Many thanks
 

Mike Wise

Moderator
Staff member
5 Year Member
Messages
11,201
Location
Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.
This is just what I'm looking for, to use in my fish house, cheap and simple. I have a few questions, maybe you could draw a sketch and scan it in if needed to explain it to me?

Why is the glass on the bottom?

Are there small holes drilled into the vertical tube around the bottom (in the foam)?

Do you just drop an airline into the tube?

Many thanks

The glass plate acts as a weight & holds the foam block on the bottom. It also prevents fry for getting stuck under it.

I have drilled a small angled hole in the foam in the past & stuck in a piece of rigid tubing. I now find it simpler to just stick the tubing down the throat of the air lift tube. Also remember, do not push the air lift tube more than a few centimeter down into the foam block. Water will not be drawn through that part of the foam block where the lift tube blocks the flow.
 

Mike Wise

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Staff member
5 Year Member
Messages
11,201
Location
Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.
Foam filters have more surface area for bacteria than the basic box filter of the same size. More bacteria means that dissolved organics are removed faster. You also don't need to replace filter media with a foam filter; just squeeze it in old waste aquarium water to clean it.
 

beleg

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
346
Location
Istanbul/Turkey
+1

Even the new Eheims sold here come with blue foams now..Foam sponge is better than any medium for biological filtration.
 

Refael Hdr.

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
133
Location
Tel Aviv, Israel
Where can I possibly find this foam sponge material in large quantity?
I suppose it's an acrylic sponge right? Does any kind of other sponges would fit too?...
 

eranu

New Member
5 Year Member
Messages
57
Location
Sheffield, UK
I have not seen any clear uplift tubing for sale in large quantities, only in single or double packs, which makes it quite expensive. What is the preferred diameter of the tubing for a 4" square sponge filter?
 

retro_gk

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
230
Location
Los Angeles
You should be able to find clear acrylic tubing of whatever length in hardware/plastic stores. 1/2"-3/4" diameter is what I use.
 

aquivalley

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5 Year Member
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18
Location
Korea, seoul
reference

2_20070325181033_1.jpg


sorry~ No English version ^^:
 

Mike Wise

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Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.
The photos explain almost everything! I have 2 questions:

What do you fill the base (lid) with?

If you are finished with the 5,000 & 10,000 Won bank notes, may I use them to make my sponge filters, too?:tongue::biggrin:
 

aquivalley

New Member
5 Year Member
Messages
18
Location
Korea, seoul
sorry~ I’m so busy I could die. ^^:

The photos explain almost everything! I have 2 questions:

What do you fill the base (lid) with?

If you are finished with the 5,000 & 10,000 Won bank notes, may I use them to make my sponge filters, too?:tongue::biggrin:


sorry~ I’m some busy. ^^: (Today is sunday at 07:05 AM ^_______ ^:)
(I’m your FAN. Thank you for your article(answer))

The base is resin(heavy Ureathanes)
My job is chemical Engineer, so I make this resin.
This resin is used to semiconductor production technology.

But, you can be used as a substitute for Polyester resin(FRP)
Or heavy coin mixxig with silicone. ^^:

and.... I paid....
base-filter(pipe) - 1.58 US$ (1500[won] / 950 = 1.58 )
media-filter(sponge) - 5.47 US$ (5200[won] / 950 = 5.47 )

Media size is 130*130*150[mm].
It's same size Tetra super brilliant sponge filter(large).
and made in Gemany(Foampartner)

http://www.aquamade.com/bbshop451/shop/index.php?page=view_class&class_id=3

Thanks~!! (With eranu~ ^^;)
 

Apistomaster

Active Member
5 Year Member
Messages
703
Location
Clarkston, WA
Pretty nifty design DIY foam filters.
Here in the USA it is hard to beat the Azoo Oxygen Plus Bio-Sponge Filter Pedestal design for price and convenience. Also replacement sponges are very cheap.

I usually run two sponge filters per tank. I also purchased enough spare sponges to allow me to change out one old sponge with a fresh one so the biofilteration is uninterrupted.

This system lets me take all the dirty sponges in a mesh laundry bag, toss it in the wash machine with afew cups of bleach and run it on warm/warm heavy duty cycle. One extra short wash with dechlor added and hang the bag to drip dry.

Gives me a handy always ready to go clean sponges ready for the next exchange.

I also like the larger model sizes run by a powerhead. MaxiJets insert perfectly into the air lift fitting which means it keeps the overall heighth low enough for use in 12 inch high aquariums.

I adopted two of Azoo Oxygen Plus Bio-filters standard sizes; Model #'s 5 for small tanks and #6 for 20 gal and up aquariums. Two per tank.
These were from Foster&Smith.

This has worked out well in my fishroom.
 

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