Regular sponge verses matten filters.

[Ben Ellison]

So I've been seeing a lot of shrimp people specifically using matten filters.  I'm trying to get to the bottom  of how a matten is better  than a normal sponge. The only possible way I can see any improvement is surface area.  Has anyone used both? If so did it rock ur world with how much difference it made? Has your shrimps lives became much more complete and fullfilled?

Edited September 24, 2020 by Ben Ellison

[shkote]

I have both corner matten filters and sponge filters. They do provide more surface area, and I like the way they look, but I actually still have a regular sponge filter in my shrimp tanks. I am going to move a handful of shrimp in one of the tanks with a matten filter to see if it makes much of a difference, but mostly I just know they will crawl behind it, start living there and I would rarely seeing them again. I like the corner matten in smaller tanks for the surface agitation across the length of the tank, but I will never stop using sponge filters. 

 

[David Ellsworth]

I have a matten filter in a 20L and it does provide more surface area and you can see the flow in the tank. I only have snails in it now cause it finished a cycle, but i plan shrimp for it. 

One big benefit of a matten filter is a large area for biofilm/algae to grow that shrimplets and shrimp can latch onto and eat. That's why many shrimp beeders set them up. 

[Ben Ellison]

Ahh the bio film is definitely something  I had over looked and it makes sense. I have to say I really  like that corner one @Lynze is that a kit? If so where does it come from? 

[shkote]

Swiss Tropicals. If you paint/add a black background, it really blends in and just kind of disappears. Only downside is having to silicone the glass strips on, but I use them for 10s that were dollar per gallon anyway. I had some glass strips cut locally and just got a big sheet of poret foam and some individual jet lifters to do 2 more rows, saved a bit for multiples that way. 

[MickS77]

I use Swiss Tropicals mattenfilters. I didn't have shrimp in mind when choosing them. I use them for easier cleaning and netting of fish in my breeding and grow out tanks. Also I like I can hide equipment and stuff behind them. 

[Jeremy B]

Hydro-Sponge IV rated for <80 gallons pictured with a mattenfilter for a 55g from Swiss Tropicals. Surface area 🙊

Edited September 24, 2020 by Jeremy B
pics

[Woodendog]

I heard Cory say that matten filters are hard to get out and rinse without having a cloudy storm inside the tank. I was going to put one in and am doing planning. Is this the case, I'm sure it would pass quickly based on how they work. Experience's ??

[MickS77]

@Woodendog I run quite a few mattenfilters. I think when I need to clean them I will just use the end of tube to siphon detritus out of them. I think that would be sufficient. They take long time to "clog" under normal aquarium conditions. 

Edited October 1, 2020 by MickS77

[NordernAquariums]

Some of the old school guys in my club were talking about a fish disease that went through a lot of fish rooms years ago. A few of them said the tanks with mattenfilters, as apposed to any other type of filtration, did considerably better. They felt that the increased surface area may have provided a larger amount and possibly larger variety of beneficial bacteria that allowed these specific tanks to handle an illness better.

Obviously this is not scientific, is not first hand, and purely their opinion. However, I did find it interesting that a few of them really believed this is what allowed them to not lose certain fish when other tanks were devastated by illness.