hang on back filters with pre filter sponges?

[-blake-]

I'm pretty new to fish keeping and I have a Fluval Aqua-Clear 30 hang on back filter (20 gal long tank)

I'm getting fish sometime this weekend and I'm finishing shopping for the aquarium (getting lemon tetras and it has a mystery snail in it)

and I was wondering from yalls experience if a pre filter sponge would be beneficial for my tank.

(my tank has been cycling for the past 3-4 weeks with that filter)

(live java moss and 1 anubias nana in the tank and we're getting some floating frogbit this weekend)

🐠

 

Edited September 3, 2021 by -blake-
spelling

[Scott P.]

It won't hurt and it will give beneficial bacteria another place to grow. Yes I would.

[JettsPapa]

I'd say helpful but not necessary.

[Griznatch]

It's extra filtration and the fish will enjoy picking bit out of it. If you ever get shrimp in the future, it'll also keep them from getting sucked into your HOB.

[Patrick_G]

Heck yeah! It’ll add a extra biological filtration and after it’s cycled it can be used to jump start the cycle in a new tank or quarantine tank. The coarse ones are one of the best products Aquarium Coop sells. 
 

what kind of fish are you getting? 

[lefty o]

i agree with good idea, but not required. they can help with small fry/shrimp to keep them from getting sucked into the filter, but other than that they are a nice to have.

[-blake-]

@Patrick_G I'm gonna be getting 10-12 lemon tetras and we have a mystery snail in the tank already 🙂

[Patrick_G]

On 9/3/2021 at 12:51 PM, -blake- said:

@Patrick_G I'm gonna be getting 10-12 lemon tetras and we have a mystery snail in the tank already 🙂

Nice choice, they are really cool looking. 

[Ken]

I like running them because I have shrimp in all my tanks, they add biological filtration and they catch a lot the debris out of the water column so I don't have to do a full service on the HOB as often (clean the impeller and housing and the intake tube). It also stretches out the time between filter cleaning in the HOB. The pre filter is super easy to clean. I just reach in there with a bag, pull it off and go rinse it out in the sink and put it back. Two minutes tops.

[PineSong]

I have been really glad I had pre-filter sponges on my tank.

I wanted extra safety for my Endlers when I bought them because they were young and tiny and I thought they might be too weak to stay out of the HOB.  Now I have fry so I really count on the sponge.

IDK if this is scientifically proven or not, but in my experience medicating with Maracyn kills off the cycle bacteria, so when I had to medicate my QT tank recently it was nice to just be able to add the sponge from the main tank HOB to bring back the bacteria population quickly. 

[Guppysnail]

I like mine for many reasons mentioned above but it is also so much nicer to squeeze out a prefilter than deal with my aquaclears randomly clogging and overflowing. I have a regular maintenance routine but when life interrupts and I can’t it sure is some extra protection. It works fabulously to quick seed and the intake is there anyway so might as well make it a bacteria home as mentioned. Surprise fry in a tank are a great find…not so much in a canister filter 😭 so I always use them. 

[ChemBob]

I use them on my filters. I like them due fir all the reasons above, keeping shrimp and fry out of the filter, extending filter maintenance, and grazing ground for various critters. 

[Odd Duck]

I’m in the “nice but not necessary” camp, because your filter can certainly function without one.  That being said, I have them on every single HOB filter, and I have a lot of those (19 to be precise because I have 2 on a couple bigger tanks).  All of the reasons already listed:  your HOB will last longer without grit in the impeller, your filter needs cleaned less often, more BB growth territory, protect fish, fry, and shrimp, food source for fry and shrimp (some fish), etc.  I also stuff my HOB’s with sponge blocks (thanks @Cory!). 

The only real drawback is the extra bulk in the tank, but tuck it behind plants or hardscape and it’s no big deal.

[CalmedByFish]

I was recently battling green water in a tank for well over a month. Someone here suggested I add a sponge filter to add surface for bacteria. I got it, but my pump didn't work, so I just let it float in the tank to grow bacteria for weeks. 48 hours after I finally got it hooked up and running, that bacteria had taken my water from green to clear. So even if you never have fry or shrimp, I can vouch that additional sponge majorly helps with water quality! 

[tolstoy21]

I'm going to squarely plant myself in the 'anit-pre-filter-sponge' camp!

Ok, so i'll start with what I like about the sponge on the HOB intake: Keeps small critters from getting sucked in.

What I don't like -- a lot of the stuff I'd rather wind up in my floss in the HOB to be easily swapped out gets stuck in the sponge. And when I go to remove the sponge to clean it, no matter how many different tactics I try, that gunk gets loose and goes everywhere in the tank. I prefer the gunk in the filter as opposed to in the sponge (and subsequently back in the tank).

But back to point 1. They are a great preventative from having small critters harmed. I'll use them in grow-outs (if i put a HOB on one temporarily to help clear the water), or in anything with teeny-tiny nano fish, fry or shrimp. 

They def give extra surface for bacteria to grow on, but I have yet to see a tank suffer the consequences of not enough bacteria because there wasn't a pre-filter sponge on my HOB. And if I did, I'd probably consider that tank overstocked.

Edited September 4, 2021 by tolstoy21

[ChemBob]

On 9/4/2021 at 6:47 AM, tolstoy21 said:

nd when I go to remove the sponge to clean it, no matter how many different tactics I try, that gunk gets loose and goes everywhere in the tank

This is a distinct disadvantage. I am unable to remove a sponge filter or prefilter without making a mess. On my 207, I remove the intake tube with the sponge, and this helps quite a bit. I do find it clears up fairly quickly once I'm done. 

[tolstoy21]

On 9/4/2021 at 7:53 AM, ChemBob said:

This is a distinct disadvantage. I am unable to remove a sponge filter or prefilter without making a mess. On my 207, I remove the intake tube with the sponge, and this helps quite a bit. I do find it clears up fairly quickly once I'm done. 

Yeah, honestly, they are a good thing and def don't hurt at all. But it is fun to be the only contrarian in this thread!

Honestly, I don't use them where I don't need to because I get frustrated at the moment where no matter how careful I'm being, or not matter what new get-the-sponge-off-the-intake tactic I've tried or devised -- there's that sudden mushroom cloud explosion of gunk back into the tank.

The gunk does clear quickly. But yeah, that's cause it's going back into the sponge (on purpose, to mock me!) so it can laugh in my face again next time!

PS - Let it be known this is why I also prefer the traditional, grandpa-looking box filter to a sponge filter, cept these look terrible in a nice display tank.

Edited September 4, 2021 by tolstoy21

[Guppysnail]

I use Corys bag technique on prefilter sponge but i zip the bag around the sponge while it is on with filter running then slide down zip rest of the way lift out of tank. Almost no mess or floaties. 

[ChemBob]

On 9/4/2021 at 7:00 AM, tolstoy21 said:

The gunk does clear quickly. But yeah, that's cause it's going back into the sponge (on purpose, to mock me!) so it can laugh in my face again next time!

So true!

On 9/4/2021 at 7:04 AM, Guppysnail said:

I use Corys bag technique on prefilter sponge but i zip the bag around the sponge while it is on with filter running then slide down zip rest of the way lift out of tank. Almost no mess or floaties. 

As much as I've tried, I can't get this to work. I create the mushroom cloud of doom no matter what I do. 

[tolstoy21]

On 9/4/2021 at 8:04 AM, Guppysnail said:

I use Corys bag technique on prefilter sponge but i zip the bag around the sponge while it is on with filter running then slide down zip rest of the way lift out of tank. Almost no mess or floaties. 

I try this in my fry tanks, but when I do, some of the curious fry are like 'hey a clear plastic bag, I'd LOVE to go in there!"

[Guppysnail]

On 9/4/2021 at 9:08 AM, tolstoy21 said:

I try this in my fry tanks, but when I do, some of the curious fry are like 'hey a clear plastic bag, I'd LOVE to go in there!"

Yup been there 🤣

[ARMYVET]

I don't have any HOB filters but I do have a cannister (Magnum 360) that I do use a sponge pre filter on.  Save me from having to tear apart the cannister as often and the Co-Op had one that was a perfect fit.  

 

[mommygourami]

If you plan to have any snails, I would definitely recommend the pre-filter sponge.  The snails can get sucked into the openings in the plastic part on the aqua clear filters. 

I agree they can be tricky to avoid the gunk explosion, but that just tells me they are working and keeping all that stuff from clogging the filter itself.  I've tried the baggie method but it can get tricky and you definitely need 2 hands....sometimes I find it easier to use the big yogurt containers or similar plastic takeout food containers.  It's not perfect but it's better than nothing. 

[ARMYVET]

On 9/4/2021 at 11:44 AM, mommygourami said:

sometimes I find it easier to use the big yogurt containers

I'm Italian I use Ricotta Cheese containers🤣