Sponge filter recommendation?

[AndreaW]

I think I'm ready to try the sponge filter(s). I would like some advice on my 10 gallon setup. Where would you put sponge filters and what size?

I have a 10 gallon corner tank with a Betta (and soon to arrive 2 Nerite Snails). Each back side is 12" and it's 18" tall. Currently I have a corner internal filter. My problem is that there's not enough water flow to evenly heat the tank. The top of the water is warm, but then when you reach down to the bottom, there are cold pockets in the corners. There is also a lot of waste that settles on the bottom of the tank where there isn't enough water flow to circulate it to the filter. But it's a Betta tank, so I need to find the balance between more flow but not too much.

I added two bubble bars across the back walls the other day but one bubbles much more than the other and it's noisy. There's still a little bit of temperature difference, but it's better than it was. I'm using a Whisper 10 air pump. The substrate is sloped and higher in the back of the tank (it's about 6" high in the back corner), and there is a little gap behind the spider wood. That might be an ideal spot for a small or medium sponge filter, but would it draw up water from the front corners? I could also add two separate nano SFs and put them along the two flat sides? If I do two, should I run each on its own pump? or try and split it and hopefully they both run with the same flow.

Here's a pic of the tank before adding air bubbles:

This is my tank today:

All my plants are glued to the driftwood or rocks so they can be shifted to accommodate a different filter setup.

Will my Whisper 10 air pump work, or is there something that would work better?

 

Edited February 16, 2022 by AndreaW

[Native Keeper]

well, is your current filter causing any issues?

[AndreaW]

@Native Keeper ~ I have cold spots in my tank where I do not get enough water flow and a lot of detritus settles on the rocks in the front in those same spots. I have a Betta so I don't want strong flow, but I need a more even flow of water through the tank.

[lefty o]

i would probably do 1 small sponge filter placed behind the wood. 2 of course would move more water, but in such a small tank, it starts eating up area quickly. you will still get gunk settling pretty much no matter what unless you have a serious current in the tank.

[AndreaW]

On 2/16/2022 at 10:49 AM, lefty o said:

i would probably do 1 small sponge filter placed behind the wood. 2 of course would move more water, but in such a small tank, it starts eating up area quickly. you will still get gunk settling pretty much no matter what unless you have a serious current in the tank.

I noticed you can stack the sponges. Is there another benefit for stacking them besides having one to move to a hospital tank? It still would filter the same amount, right? And the amount of water movement is dependent on your air pump?

[North Dakota fish keeper]

I love Aquarium CO-OP's sponge filters.  For a ten gallon you could go with their "small" size.  I have a ten gallon and I have it in the center/back behind some driftwood and plants.  You could also try a "nano" size if you felt that would fit better in your set up.  The amount of sponge surface area is nearly identical.  Your tank is beautiful!

[DEFREESE AQUARIUMS]

You can run a small, I run the small in my 10 gallons. You could also add Co-op's powerhead on the sponge or one with a adjustable flow control to eliminate or reduce the dead spot as well as even out the temp throughout the tank.