Floating plants and spong filters

[bettaballistic]

I've had my 55 gallon aquarium for about 2 years, and it still has the filter it came with. I'm really wanting to update it, it's been making a weird sound for a while and I can't find replacement parts. This tank is a betta sorority, so I want a low flow option. I'm considering switching to a sponge filter since I don't use filter cartridges anyway. I'm open to other ideas, but they're supposed to be great for bettas and I love how cheap they are. 

My only concern is that the bubbles will disrupt the surface of the water too much for my floating plants. Right now i have little to no surface movement, and my plants are thriving. I have Asian water moss, velvet water spangles, frog bit, giant duckweed, and red root floaters. 

My current set up is an adjustable flow hang on back filter that's turned to its lowest setting. It doesn't disturb the surface of the water very much, But I have a divider on the surface of the water to prevent my plants from getting pushed down. I have about 13" on the surface that is not covered in plants.

[MattyM]

You could rig up a ring around the bubble area using airline tubing, which might help baffle a bit and keep the plants out. Check out GalaxyGlowStudio on Etsy for ideas.

Your sponge filter doesn't need to be at max flow either, you can rig a bleeder valve to control the air flow, or use a couple small sponges vs a single big one.

Box filters are another option - they are air driven like sponges but you can put any filter media you want in there. Or mix and match both. 

[JettsPapa]

Most of my sponge filters have a lid from a to-go cup with a hole in the center for the straw floating at the top with the air line passing through the hole.  It still allows for some water movement at the top, but cuts back on the splashing, and it floats up and down to stay on the surface.  It works well, and I like the price.  If it gets cruddy it's easy enough to replace.

By the way, I'm not smart enough to figure that out myself.  I saw it on an LRB Aquatics youtube video.

[anewbie]

This tank has two 'sponge filters' with lots of surface agitation - the regular sponge filter on the left and the matten filter on the right; hornworth is not disrupted. It can grow frogbit but it will collect in semi dead areas; also water lettuce will grow in it - red root floaters won't have a lot of luck. Right now i just have hornworth up there. You can't see the matten filter sprout on the right but it is at the water level sending a shoot of water across the back top; when i had frogbit in it (which grew fairly well) it would collect towards the front which has less current.

 

You probably don't want the matten filter but those little square filters work pretty well. Sadly the reflection from the top plants is turning my white substrate green in pictures. Hum... 

 

 

[AllFishNoBrakes]

All of my tanks 20 gallon and bigger have both a sponge filter and a HOB, and all of my tanks have floating plants. In my opinion and experience, the HOB creates way more flow/current than a sponge ever will. If anything, the bubbles created by the sponge will just create a nice ring that the floating plants can’t enter. I wouldn’t worry about a sponge and floating plants 

[TeeJay]

I use air line tube rings suctioned to the side of the tank I place the airline around where the air line coming out of the sponge filters is.

Edited November 18, 2022 by TeeJay

[bettaballistic]

On 11/18/2022 at 11:34 AM, AllFishNoBrakes said:

All of my tanks 20 gallon and bigger have both a sponge filter and a HOB, and all of my tanks have floating plants. In my opinion and experience, the HOB creates way more flow/current than a sponge ever will. If anything, the bubbles created by the sponge will just create a nice ring that the floating plants can’t enter. I wouldn’t worry about a sponge and floating plants 

That's good to hear, I'll give it a shot without any modifications. If that doesn't work I'll use an airline tubing ring