Someone school me on sponge filters please

AbbeysDad

Very good point! A small sponge filter or and inexpensive HOB (like a 5-15 AquaTech with a sponge) would be good options.

SomeDudeAtHome

Thank you everyone for the responses it's helped me out a lot.

My main problem I've been having is the current is too strong for the tank. The fish are effected and the plants are swaying a lot. The HOB does a great job circulating and keep the water clear it's just too powerful. I've baffled it with a cut up water bottle but it's still too strong.

Byron, in it is 7 Corydoras Habrosus. The plants are Java Moss, Java Fern, Anubias, Crypt Parva, and a few Onion plants.

AbbeysDad, the filter is actually an aquatech 5-15 but is just too strong. Would putting a sponge on the inlet work you think? Would it reduce the flow rate enough but still oxygenate the water enough for the fish?

DKRST

I had the same flow issue with a 10 gallon quarantine tank. I could never get the HOB current down enough. If you restrict the HOB intake too much, it may end up making more noise and increasing wear on the impeller. In your 5 gallon case, I'd go sponge filter and small air pump (on a sponge to vibration isolate it as already suggested).

AbbeysDad

There are a number of ways to reduce the flow, but for the small investment, you might be better off with a sponge filter like the following:

Boredomb

Elite makes one that is a single sponge. I have both the dual and a single. The single in my 10 gallon. The dual isn't being used at the moment but IMO the dual will be to big for a 5 gallon tank (space wise).

AbbeysDad

Although perhaps not for the faint of heart, you could reduce the flow on the Aquatech 5/15 by drilling one or more small holes in the inlet tube 1" or so above the impeller. This would cause the impeller to re-draw some water from the inlet chamber and less from the tank. It would require a little experimentation and be advised that obtaining AquaTech filter parts is difficult at best. You might also otherwise block some inlet flow - in this mag drive impeller design, it would not affect the impeller or motor. You might also lift and support the inlet tube slightly (perhaps a sponge wedge) so some water is drawn under, reducing the amount pulled from the tank.

One of the many air driven sponge filters is prolly your best bet.

1077

I have a couple of the aquatech filter's 30/60, 20/40, and 5-15 and believe the flow would not be a problem with the fish or plant's mentioned,but to each their own.
Now if it were a Betta or Gourami, then sponge filter would be suitable IMHO although not very good at mechanical filtration.
I also have the sponge filter mentioned running on 20 gal tank, and for planted tank,unless you raise the stem or end where bubbles come out, to a posistion where water forms a slight current on surface as opposed to bubbles,,then you will be driving off considerable CO2 in a possibly already CO2 limited enviornment.
Have yet to see any of the aquatech filter's perform in such a way as to be harmful or stressful for fishes or plant's .

Byron

Fish in a tank as small as 5g will be affected by water movement, which is why I asked previously about species intended. Corydoras habrosus do not appreciate water flow. This is a small and quite delicate little fish, that likes to just swim casually around the tank, browsing over every surface including the leaves of very fine plants--I often see mine resting on the leaf of a pygmy chain sword, which is a very small plant but still able to support this little fish--and being buffeted around by water current is stressful. A single sponge filter is the best option, or no filter. I had this fish along with some Corydoras pygmaeus in a 10g tank with no filter for several months, they were very happy. Lots of plants. A submersible heater laid horizontally about 2 inches above the substrate along the back of the tank would provide convection current water movement throughout a 5g tank sufficient for this setup.

Byron.

SomeDudeAtHome

So today I put in a sponge filter and bought a Tetra Whisper air pump rated for up to 10 gallons (smallest the LFS had). I think this might actually cause more current and shake the surface of the water more than the HOB filter did. It's pumping out a lot of air and I can see the surface moving up and down. Now I'm really lost haha.

Byron, I would like to do a filterless aquarium but I'm not sure if the tank would be able to support itself. It's not heavily planted so it'd make me a little worried.

DKRST

Purchase a gang valve at your LFS that has two outlet valves or more. I prefer the needle/screw-type, they are easier to adjust. Install that on your airline and let excess airflow out one valve to reduce air to the sponge filter. If the sponge filter has a 1/2"+ lift tube, use an airstone. The finer bubbles swill cause less surface disturbance (and noise!).