[GSAS-Member] In praise of the simple sponge filter

[dave@cheapfishstuff.com]

Every once in a while I like to take a moment and praise something that
just plain works well, and at the moment I'm feeling pretty appreciative
of sponge filters.

Many years ago, I used them exclusively, and then came the local (San
Jose) boom in air-driven UG filters and I climbed on board that bandwagon.
 Then powerheads driving the UG filters, then the modern, back-of-tank,
all-in-one filters, and suddenly I had a high-tech, expensive,
somewhat-failure-prone gadget hanging off every tank, for which the
manufacturer would like me to buy new cartridges every month.  I will say
I've avoided going to a sump system, although I've been tempted at times.

One day I was frantically wrapping fine mesh around the intake of a power
filter because the tank had a new batch of fry I didn't want sucked in,
and remembering the good old days when I didn't have to worry about that,
because... and then the "thank you, Captain Obvious" moment hit, and I
remembered everything I liked about sponge filters.

Over the last couple of years, I've moved all my breeding tanks away from
tank back filters and gone back to air driven sponge filters, and the
results are cheaper and more reliable.  Each single low-end air pump
drives the filters for 4 tanks (I've added a backup in the event of
failure), and the darned things just work.  Fry don't get sucked in, and
they even find plenty to nibble on the sponge.

I suppose the sponges won't support the bio-load that the tank-back
filters will, but I try to keep my tanks from being heavily loaded anyway.
 Except the guppy tanks.

Anyway, I wanted to wax enthusiastic for a bit - simple things that work
well are too rare in life.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

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