Filters

Your aquarium's filter and filter media are responsible for keeping your tank water healthy for your fish and other livestock. This is why it's so important to maintain and clean your sponge filter properly. Cleaning a sponge filter is not difficult. All you need is a bucket, some used aquarium water, a little elbow grease, and your filter sponge to clean your sponge filter properly. Squeeze the filter in the bucket of tank water repeatedly until all the dirt from the filter is removed. This process is quick and simple. It can be done within a few minutes... But I'd advise you to clean your filter sponge at a separate time from your water change. Cleaning your filter media and doing a water change at the same time can disrupt the beneficial bacterial colony within your tank and cause your aquarium's cycle to crash. So it's a good idea to separate these two tasks apart from each other. Down below, I'll cover more tips to clean your sponge filter, like what water you should never use to clean your filter media, warning signs you need to look out for, how often you should maintain it, and when it is time for a new sponge. Best Way To Clean Sponge Filters Here are the steps you should follow to properly clean your sponge filter. Don't worry. It's not complicated, but there are a few things you want to keep in mind to make sure you do not disrupt the beneficial bacteria within your sponge. The biggest mistake you can make is rinsing your filters with tap water. And that's why the first step to cleaning your sponges is to use dirty water from your tank... Siphon Some Tank Water Into A Bucket You don't need a lot of old tank water, so just be sure to get as little as possible. Remember, we don't want to be doing a full water change when cleaning filter media. Fill up a bucket or small container with your used aquarium water and set that aside until we are ready to start cleaning. Unplug Your Airpump Now, we want to power down your equipment. So be sure to disconnect your air pump from its power source. Slowly Grab Your Sponge Filter Once your electronics have been disconnected, now is a safe time to remove your sponge filter. Be careful when moving your sponge. All the dirt within it can come loose and fall into your aquarium causing more of a mess... A useful tip is to grab a big enough zip lock bag and submerge it into your aquarium. Once it's filled with water, you can slowly put your sponge filter into the ziplock bag and then pull it out... Now, if any loose debris falls off, it'll just be collected in the zip-lock bag instead of floating around in your aquarium. Disassemble Your Sponge Filter Once your filter is out of your aquarium, you can start to disassemble your filter. Squeeze And Wring Out Your Filter Sponges Now take your dirty sponge and squeeze and wring it out until all the debris is out of the sponge. You may need to get more water and repeat this a few times, depending on how dirty your filter sponge was. Clean Off Other Parts Of Your Filter After you've cleaned your sponge, you can take a look at the other parts of your filter and give it a quick wipe down using a toothbrush to remove any gunk and other build-up. Reassemble Sponge Filter After everything has been cleaned, you can reassemble everything back together. Place Filter Back Into Aquarium And Top Off Tank Once everything has been reassembled, it's time to place your filter back into your aquarium, top off your tank with some treated water, and then turn your air pump back on! And that's the entire process... That's why some people love these filters since they're a whole lot simpler and less complicated compared to a canister filter or others. Why You Should Never Clean Sponge Filters Or Filter Media In Tap Water One big mistake is to use tap water or soap when trying to clean your filter media. The chlorine can kill the beneficial bacteria growing in your media. This beneficial bacteria is what's responsible for the biological filtration of your tank. And that's why it's recommended to use water from your tank instead of fresh tap water. How Often Should You Be Cleaning Your Aquarium Filter Sponge As a general rule of thumb, you should be doing maintenance on your filters once a month or whenever you see a build-up on your aquarium filter sponge or a noticeable decrease in air bubbles coming from the outlet tube. If you notice any of this on your sponge filtration setups, it might be time to do a maintenance session. Tips On Cleaning Your Sponge Filter Never use untreated tap water to clean your sponge or any filtration media. Don't use any soap when cleaning. Use a plastic bag over your sponge before removing it from your tank to prevent dirt from going into your tank. Replace the filtration sponge when the material starts to break down, tear, disintegrate, shrink, or not fit back on correctly. Keep your eye open for brown gunk or organic build-up on the outside of your sponge. This is a sign your filter might be due for a maintenance session. Keep your eye out for a noticeable decrease in air bubbles. Another sign you may need to do a filter rinse. Sponge Filter Alternatives There are other filtration types you can use within your tanks. Another popular type is running an HOB. If you want to learn which filtration type is best for you and your setup, then be sure to check out the article I've linked to below: Read this to learn about sponge filter vs hob filter types You'll learn the differences between the two filtration types and which one is best for you! Final Thoughts On How To Clean Your Sponge Filter And now, you should know how to do a proper maintenance routine on your sponge filters. It really is pretty simple. But be sure to watch out for the few pitfalls some new fishkeepers may fall into which is using tap water and doing a water change on the same day as maintaining your filters. These two things can mess with the beneficial bacteria colony and cause your tank's cycle to crash, which can become a disaster for all your livestock within your aquarium.