How do you clean sponge filters?

[chrissyoscar]

Ok this might sound like a basic question but what's the best way to clean sponge filters. Do you just give them a very small rinse and remove surface gunk with your fingers or do you give them a real good rinse in aged water.
I've been doing a small rinse and just removing all the surface crap from the sponge. I'm thinking if you give them a real good rinse you'll remove all the bacteria. Is this the case, have I been doing it the right way or not?

Thanks.. Oscar

[Proteus]

give them a thorough rinse and clean in old tank water after a water change.

[chrissyoscar]

Thanks Proteus

I wasn't sure if giving them a thorough clean would affect the bacteria or not.
From now on I'll clean then thoroughly.

Oscar

[flukes]

Its will kill most but you should really be relying on another filter too house your biological bactera. Although the sponge filter would add to the filtration, it wouldnt make a huge difference if cleaned.

Also i in some times float a second sponge and change them over to give them a clean..

But looks a bit ugly a sponge doing nothing in your tank..

[chrissyoscar]

Thanks Flukes

Up until today I've been running 2 sponge filters in both my breeding tanks. I removed one from each tank this morning as it was a real pain when cleaning the tanks. I have to move the sponges to get to the crap and that just stirs things up. I got myself some large KIS sponge filters about 3 weeks ago and they've been in the tank since then. As of this morning both my breeding tanks now only have one large KIS sponge filter. I am doing 40% water changes every 2 days so I'm hopeing the one filter in each tank will be sufficient. What do you think?

Oscar

[flukes]

2 sponge filters for each tank should do. When you do your phyon just run the hose over the sponge. I do this and makes cleaning the sponge a fortnightly routine.

When i do clean it its just a quick sqeeze in old tank water. Nothing too vigerous.

[chris]

Rinse them in the old tank water you have just syponed out

[kalebjarrod]

i float a sponge in my sump of my trickle system just in case i need to get the QT tank going.

never know when a problem may arise and its out of sight!

[africandiscus]

float a sponge in my sump of my trickle system just in case i need to get the QT tank going.

Very smart

[kalebjarrod]

why thank ya! 8)