!!!PLEASE Hurry HELP!!!

[redpaulhus]

I'm with emc7 on this - sponge filters CAN be the sole filters on tanks if a) you don't overcrowd, and b) you keep up with water changes

ie just like any other filters.

The funniest thing at the NEC fish convention this weekend was how many of the speakers had a slide in thier presentation showing their fishrooms full of tanks running on just hydro-sponge filters. These are all big-name fish breeders, and its all they use.
It became a running gag, since many of them have been using these for years, but recently Hydro-sponge started doing magazine ads with many of these breeders featured.
Almost every speaker said the following in their presentation:
"These are my tanks, and yes I'm using hydro-sponge filters. Not because I'm in thier ad - I got asked to do the ad because I use the filters, not the other way around" - until finally we had one speaker who HASN'T done an ad, and he said "yes, I'm using hydro-sponges, but they never asked ME to do an ad"

or something like that.
It was pretty cool

seriously, lots of hardcore aquarists don't use any "power filters" or canister filters - trying to run 50 or 100 Aquaclears, Whispers, Fluvals, etc just gets too expensive. Many big fishrooms run on sponge filters and water changes.

(of course, at that point, linear pumps or blowers make more sense than diaphram pumps....)

[emc7]

HOW MUCH AIR DO I NEED TO RUN THE FOUR FILTERS

There are really two things you need from the air - pressure and volume

Volume per unit time or flow is often rated in cubic ft./min. You really don't need any more than you would for 8 airstones. Just a strong, steady stream of bubbles on each filter. Airpumps are often rated in # of outlets, which is a measure of air output or flow. But this # is often measured against no or little water pressure. Blowers often have great volume, but low pressure.

You need enough air pressure to overcome the weight of water at the bottom of your tanks so the air can push through. Ratings on size of tank or depth of tank attempt to convey the amount of air pressure a pump puts out. Air compressors have great pressure.

Of course the two variables are related and the graph of output (volume) is dependent on pressure. So you get fewer outlets in deep tanks. Some manufacturers will give you that graph, others just give their pump a number and let you figure empirically if it will work for you.

I like Jehmco's descriptions of air pumps. But all their pumps are big enough for an entire fish room.

[Obsidian]

Just want to apologize, I did not realize your tanks were already running. From your first post it looked to me like you were setting up and having difficulty with set up (not an emergency). Sorry for my misunderstanding and I would agree that loss of filtration on a tank with fish in it is not a good thing!!!! (much less on 4... yikes!)

In the meantime change your water daily to replace some of what is being lost via filtration. You can use an airstone in each tank to keep water movement happening, which will help oxygenate the water.

I would put a filter on each tank. It really helps especially in a case like this. The most you would loose would be one tanks filtration.

I skipped over a bunch of posts before I put this up, so if I repeated what someone already said, sorry.

[IAN]

I have been running on sponges for a long time. I give the water to my mom's garden. It fertilizes them and make them grow strong and big. try it!

That's fine Obsidian. The 10s were breeders, and I just had 3 fish in each. The 50 has fry in it but I lowered the water level and they are doing fine. The 100 has all the big fish. I just kept that running with a super small pump.

I agree with emc7 and redpaulhus in that you can filter on only sponge. It has worked for me so far and the sponges are a lot less work that norm.

Furthermore. I am low on paradise fish. I only have 20 because I just sold a bunch yesturday.

Thanks for saying sorry.

still, what pumps do you guys recomend?-I'm leaving that open.