filter..

[Porffor]

Hi, am looking at converting a 55L tank into brakish for a figure of 8 puffer.. wondered if my current sponge filter will be ok? or if I need an external?

thanks

[edmlfc1]

I would get an hob or a canister filter. Puffer's require lot's of filtertation. Are you putting 1 fiugre 8 in the tank?

[Porffor]

Yes, and have 3 sponge filters available I have 2 in the tank cycling at the moment one that is for a tank of up to 150 litres, the other designed for the tank it's in.

[Myaj]

Sponge filters are generally not considered a heavy duty filter that provides a lot of water flow. They are more for protecting fry, that sort of thing. Very gentle flow, get plugged up easily.

For puffers, who are very messy eaters/poopers, and active fish, you want a filter than can turn over your water, per hour, 10x.. this creates a lot of current for them to exercise in, and also keeps the solid wastes moving around so they can get sucked up by the filter properly. So if you have a 55L tank you want a filter that can turn over your water 550 lph (liters per hour).

[goby1kenobi]

Definitely keep your sponge filters.

They won't be the only filters you'll be using, but they can help seed the biological filtration part of the power filter. I've taken a "seeded" sponge off of a filter and plunked it in the power filter's media section to give things a boost.

Sponge filters will be useful if you decide to start a small tank for your snail farm.

I've used them -- with powerful air pumps -- to help mix and aerate freshly-mixed saltwater.

They're good for quarantine tanks. I know a number of people who keep a sponge filter going in the sump or main tank specifically so that it's ready for quarantining new livestock.
'

[Porffor]

Thanks all i use an external on my tropical 128L tank so will have a nosey around