12g nano help

[Saltwatertaylor]

I just bought a used 12g nano cube. Going from left to right, there is nothing in the 1st slow for the filtration. Do the black sponge looking filters go in that first hole? I have 3 of them, how many go in there? Is that the correct spot for them?

 

[Saltwatertaylor]

Heres a pic of it.

 

[jonbar1]

You can use sponges, but you have to clean them too often for my tastes.
I use wadded up tulle, about a large hand full, stuffed into that chamber. It is very inexpensive and I just replace it every water change and throw out the old. It's the material they make wedding veils out of and when wadded up it's just a bit more open than the sponge but still catches most debris.

 

[Saltwatertaylor]

Oh okay! Well if I decided to use the sponges how many would I use?

 

[jonbar1]

If they fit snug in the chamber, I'd just use one at a time and press it down to about an inch below the surface level of the water in that chamber. That is if there aren't vents running down the whole chamber. If there are like on the AquaPod, I'd block them off with a thin piece of plastic so water only comes in from the top overflow. That way all gunk has to run top down through the sponge and you don't have to worry about surface skimming.