To Sponge or Not to Sponge

[Chickadeedeedee]

Hey All,

I am currently running a 75 gal mixed reef tank with 2x Tidal75s as my filter (I am so mad I didnt go sump, but whats done is done). I started in fresh water and grew a love for all things sponge and sponge filter. Nutrient export is as easy as add more plants so nitrate buildup really was never a problem.
Currently I am have sponges on my filter intakes (see pic). These obviously pick up a ton of detritus and I have been cleaning them, but whenever I pull off the sponges they release a ton of stuff back into the tank. Should I remove them and add more mechanical filtration into the filter bodies or should what I have work well?

 

[JumboShrimp]

What is your maintenance routine… Do you periodically squeeze the sponges out repeatedly into a bucket of clean RODI water and then put them back in? That might be sufficient, if using them has been working for you.

 

[Chickadeedeedee]

What is your maintenance routine… Do you periodically squeeze the sponges out repeatedly into a bucket of clean RODI water and then put them back in? That might be sufficient, if using them has been working for you.

Previously I have not been doing that. Now that I am seeing an issue I am going to at least squeeze one every weekly water change.

 

[Jack_L]

to keep the sponge from dirty bombing your tank on removal, try to take a bag and gently enclose it in the bag as you remove it.

 

[Jack_L]

the corse sponge on the intake can add a lot of effective mech and bio filtration

 

[Chickadeedeedee]

to keep the sponge from dirty bombing your tank on removal, try to take a bag and gently enclose it in the bag as you remove it.

Why didn't I think of that. Will do!