Maturing New Sponge Filter. COMPLETE In 23 Days.

The main use of air pump powered sponge filters is for fry and shrimps which are easily sucked into internal filters, and fry/shrimps are usually kept in tanks too small for externals. It is easier to stop fish getting sucked into externals by cutting a slit in a sponge and sliding that over the out-take tube.

They are also popular in betta's tanks as the flow from them is usually gentler that form internals. I put one in my betta's tank as the internal kept falling off the glass. I suspect this was due in part to the betta 'sleeping' on it.


Using an internal would be easier for a QT but there is a way to use a sponge filter. You would need to cycle it first, but when not in use, just run it in the main tank instead of the bubbler. You would need to cycle it to get bacteria in the sponge as they wouldn't migrate very quickly if you just set it up in the main tank. You already have enough bacteria for the fish you have, and they are quite happy where they are. Putting a cycled sponge filter in the main tank between uses would just mean that a few of the bacteria in both filters would go dormant as there would them be more bacteria that the ammonia supply could feed.

zero ammonia and nitrite after 48hrs so adding another full dose.

I hate this bit, I invariably end up coping a sniff of the ammonia at some point.

I accidentally drew the syringe back too far when pulling ammonia from the bottle... Only 6ml but out came the plunger and it went everywhere and the smell was too much 

It certainly clears the sinuses! 

I had my first chemistry set when I was about 10. No health and safety concerns then, of course, and so the first thing I did was to take the top off each little tube of chemicals and sniff them. Went all the way through them, very disappointed that none smelled at all. The very last tube was Ammonium carbonate - POW! Well, it certainly taught me the smell of ammonia and I have been very cautious about smelling unknown things ever since.

Well done! Much faster than my cycle - about half the time.

Many congratulations.
 

Hooray! 

It's a great sense of achievement completing a cycle, we'll done