Do I need to clean my sponge filter?
Yes, a sponge filter helps to clean your aquarium, but it’s essentially like a trash can that collects waste and needs to be emptied out every once in a while. We recommend cleaning your sponge filter once a month or whenever you see a decrease in bubbles (which is caused by the foam getting clogged up with detritus).
- When taking the sponge filter apart, disconnect the bullseye from the strainer (i.e., take off the whole top part of the filter) so you can easily remove the foam part for cleaning.
- Use a plastic bag to scoop the foam out of the water so that the detritus won’t spread and make a big mess in the aquarium.
- Squeeze and wring out the foam several times in old tank water.
- Reassemble the sponge filter and put it back in the tank.
- If there are lots of particles floating in the water, just wait an hour or so for the sponge filter to clean it up.
For more information on sponge filters, read our full article here.