HOB Filter or Sponge Filter

[billynjennifer]

In the case of Dwarf Seahorses, which is better, a HOB filter sponge over the intake or an air driven sponge filter?

[vlangel]

Originally Posted by billynjennifer

In the case of Dwarf Seahorses, which is better, a HOB filter sponge over the intake or an air driven sponge filter?

I think an air driven sponge filter would be better. I have the greater seahorses however and have never kept dwarfs.

[billynjennifer]

Originally Posted by vlangel

I think an air driven sponge filter would be better. I have the greater seahorses however and have never kept dwarfs.

I've also been looking at the old fashioned corner filters. They hold bio filter media, carbon, and mechanical filter material.

[rayjay]

IMO, it's best without a filter. The sponge filters suck up some of the live brine nauplii leaving them trapped, dying, decaying and increasing the likelihood of bacterial problems down the road.
I use open ended airlines for water movement and live rock rubble for biological filtration, but do large frequent water changes, which for a dwarf tank are not expensive.
That being said, I DO like to use a mini filter that will collect the uneaten nauplii before adding the next batch of enriched ones. I set it up on a timer that comes on a couple hours after the initial feeding so that by the time the next feeding comes around, there are little to none of the depleted nutrition nauplii left.