QT Tank- Question on Seeding a sponge

[saltman123]

I bought an air stone sponge filter to use in my 5 gallon quarantine tank. I got a smaller sized one that was rated for up to 10 gallons.

I am going to stick this sponge in my rear 12 gallon Aquapod chambers for about a month to get it nice and seeded with beneficial bacteria.

Do you think a sponge this size is going to raise bad levels in my tank drastically? Is the sponge going to hold nitrates like nuts?

I was planning on sticking it in a chamber and giving it a rinse with tank temp water every week or so.

Anyone think the sponge is too big? or will my tank eventually balance itself with that back there for a few weeks?

Here is a picture of the sponge near the tank so you can get an idea for size:


Opinions?

[benzreef]

dont rinse it out with anything but straight tank water. i'd keep most of the detritus in the sponge

[saltman123]

Originally posted by benzreef
dont rinse it out with anything but straight tank water. i'd keep most of the detritus in the sponge

No real rinsing? After I wrote my original post I figured that I would just use the old tank water when I do water change to get some of the outside gunk off.

Think a sponge this size is going to add a huge extra load and nitrates and stuff to my tank? I know some people use sponges regularly so I am thinking the tank will adjust and won't be affected too much. what do you guys think?