HOW TO ADD AN AIR STONE TO A SPONGE FILTER (2019)

[@NewTestamentDoc]

I keep coming back to your video when I forget how this is done. Been back several times. Well done.

[@emilyrajcan8696]

I just did this! Now it no longer sounds like a witches brew in my shrimp tank 🤣

[@kimnelson5951]

Lol just pull it out for Halloween 🎃

[@tonyyoun23]

🤣🤣🤣

[@KingKarizma0403]

😭🤣

[@lisakim5925]

Lmao

[@shaeskye653]

Thanks for explaining so well and mentioning why yours was double the parts inside !

[@skuntbehavior]

Brilliant mod. Just got the large sponge filter from Amazon. Your instruction are a breeze. Just about to throw it in the tank. Thank you! Cheers!

[@DukeCityAquariums]

Thanks for watching 👍

[@lifewithpugwinkle]

I'm definitely doing this to all my sponge filters! Thanks for the video!

[@DukeCityAquariums]

Its definitely worth it :)

[@samsaddler9675]

Thank you sooooo much!! One of the only videos on KZbin that gets straight to the point with step by step instructions. You got a new subscriber now because of so. Take care and stay well.

[@autumn1231]

straight to the point begins at 03:24

[@Guitarmadillo1]

Starts at 2:45

[@poopyeldredge6437]

Thanks legend

[@clairecurtis6639]

Ive just done this step by step with you (a bit of pausing and rewinding lolx) and its great thank you, you explain it very well, compared to some sites, so thank you.x With Love from the UK.x

[@entercoolnamehere6064]

Great tutorial! I have a sponge filter fit for a 10 gal tank and had to add a few more steps to make the stone fit in the filter (just shortening everything because the stone was too big) but thanks to this simple easier to understand tutorial it works great!

[@tylerbrewer988]

What other steps did you do? I'm having the same problem.

[@james117420]

Best video yet. Even showed how to cut out the plastic ring piece. Thanks u made this very easy to understand

[@dualarrow]

I have a small tank and the sponge filter I had was way too big, but it had 2 parts like yours. I cut the sponge in 2 and remove one half and it works very well.

[@Loralarify]

I’ve been trying to figure out how to assimilate the air stone with the new sponge filter that I installed last night in my 10 gallon Betta tank. I love the sponge filter so much more than the hang on the back one I had. What a nice difference. Great video with step by step instructions.

[@segajennis2305]

If your betta is the only fish in the tank you wouldn't really benefit from the using an air stone since they breath from the surface unlike most other fish.

[@korokshiding]

Ah! I didn't think to cut the part of the middle tube to attach to the top of the inside of the filter! The way I got around it was to cut the centre hole out of the top of the filter (leaving 4 spokes) and fed my airline directly through attaching straight to my air stone. Your way seems a lot neater so I will try it next time - thanks!

[@totalximmortal]

That's what I did to make mine fit too! It's the same end result though, so I wasn't too worried about it.

[@c.r.e.a.m.soda604]

with my sponge filter this method was incompatible so i just have my sponge filter as one unit and my air stone attached to airline just gets lowered into the sponge filter till i feel it hit the bottom, its ghetto but im thinking of a way to engineer it to be more secure

[@hr1meg]

Bubbles dont put O2 into the water no matter what the size of the bubble is. What "puts" O2 into the water is the gas exchange that occurs where water meets air. The agitation of the bubbles on the water surface is what increases the level at which CO2 and O2 exchange.

[@justinjones2926]

Huh

[@debraricci6227]

So...does air stones create more surface area for the gas exchange? Or outside of sound and surface splashing, does it reduce it due to smaller bubbles?

[@hr1meg]

@@debraricci6227 Good question. Neither. The bubbles break the surface tension on the water. The surface tension is what slows down the gas exchange. Once the surface tension is broken the CO2/O2 exchange rate happens much faster.

[@debraricci6227]

Thank you..this is so interesting.....can't learn enough.

[@kennethfung3618]

Can you explain it like a five year old? Also, is it a good thing to put airstone to a sponge filter?

[@zmo7411]

This was so helpful, thank you so much!!! Pliers and scissors worked for me!

[@jessbrennan5552]

Thank you for this! Used this hack and it worked beautifully!

[@iceman82aj]

I ran my tubing through the gaps in the top lid section rather than using that bit you cut off, found it far easier lol

[@morgan1985uk]

The airstone improves the performance of a sponge filter. Instead of large intermittent bubbles the airstone produces a constant stream of smaller bubbles that continuously draws water through the sponge.

[@PULAG]

way better instructional demo than those brand name channels showing some stupid diagram. thanks bro

[@allisonwendell9942]

thanks for this. my sponge filter was smaller and the air stone was slightly bigger than the inside compartment so i had to make some adjustments so it could fit. but it works like a charm and my betta is a happy camper!

[@71160000]

With the larger sponge filters there's no need to put up with air bubbles bursting all over and the noise of an air pump. Fit a piece of 1" pvc over the outlet on the filter and chop it off around four inches or so from the surface. Place a power head on top and plug it in. More water flow, more surface agitation, almost no sound and the best part is the power head will likely outlast two or three air pumps and a bunch of air stones.

[@debraricci6227]

Do you have a pic? Thanks...

[@71160000]

@@debraricci6227 I thought that explanation was fairly simple. Get a pond filter similar to the one shown above. It will likely be around the size of a coffee can or a bit smaller. Remove the clear tube. A piece of schedule forty 1" pvc should fit over the outer raised area snugly. Get a power head. Most come with a tapered water inlet that should fit into the pvc. Cut the pvc short so the power head is just flush with the top of the water. Plug it in. It will move several times more water than the air pump and be almost silent. I used two of them in a fify five gallon tank that was heavily stocked for years alternating rinsing them out in old tank water weekly.

[@rangerlemming]

Hi do you have any links for filters and air stones that ship to the UK. Really helpful video though does any airstone work or does it have to be a certain size?

[@-shmoopie-]

thanks for this vid, I got my co-op order today and had no idea how to attach the airstone when I saw the new sponge! new sub 😊 what do you think of how fine these new sponges are compared to the old ones? the difference is huge!

[@DukeCityAquariums]

Thank you I appreciate that! The sponges are definitely a lot less coarse but in my experience with them in my other aquariums they are able to get super small particles out of the water resulting in a slightly clearer tank :)

[@brandonwilson1954]

Idk if you'll ever see this, but you sir are a hero. When im at my darkest, and no one to turn to for sponge filter air stones, you are there to save the day.🫡 I have a >10 gallon sponge filter from Aquaneat i just bought, and they have zero air stones to use in the filter. I ended up buying top fin air stones from petsmart hoping that they would, but they arent compatible with other sponge filters.i followed your directions, and i also had to cut out the bottom part that anchors to the weight, but it worked afterwards!! Thank you so much🙂

[@molley3268]

What wasn't mentioned was (1)to consider the need for a non- return valve above the filter and (2) to squeeze the filter when under water to get rid of air in the sponge.

[@marthanewsome6375]

You only need to cut the bottom one and attach the airstone to the top one with airline.

[@agaspversilia]

One could even add an air flux valve so you can finely tune the flux of the bubbles (sorry for my bad english

[@Jesseusenich]

I tried this! Thank you very much it definitely helped me

[@anthonyhernandez7582]

Perfect angle on your filming!! It seems like all the other videos I watched their hands were in the way.

[@MJayeG]

I like the reducing the noice with the airstone set up. Can this mod be done witht the double barrel sponge filter? Really like how you explain and demonstrate. Good stuff.

[@lukeflais2198]

no it cant

[@deannapye9661]

The air stone that I have seems to be too large for my mini sponge filter. Do air stones come in different sizes?

[@GadisKacamata4]

yeah, it does come with different size

[@Andy_Underwood...]

Hi, why can't you just remove the lids Connection and have the air hose as one piece, from pump to stone?

[@walterwittich5293]

Worked like a charm! Thanks.

[@SandCreekAquatics2]

Thanks for the great video explaining exactly how to place the air stone in the sponge filter. All my stuff came from Aquarium Co-Op as well

[@bebejebe]

Thanks, I was wondering which end the air stone needed to go.

[@TylerShore]

very excited to try this mod after work today, thank for the vid! just hoping an air stone will fit inside a nano sponge filter...

[@TylerShore]

so the type of sponge filter I had was just too small with too short of a core. DIY fail lol. ate the $20 for some HQ aquarium coop sponge filters & airstones

[@DojoDyo]

hey duke is it better to cut the inside? i have a sponge filter but i never did this.

[@nokiatips2315]

I have done this and now i want to introduce floating plant salvinia. Will the plant thrive or die due to the airstone placement

[@bilalraja6745]

What if you plug the top of the tube with a mesh filter will it shrink the bubbles even more creating more oxygen 🤔

[@fishschool.homeschool]

Thank you so much for this tutorial!

[@nokiatips2315]

Does this still work as filter ? How does the water get sucked up now through the sponge.

[@llehsaderob]

The filters that point to aquariumcoop already come airstone ready. Also wouldn't the tubing already fit the top base where the little piece you cut off fits into? It may just be that this video came out before they had those specific filters. My fail I did something similar with a walmart airstone, lowered air with a valve and the stone now sounds like it's spitting water every now and then. The pump is rated for my size tank but even w/o airstone it throws more air(louder). I do want to try one of those no-clog air "stones" (I believe it's felt and plastic) nevertheless it's annoying having to hear the regular ones.

[@jhgannon]

Good mod. I’ve been modifying my ATI sponge filters with air stones for years. Far easier to modify the ATI then the cheaper sponge filter you demonstrated on. That said, if you don’t modify those cheaper sponge filters then you’ll notice them clogging a lot quicker - at least that has been my experience. Curious why you don’t use lids on your tanks. It will help reduce evaporation and eliminate any jumping fish from taking a fatal plunge.

[@scottrobert2724]

20 gallon 2 sponge filter is enough or HOB with it?

[@AntoineFinch]

i like the sound it relaxing to me really not bother by the bubbling!

[@jimmyhintz8850]

Will that decrease the suction of the sponge

[@jonteesdale18]

No

[@rosemarydudley9954]

@@jonteesdale18 That's brilliant. Never thought to ask this but it was in my mind.

[@stevemc6861]

DCA - I'm in the Duke City as well. Just getting back into the hobby after a few years and moving house. I'd like to get together to share ideas, knowledge etc. Whaddya say? One question I have is - can you add a stone with a power head attached to the sponge filter?

[@marcelowanka]

Muito obrigado!! Seu tutorial me ajudou muito e ainda deixou meu filtro esponja mais silencioso😉

[@bartamarine]

I’m really trying to learn... I thought more surface disruption the more it will release CO2 hence the more oxygen, but what i get from this is, the more bubbles from the air stone get the tank more oxygen from bubbles but disrupt the surface more, it’s like they both equal out! My goal is, I have a sponge filter, I’m a beginner and have a planted tank have have shrimp and snails in it, I hate the big bubbles that splashes on my light and leave hard water spots, but the smaller bubbles seam like they would leave more. I wanna keep as much CO2 in the tank for the plants without adding CO2, what have you found best to keep CO2 but keep from splashing? Air stone or no air stone?

[@legionaquatics]

great video this really helped!

[@blooky102]

ooh this video was made on my birthday

[@zulfikranzulmos4066]

Why would u need the small tubing? Why not just leave on long tubing?

[@binggalvez6170]

Thank you 😊

[@ElO-lh4mn]

Do you need to rinse the new sponge filter before putting it in the tank?

[@ainslieberrafella]

Great stuff, thanks.

[@BrendonChase2012]

Great video. Thanks.

[@JoeyPierce]

I just run the tube through from the bottom. I couldn't connect to the bullseye as the connection point was too wide for the tube, so I broke the middle of the bullseye to run the tube direct from the pump to the air stone at the bottom of the filter.

[@lynnthompson6796]

Thank you for sharing this video 👍😀

[@theresegilbert5735]

gréât vidéo, very well explained, thank you, i wii try it.

[@changsterville]

It’s a cool hack but the efficiency of the filter will be affected. The air stone restricted the air flow and that will weaken suction through the sponge.

[@threecats407]

Excellent!

[@carlyholmes3604]

mine didnt have the small bit so i had to melt the tube a little to soften it

[@masterofnone9513]

I put an air stone in ( the 12 inch one that sits in the back) and now my sponge filter doesnt bubble im so confused

[@Kenney9120]

Pre-filters on HOBs and canister filters are popular. Since this is a filter by itself could it be used as a pre-filter and to extend the reach of the intake to the bottom for an HOB? Is it possible to adapt tube sizes to fit this onto an intake?

[@theintimidator8462]

They work great for Pre-filters on HOB's. They connect up to mine with a PVC Female Adapter . Really extends the cycle of the HOB and adds so much surface area for bene bact. My snails love it too.

[@vaibhavrathi8624]

won't this decrease the filtration capacity?

[@kspboi7846]

Adding air stone will slitly decrease it's performance because the terminal velocity of small bubble is less than big one so there will be less water flow

[@YaBoiDaveyG]

Thank you so much! I followed along with your video and the filter is working perfectly!

[@rudolf88]

I did that today before watching your video...and i throw away that small piece....hehheheh....o well live and learn

[@Texas_Takeover]

Niiice. Preciate that man

[@tacettinburak7294]

Teşekkürler dostum.Sünger filtrelerimin hepsini bu şekilde yaptım.

[@anandj2574]

Wonderful

[@sofias8179]

9:02 the fish just wants to take the scene

[@Smirduylate]

Very complicated way way of doing easier but twin airpump one for sponge one for airstone and no stressed

[@karunald]

You must have bigger air tubing than I do. There is no way to get tubing onto that cut off stub of plastic. Now I can't use it till I sort something out.

[@rcp9065]

Lisa just connect the airline tubing directly to the airstone?

[@jonteesdale18]

Dunk yhe yub in boiling water and it will soften up and stretch over the fittings

[@rosemarydudley9954]

Lisa - Just sit the end of the tube in v/hot water to soften it and it will easily fit over....

[@jeimyaraujo8434]

Gracias por el video, mi hijo está muy feliz porque su mamá pudo ponerle su volcán en la pecera 🙏🏼🙏🏼😅

[@martinezskinner7628]

You can go to aquarium Co-op and they have the Sponge Filter already modified for you.

[@santoshkadav9174]

Great👍 brother

[@j.t.cooper2963]

I just cut the top part out too and run the air line right to the air stone. Easier to do.

[@SGW4K]

Guy at my LFS said don't bother with airstone, don't need one and talked me out of buying one. Curse him! Now it sounds like i have a pot of boiling water on the stove... constantly. Its sending me crazy 🤪

[@DukeCityAquariums]

🤣

[@kporter85db]

How does adding an air stone add oxygen as compared to an air tube without air stone?

[@horsepanther]

I think the agitation of the water surface is spread out much more via the tiny bubbles than with one big bubble?

[@robertdaone]

@@horsepanther Well couldn't you just drop an air line into the tank with an air stone attached and just leave the sponge filter alone? That way you do not have to go through the hustle of modifying the sponge filter? Let the sponge filter do its thing and the air stone agitate the water.

[@dreamkream3074]

you can just plug directly the air line to the top. no need the kine the piece you cut. mahalos!

[@bhutanify]

This is very helpful but why not just buy a sponge filter with the air stone already installed?

[@akhileshthapa_fishbro86]

👍

[@chiroxxxrt]

Not all sponge filters are made the same the top fin sponge filter is different

[@aaronfiddy4260]

I tried could not do it

[@MDRIFAT-lh8wz]

How a day Sponge filter clean??2 fit aquarium join a sponge filter?? but 1or 2 filter please first ans😐

[@sparkyabi]

Bubble poping and coming out from tank

[@charlottevick1953]

like

[@OgienChomik]

Alright so I would like to point out some basic physics and chemistry. Oxygen doesn't care at all whether it's at the surface of an aquarium or in a bubble that's been forced down to the bottom of an aquarium. I'm chemistry the only thing that matters with gas exchange is the solubility of the gas in the medium and the concentration gradient. If your oxygen content in the lower portion of your aquarium is lower and readily accepting dissolved O2 then the O2 in the bubble will exchange with the water. The only caveat is that there could also be a pressure gradient difference that causes this to happen less frequently but even then it's only the partial pressure difference between the oxygen in the bubble and the oxygen in the water. The other portion that matters is surface area. Lots of tiny little bubbles will create lots of spots for gas exchange to occur as opposed to large bubbles having relatively less surface area. As for the physics of if small bubbles are better than big bubbles you need to ask yourself what's actually happening inside the filter. The way the bubble filter works is that the air is shoved down into the filter and then bubbles are formed in the water and float up to the surface, as the bubble is floating up it is pushing water out of its way and the easiest path for both is upwards, with water being pushed up and out of the inside of the filter this creates a low pressure zone where water from a high pressure flows in to the lower pressure zone re establishing an equilibrium. The only direction for this water to flow in from is from the spong portion of the filter so water flow is created. As for if smaller bubbles are better than bigger bubbles, I'm not sure but my best guess is that with more surface area due to smaller more frequent bubbles this has a higher capability to push more water upwards and out.

[@lavinhart7771]

Going to

[@lavinhart7771]

Tamil Nadu india

[@katphish30]

I found that a small air stone takes up the whole inside of a 10 gallon sponge filter, but I just stuck it in there and pressed the top down over its tube. Et voila, problem solved.

[@pattiespetitetanks6181]

Well aren’t you clever!

[@skrimper]

2.5 minutes to get to the point/show us. Then it's stretched to 10min.. not a good style my dude, this video could've been 5 minutes.

[@TCgirl]

Why don't they just make them so the bubbles are tiny in the first place? That would be a big seller I'll bet. I have been trying to do this all night.

[@smilesandrelaxation]

Thank you very much Anthony Big hugs from Malta. I just modified one little sponge filter as I have some Angelfish wiggles and i actually wanted to put an air stone as well in the little tank, but I don't have an extra air pump so this way it seems I did both. Thank you again! :)

[@yatzeniavila4463]

Thank you so much this was a huge help im new to tanks and filters and everything. This really was a clear step by step and I was able to get it done ❤

[@DukeCityAquariums]

Happy to help 👍

[@markfigueiredo682]

Great step by step tutorial! Thank you !

[@tierneylogan5943]

Very helpful! I am confused though how the air gets into the bottom chamber when the air stone just sits on the bottom without being connected like the tubing would be...?

[@Lauren-dg6et]

He didn’t show it but he did attach it. You can see the tube connected to the air pump at the end when it’s in the tank. That’s why he reattached the little tube on the top at the end

[@MontrealMusiciansExchange]

THANK YOU. Fast becoming THE standard video for doing this right. ONE down, three to go! PS: can you tell me what BRAND that black air stone is? A link even - nobody seems to have them in my local area.

[@prasadlanka249]

You may look at the link for a sample or to enquire in your local area: www.amazon.co.uk/Ziss-ZAD-15-Aquarium-Plastic-Diffuser/dp/B07KZY9QSF

[@vblackwell3347]

It's Ziss. You can order them at Aquarium Coop.

[@ManiacSkateboarding]

I got a sponge filter for my 55 gal and the big bubbles with really noisy and bothering me. It works way better now

[@CozyMiel]

Exactly what I needed to know, thank you~!