Thanks for the shout out! Recently I have been getting rid of my airstones and sponge filters and have just been running the air line only or no air with no other filtration at all. I have alot of them with no equipment or anything thriving as show tank quality with clear water and some that are constant breeding tanks and great for raising fry. Some of these tanks dont even have plants in them or did and they died. Plus I only change the water every 2 weeks if that. Lol how do I get a way with it.... I really should make a video on it. You would think with the oxygen it could be because the plants... I dont think thats the case especially at night. It has to have some sort of exchange from the surface or the need for oxygen is super low. For instance with no surface agitation and having biofilm across the whole top would really inhibit exchange from the surface which I have tanks of and the fish breed out in these tanks. I could write a whole book on this so Im gonna stop here but we should def. talk about it more some time. A tour of my fish room would really give you a great idea of whats really going on over here. You would dig it.

I didn't think I'd be up in the middle of the night watching Thanos talk about filters.

Every time I watch one of your videos I end up saying "This is a video every fish keeper should watch". Well done Jason!

This video was so helpful. I’ve been so scared making the switch from hob to sponge filters but this just gave me the reassurance I needed!

Wow - one of the best specific videos on this topic I’ve seen 🙏🏻 you’re great to watch too - thanks

This channel is what helped me in my first few months of getting into this hobby and I must say every word in this video is true. I have two 10 g planted tank with aqua soil, one operating over a year and one less than a year. One with internal filter and another with sponge filter no bio-media, no chemical filtration only a piece of sponge. No fish deaths, no algae but heavily planted tank which happened gradually. No co2 though i used to have it diy method but stopped it due imbalance it created. I have amano, red cherry shrimps, snails that help to keep tank clean. Loved this video every word is gold. Do not spend more on filtration. I also tested my tank once without water change for a month and had no issues!!!

This man is so underrated so helpful love your channel my man great explanation on the 3 filter categories helped me understand better than everyone else !

First time viewer of a PTA vid. Brilliant. Love to hear people being confident enough to post their opinions. Interesting and very informative. Look forward to viewing other vids on the channel.

Great points. I've been going in the direction of a "seasoned" tank with a deep substrate, making that the primary (stable) home for BB and using filters for polishing. Lots of moving parts and things to consider. Thanks!

I need to go back and look at the other videos! There's so much good information here! I love the science behind everything and I think my new 55 gallon will be setup properly! Thanks Prime Time Aquatics!

Had to come back and watch this one. I can't believe it was only 3 years ago when Lucas went filterless, and thank you for encouraginv him to make videos about it. Wow...so many positive things have happened in the last 3 years. I'm so grateful that I've been along for the ride on all ya'lls aquatic adventures and journeys. 👍❤👍

Jason your videos are always excellent, this may be one of your best. Great explanation & very informative!

Thank you so very much I ordered these after seeing your video.I already had three aquariums set up and one filter went bad the pump just burned out.Thanks to this video I was able to use one of the sponge filters and save my fish.

As always I love your videos! This one is very informative and simply down to the basics. Thanks Jason

Finally an aquarist that has no agenda to push, i laugh when people say they use 2 fx6 on a hundred gallon tank, when i can accomplice the same biological process with just a sponge filter with the same fish. great job

Who knew stone cold steve austin was so into fish tanks

Excellent overview, professor. You covered all the major points with just enough information to keep it interesting and practical. Kudos!

Your video is spot on! You somehow explain a topic, which might take hours of forum trawling, in a matter of minutes....and it all makes sense! Thank you

Straight to the point! Love the vids! Very informative, thank you!

Hi Jason Thanks for the very informative video, as always. I spoke with you once before about the nitrogen cycle. I have learn't the expensive way about some of what you have spoken about in this video. I have had tropical fresh water fish for approx 2 years now. As a nubi I was caught up in the having to have this filter or that filter to maintain the best environment for my fish. I spent thousands of dollars on Eheim canister filters. These filters were fine, but they were back breaking and difficult to maintain. Ended up that they were not getting serviced as often as required. I used those videos out there with people not cleaning their canisters for months as an excuse for all being ok. When I did get time to clean them they were pretty putrid often. Although a lot of gunk was removed from the tank, it was still in the system. And as you mentioned, once the canister media saturated with detritus, much additional detritus remained in the tank anyway. This of course happens regardless as some detritus stays on the bottom never reaching the intake point. It got to the point were gravel vacuuming and and filter maintenance was destroying my enjoyment for keeping fish. So, I removed all gravel and the canister filters and left each tank filtered by either two or three, depending on size , stocking rate etc, large (380) high flow sponge filters. Now my expensive canisters sit in the shed doing nothing and my easy care sponge filters are doing a brilliant job on biological filtration. Sure, the bottom of the tank gets a bit messy, but at least I can see exactly what is in the system, and weekly 1/2 tank water changes very quickly and easily remove the waste and nitrate. If I had have known then when I started what I know now I would not only have saved myself a huge amount of money, but also much time and angst. Fish keeping has never been easier, my fish are happy and healthy, and I am enjoying my hobby again. Note - Most of my tanks have either Anubias, Java Fern, or Bolbitis on wood, & caves for the bristlenose. Ross Rollman

Nice information.I have a 220 with a FX5 and a wet dry system the tank is 12 yrs established and is well planted my common placo is at least 10yrs old along with 4 angles 3 loacks 3 wart head gold fish and a 10 smaller fish.and so far the tank has done well along with doing 30% water changes every 3 or 4 months.My thing is if I start changing to different filter set ups is be concerned looking all the fish and looking the natural balance of the tank after all its been going well for at least 12yrs now.

Awesome info! Just acquired a 100gallon tank, and am trying to figure out what I need to set it up properly. Thanks for the help and keep the vids coming!

Informative & entertaining as always. Thank you.

Sponge filters are great . They are my favorite. I keep Africans and flowerhorns. Sponges are my number 1 choice for filtration. Sponges keep my water perfect with weekly water changes consisting of 50% water changes. Great video

Yeah, I've gone through the first years of fishkeeping...30 to 55 to 75, all kinds of filters and I've sold most of it now. Settled on a planted 20-long with a similar sponge as shown here, a Hydro II with adjustable air pump about a year ago. Works like a champ! Only have one Bristlenose, numerous Platies...water change every few weeks and sponge clean maybe every 4-6 weeks. No sicks, slowdowns or deaths. Folks, take it from this guy. You don't need a badass cannister with 2 Aquaclear 110s to make a tank clean and in working order. Just a little love and two-minute work here and there.

I've always like hob's in dual mode for emergencies. Recently upgraded two ML350's to two AC110's on a 100gal live planted red dragon guppy tank. High end of flow for sure, but I want them to explode in numbers eventually. They seem to handle the current fine, it too much. Just sponge and ceramic bio balls, with some two tone filter floss in between... Crystal clear. Foam sponge prefilter a must, and adds to the 2-3lbs/per filter of ceramic for bacterial growth. Was gonna diy a sump, but I like this setup alot.

Really starting to become a fan of yours man!!! Great video!! New subscriber and love the knowledge

Thanks again! I learn so much from your channel.

Hi Jason and Joanna. I just recently got back in the fish hobby after being out for several months. My health took a heavy toll for the the worse not allowing me to properly care for my wet pets. Doing better now. Thankyou for this video. Respectfully, Marty Borst

Wow.. This is a 101 of fishtank filtration video that every fish keeper especially the beginner must watch. You have really dig into the knowledge and what to understand about filtration. Now I'm clear like the water in my fish tank 🤣 Well done !!! 👊😎👍

Great video have to say this is a very unexplained topic. Planted tanks help so much with soaking up ammonia and nitrates as well. Why I have switched over to all planted tanks myself. Awesome breakdown!

Very good information thank you Jason

So many variables in this. I like the Aqua Clear HOB because you can turn down the flow. But if I had many tanks I would certainly go with just the sponge filter when I could. Much more affordable.Good video.

Awesome video Jason! I've learned alot and it changed my perspective towards what will be a proper filtration. Your straight forward explanation really help me understand the filtration concept. To be honest I am about to change my HOB filter with canister because they said it is the best filtration. But After watching your video I have decided to stick with my HOB instead. It is more than enough. I just need your advise regarding biological media. Which is better biological filter media between the two, coarse sponge filter or lava rock ring? Thank you in advance Jason and more power to your channel. Stay safe!

At 11:00 I started smiling like an idiot, because a buddy of mine has been telling me this for years. I've always over-filtered, and your point is very well taken. I'm setting up a tank for a hairy puffer right now, and I'm glad I found your channel.

Love your channel, very insightful and straight to the point.

Jason I know that this review is a an older video, but wanted to say great way of explaining the pros & the cons, of different filtration methods. 👍

Just found your channel. Awesome information! Thank you very much!!!!

Wow i learned so much, and enjoyed it! Thanks jason👍

You mentioned submerged plants helping the NH3 cycle. A pathos would be very effective as well. Rachel has a video that showed it to be too effective. Foo the flowerhorn in his latest videonuses a sweet potato to help with the cycle as well.

Love common sense discussions of serious issues about how to balance maintenance as per size, species and media. Kudos

Man I love your channel.. I was thinking about this just the other day. And you really have cleared a few things up here. Keep up the good work 😊

Excellent info! Thanks for sharing it!

Enjoyed this, helped out huge thanks man, keep them coming

Love your videos man keep em coming...

Hello there! Well it depends on what is in your tank. Heavy planted(low demand amonia eater plants :)) aquarium works as filter itself, I had 60L tanks with guppies(live food for bigger monsters...), snails... with egeria densa, some xmass moss and duckweed, no algae... and small foam based inner filter only what i was doing was pouring water after evaporate and throwing out tons of duckweed every week... Everything were healthy :) BUT my main 200L aquarium runs with eheim pro4 600 and oase biomaster 600 together bcs heavystocked :) CHEERS!

I've always wondered why over here in Europe everyone's so obsessed with massive canister filters. Like everything else is a toy you shouldn't even consider. All reasonable info about filtering seems to come from the US for some reason. Thanks for the video!

Awesome video Jason!!! Thanks so much!!!

A lot of helpful explanaitions..Tanks dir that..have a great christmas time

Amazing information. I particularly liked how you stated that the fancy guppies and the Bettas like a slow flowrate. Thanks

Love LRB channel! Super cool guy!

Great information❤

thank you, this vid alone is worth the sub.

There is a lot of information which I don't agree with but you explained it well (e.g. the first half of the nitrogen cycle) so I subbed as the video came up as a related video on one of my own. I see you had a guy who has achieved a full cycle using biohome reporting the results in the comments below so if you want to give it a go just get in touch and I will get some sent from your nearest distributor, no pressure, no request to promote / feature on the channel - just try an appropriate amount on one or more of the tanks for 4-6 months and observe the results. If you want to report them at any time in videos that is no worries. As long as you're not murdering the bacteria (especially anaerobic) with treatments like prime or purigen which 'detoxify / bind' ammonia, nitrite and nitrate (starving bacteria) you should see the latter half of the nitrogen cycle (anaerobic) process the nitrate. Adding a source of liquid carbon (e.g. flourish excel) could see that full cycle time drop from 6 months to around 1 month as it seems to make a hell of a difference to bacterial development. Keeping ammonia and nitrite to zero is a very straightforward easy process and everything you said in the video about controlling those pollutants is spot on but that is only half a job, not a FULL cycle - I would like to help you achieve a proper full cycle so if you're interested feel free to contact me any time sales@filterpro.co.uk as I do like the way you explain information in the few videos I've watched recently. Would be great if you were explaining the full story regarding filtration and the nitrogen cycle as viewers would learn a lot from your good presentation manner. Regards, Richard

exactly the info i needed, I too have a pleco tank with lots of jeveniles............i reacth 40ppm nitrates at the one week mark.

I learnt a lot of your videos Thank you so much Greetings from Paris 🗼🍻

This video was so helpful, thanks a lot! I always wanted to run my smaller tanks that just have a couple fish with only a sponge filter because a power filter takes up so much room in the tank and often creates more flow than I would like. Now I am trying my sparkling gourami tank with just the sponge filter. I'm going to run it for a week and see how it does, very excited to be testing it out without the aid of the power filter. If it works out I may also switch my betta tank to sponge filter only. Thanks again!

Jason I love your videos, so much knowledge and experience. How much filtration do you think you would need on your 20 long Bristlenose tank if you only did one water change per week? Loved this video

Thanks, informative and easily understood 👍 🙂

Thanks for these videos it helps a lot

As a newb I'm lovin all this new info 🤘

I've always been a canister (internal & external) kinda guy but this is making me re-think. 1 big air pump with multiple sponges.... would cut down on power usage with less plugs! Thanks for this.

All your videos are just quality information...as a new person in fishkeeping i find the knowledge you share is not just whats considered correct by the internet perception, but from experience from yourself and others with the same passion....thats invaluable to a beginner.

A very good topic, if you have a substrate, a reasonable amount of decor and are not overstocked your filter is probably only required to provide mechanical filtration & water movement. The big manufacturing names might not like you for pointing that out or some fish keepers who almost seem to enjoy bragging about how many FX6s they run.

Jason you are the man I watch a lot of Videos you have and I’m leering a lot think you very Much😄😄 l

Great video!

Great info!

Thank you for great information, very useful videos.

You are so eloquent... 😮😮

Really helpful thank you!

very good video. good for beginners to understand the basics. this video should attached to every fish tank purchase.

Thanks for this video. Needed it

May i also add, i agree with the 4-6 time turnover rate, when buying a canister filter, i would recomend buying more than 4-6 times turnover rate, the reason manufacturer rate their canister without media, also we should count for headloss.

Hello Prime Time Aquatics.. I am just getting back into keeping fish.. I had to put that down a few years ago when my mother-in-law passed.. My wife and I moved into her house and I am now considering starting up a new tank.. By the way your Red Shoulder Severums or "Heros efasciatus" are absolutely beautiful.. I, very much, enjoyed your video "Severum Cichlid Care and Breeding: A Large Center Piece Fish!" on Feb. 2nd, 2019.. What I have done in the past is to use an under gravel filter.. I cap off all but one hole for the tube to go in.. I cut the length of the tube down a bit and put a powerhead on the tube.. The powerhead pulls the water through the gravel bed and up the tube.. When I do a water change I only go down a half of an inch into the gravel bed to remove the bad stuff while keeping the beneficial bacteria in the gravel bed.. Keeping Severums that can take the water flow and not get tired out.. Also, I can turn my powerhead down if need be.. What are your thoughts about that ??

Good info for hobbyists of all experience levels.

Best video you give the best knowledge needed for aquarium shout out to you. You just solved my problem in just one video. And i watch every video of your and i get so much of information thanks to you sir

Super! Thank you!

Sir i am from a rural village in India...your videoes through youtube help me to keep my fish healthy...thank you sir...thanks a lot

So I've always been told you need to turn over your tank 4 to 5 times but I have a 75 gal with 2 5" hi flow sponge filters (each one say for 150 gals, didnt believe it so I have 2 in my tank. So what is a good size hob or small canister I could use to say run purigen or say filter floss from time to time

Excellent Video! It makes you ask questions like whether it really makes sense to put a large and expensive canister filter on a tank that is filled with rocks, substrate, plants etc... Especially if the canister is primarily filled with Bio Media.... In that case perhaps much cheaper HOBs, powerheads etc would be a more effective option (since they can give you even better flow rates for far less money)... IMO Canisters are probably best for bare bottom tanks, where you really need to add a lot of Bio Media...

Thank you. This is very helpful.

Hi Jason! I've enjoyed your videos today (including this one). Lots of great info. I'm a little overwhelmed wi/ all the info and wondering what filter you would recommend for a single betta in a 5-gal tank. And would adding a new filter into an old tank crash the cycle? Thank you so much; looking forward to more of your videos!

Great video again jason....thanks to you and your family for taking your time to help out the hobby...so how do you feed your bristlenose when they have so many dry? I now have 4 generations in 1 20long..daily water changes 4 sponges and an air stone...I need to beef them up so LFS will buy them...thoughts? There are at least 250+ in the tank. Thanks jason

Good stuff sir!

best fishes recommendations for my 4ft x2x2 top filter at low costs

Great advice bro

Beautiful video

Jason, thank you for much needed information. I enjoy listening to you because you get to the point. Anyway my question is what is meant by 50 or 100 micron when it come to water polishing media? Thanks

Hey I got another random question I seen it a previous video that I watched that you say water heaters go bad what do you do with your old ones when they go bad so far I've had a pretty good success rate on rebuilding them if you just throw them out I'd be more than happy to take them off your hands

Great video. Thanks!!

I am getting ready to set up a 40 gallon breeder for shell dwellers, I am considering running 2 of the medium AQQA powered sponge filters(don't want the noise of the bubbles). And the only reason for 2 is the additional chambers I want to put crushed coral for buffering and I realize that I will have to swap that out often to keep it working properly.

Awesome video you owned a subscriber love from India 🍺

hi , once i have the sponge on sponge on hand , what exactly do i need to do to get it to work ? i have an air pump and some tubing .. Thanks for the info

very good solid fish keeping information

this is awesome info. what about cleaning the sponge filter , or do you ? I am doing my first tank, a 29 gallon. I'm trying to decide between the sponge filter or a back hanger. No large fish, and yes a few plants

I just finished watching your filtration videos for the third or fourth times. You are the voice of rationality in this hobby. I have been buying a lot of used tanks and equipment since I got back in and you have been a large help. I am using a used Marineland HOB on my 15T and my Twenty. I refill the filter chamber with sponge and floss. Back in the 60s we had Penguin filters but they were fibre and charcoal. I am probably go to an outside cartridge filter like an EHeim when I start my 90. Happy New Year!

Great video

Hmmmmm, the 350 on a 20 long.... filled with Hillstream Loaches.... that would be fun! People seem to love to have 3 or 4 times as much filtration as they need. And as you said, it's not usually broken up among several filters to serve as redundancy. I don't use sponge filters much as I prefer canisters, but I usually split my canisters on my bigger tanks to two per tank - one for mechanical and one for biological-both with prefilters of course. The biological one is filled with bioballs so no dirt can get trapped in it. As a result, my oldest tank continuously set up (21 years) I have only opened the bio canister 4 or 5 times. The prefilters get cleaned regularly and the mechanical canister every few months. If I sub an internal canister as my mechanical, I clean that every two weeks. On my HOBs, I double sponge them and clean the heck out of one sponge every two weeks, rotating their location/cleaning every water change. One sponge for bio, one for mechanical. Yes, both do both duties, but after I powerwash the first filter in the flow (the dirtier one), that goes to the 2nd slot and starts to grow bacteria on its nice clean surfaces. The now 1st one in the flow with bacteria on it, starts to trap detritus and particles, doesn't grow bacteria as well anymore, and seeds the sponge behind it. Yikes - I wrote a book. I hope all that made sense. Great information in your video as usual; moving a little beyond the basics into filter theory. You sound like a professor in your explanations - very well done.

I always recommend new fish keepers to start with a snail vase with a little spot light (the office one’s), sand and plants. No filtration. I’ve learnt lots with this method. I put potato’s, garlic, herbs etc on the surface of my aquariums as these plants consume the rest of nitrates. And my open aquariums look pretty decent (flowers).

Great topic!