Review on Aquaneat Reticulated Sponge Filter Aquarium by Melissa Johnson

No matter what filter we use, this is the ONLY material that we build into the media chamber (see note 1) by cutting the foam. We do not use BioMedia ceramic or pumice stone. We do not use charcoal (or purigen) unless we need it to remove medication from the water. The cost savings from using this method are huge, and the maintenance is almost nil. This method is an adaptation of the Hamburg-Matten filter, more information can be found on Google. To start the nitrification process we use B001LULBXI Dr. Tim's One and Only Live Nitrifying Bacteria which is expensive but worth it. (Make sure you buy the right type of nitrifying bacteria, for either freshwater or saltwater aquariums.) To maintain the filter, we ONLY rinse the outside of these foam/sponge filters every few months or so to clear any accumulated large particles to remove. . DO NOT squeeze the sponge or use other chemicals that may damage/remove the beneficial bacterial colonies. This seller has foam rubber in other sizes and I buy a few as we were very happy with them. Note 1: When the water is cloudy with very fine particles, sometimes we put some polyester thread in front of the filter for a few hours. Or we just leave it there. Most types of haze not caused by poor maintenance do not require flossing.