AQUANEAT 3 Pack Aquarium Bio Sponge Filter Breeding Fry Betta Shrimp Nano Fish Tank (Small up to 10Gal)

First, it is a good idea to mod these to use an internal air stone. Use snips of some kind (like small side-cutters) to cut space on the inside, then attach a small air stone (0.6" cylinder worked for my "small" sized filter) inside the filter from the cap using the tubing. Doing this will make the filter create finer bubbles, providing better filtration and less water surface disturbance. It will also quiet the bubbling from the filters down quite a bit.Sponge filters are great all-round filters, and work well for fish that don't like movement (like Bettas). You need an air pump and airline tubing to use them, though. They won't flood the ground around the tank like other types of filters, and they don't really break (air pumps do, though). They are a little unsightly and harder to hide than some hang-on-back filters, but not impossible.This particular sponge filter is about as good as any other, with some caveats. Some aquarium experts recommend larger, open-cell sponges for their filters, which will clog up less than the fine closed-cell sponge on this filter. Because of this design, you will need to clean this filter more often than you otherwise might need to. It does work, though.Also, this filter is not quite weighted as much as it should be. Even when fully soaked, it's a little too buoyant. A good sponge filter should sit comfortably on the bottom of the tank.Do not ever replace the sponge, by the way. To clean it, you pull it out of the tank and squeeze it out gently in the old tank water during a water change. The sponge may last years, and will harbor beneficial bacteria for your tank. If you replace it, you will mess your tank up. To replace a filter with another, you want to run the old one alongside the new one for a least a few weeks to help the bacteria colonize the new one.

I’ve been using these small sponge filters that connect to an air pump line for months, and they are just as effective as the more expensive hang-on-back (HOB) filters that pump water. These simple yet highly efficient filters provide excellent biological and mechanical filtration while maintaining gentle water flow—perfect for fish, shrimp, and fry tanks.One of the biggest advantages is their ease of maintenance. Every couple of weeks, I simply dip the sponge in dechlorinated water and squeeze it a few times to rinse out the sediment. It’s important to use chlorine-free water to avoid killing the beneficial bacteria that help keep the tank healthy.Compared to traditional HOB filters, sponge filters are **cost-effective, quiet, and reliable**. They don’t require expensive replacement cartridges, and they run smoothly as long as the air pump is functioning. They also provide great aeration, which is a bonus for oxygen-loving fish.Overall, I highly recommend these small sponge filters for **any freshwater aquarium**. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced aquarist, they’re an affordable, low-maintenance, and highly effective alternative to pricier filtration systems.

I love that I was able to get three of these filters for such an affordable price. It’s an amazing value, especially considering how well they work. They’re super easy to set up and use, and they do a great job of keeping my tank clean and clear.One of the best parts is how quiet they are. Becuase you are just using the air pump go pump air into it, the only thing you really will hear is just the bubbles.Overall, I’m really happy with this purchase and would definitely recommend these filters to other aquarium owners looking for an effective, well-made, budget-friendly option.

Great product, with modifications. The sponge is trash. It will get rancid in less than a year. The smell is death and no, rinsing doesn't help.

Exactly what I needed for my 5.5 gallon tank. It is working very well.

Great, I use these in all my tanks and they’re easy to clean and better than the filters that take up tons of room on your tank (ones that hang). They’re small and cheap and clean my 10 gallon just fine. Air pump is needed, So i recommend getting one before buying.

Working great. Squeeze the filter a few times & it will sink to the bottom & stay there. I added a air control valve in the airline so I can control the bubbles. Can't beat the price for 3 of these.

The media could not be loaded. These small sponge filters have been great. I was hesitant to buy the 3-pack because I didn't have an immediate need, but man, did that change quickly. The flow on them is perfect, of course that will depend on your air pump as well. I recently bought the "HITOP Whisper Adjustable Fish Tank Aerator, for 20 to 100 Gallon Dual Outlet Aquarium Electric Air Pump" and have that going in my garage, with two of the sponge filters (see video). One of them is in a 5-gallon ghost shrimp tank, the other is in a 2.5-gallon container for scuds. Both are brackish water, so we'll see how these filters do long-term in the partial saltwater setup.I've had those two going for the last month or so, lots of oxygenation in the tanks. For the third filter, I needed it in a pinch for my 20-gallon fish tank when the HOB filter died. I've since replaced it with a larger capacity AQUANEAT 50-gallon sponge filter, but it was nice to have that little one on standby so I didn't have to rush the purchase of the permanent replacement filter. Overall good purchase, especially for the cost involved, and it's good to have a spare filter ready to go. Setup is very simple, if you've never used a sponge filter before, it's very easy. I would purchase again.