AQUANEAT Cut-to-Size Bio Sponge Filter Pad

The AQUANEAT Bio Sponge Filter Media Pad is a sheet of reticulated open cell foam that you cut to size. It works as mechanical filtration, catching debris, and as biological media once bacteria colonize its inner surface.

What you get

Two black pads, each 9 x 9 x 0.5 inches, at 40 PPI. That pore size is medium: open enough to keep water moving, fine enough to stop most visible debris.

Ways to use it

• Pre-filter over a filter intake to protect fry and shrimp.
• Replacement sponge layer in a canister, HOB or internal filter.
• Mechanical layer in a sump or wet/dry filter.
• Panel for a DIY hamburg mattress filter (HMF).

Why open cell

Reticulated foam has an open structure, so water passes through the whole thickness instead of skimming the surface. That means more usable area for bacteria and less chance of clogging than dense, cheap foam.

Cutting and cleaning

Use sharp scissors or a bread knife and cut slightly oversized so the pad fits snugly with no gaps. To clean it, squeeze it in a bucket of old tank water. The foam is dense enough to resist tearing, so it can be cleaned and reused many times.

Seeding new filters

Because the foam grows bacteria, a piece cut from a pad that has run in an established tank can jump-start a new filter. Cut a spare strip, tuck it into your current filter for a few weeks, then move it to the new setup when you need it. Keep a backup pad dry in a drawer for the next replacement.

Related media

If you want pre-cut intake sponges instead, see the AQUANEAT pre-filter sponge 6-pack. For finer polishing after the foam, add a layer like the Aquatic Experts polishing pad.