Upgrade Your Filter Intake

Pre Filter Sponge - Aquarium Co - Op

Pre Filter Sponge

Mini
$4.99
Skip to product information
Pre Filter Sponge - Aquarium Co - Op
1/6

Pre Filter Sponge

2808 reviews

$4.99
Payment methods
  • American Express
  • Apple Pay
  • Diners Club
  • Discover
  • Google Pay
  • Mastercard
  • PayPal
  • Shop Pay
  • Venmo
  • Visa
  • Prevents small animals and debris from getting sucked up
  • Increases filter capacity
  • Uses coarse foam to extend time between cleaning

The pre-filter or intake sponge is a simple foam cylinder that is designed to slip over the intake tube of hang-on-back (HOB) and canister filters. The filter intake tube often has large openings, so use a pre filter sponge to prevent fish, shrimp, and sizable debris from getting sucked up and ruining the filter motor. Not only does an intake sponge clear up your water, but it also provides valuable surface area to grow beneficial bacteria.

Find out which sponge size to get and how to properly fit it to your hang-on-back or canister filter intake by viewing the Sizing Chart and Video below. (Click the "Show More" button to expand the Directions/Specifications section.)

1

Increased Filter Efficiency

Increase the capacity of your filtration. A pre filter sponge provides valuable surface area to grow beneficial bacteria, which purify waste chemicals in the water and make it safe for your fish to live in. It also adds mechanical filtration that keeps bulk debris from clogging your finer filter pads and extends the life and efficiency of your filter media.

2

Prevent Fish, Snails, and Food From Being Sucked Up

The filter intake tube often has large openings that allow sizable objects to get sucked up by the filter, potentially ruining the motor, so use a pre-filter sponge to help prevent baby fish, long-finned fish, dwarf shrimp, snails, plant leaves, fish food, and other debris from entering the filter.

3

Easy To Clean and Reusable

Put a ziploc bag around your pre filter sponge when you remove it from the aquarium. Squeeze it until the water turns brown. Dump the dirty water on your favorite houseplant. Then get another bag of water and repeat until clean. Afterwards, place it back on your filter's intake. This reusable, re-washable prefilter will last you many years.

4

Proper Fitment

In general, a larger pre-filter sponge is always better because it gives you more time between cleanings and increases your filtration capacity. Use a zip tie or O-ring on the filter intake tube when you need a snug friction fit to keep the sponge from falling off, as shown in the picture. A rubber o-ring can be found at hardware stores or Amazon.

5

Fits Most Filters

Most hang-on-back and canister filters can be fitted with a pre filter sponge. With some filters like the Fluval 409 series, it slides right over the intake and is a direct fit. With other filters, you can use one of our specially designed intake modifications to upgrade filters like the Fluval FX series, Marineland hang-on-back series, or Fluval Tidal series.

You May Also Like

  • 5 stars: 2664 (95%)
  • 4 stars: 87 (3%)
  • 3 stars: 24 (1%)
  • 2 stars: 13 (0%)
  • 1 star: 20 (1%)
Some of the reviews shown are from related products the merchant grouped with this one.
K
Kelly F. (Louisville, KY, US)
Large
Large sponge intake filter

These sponges are huge!!! Great investment and they are almost invisible with a black background. Very happy , I highly recommend. Thank you.

E
Ethan (Chicago, IL, US)
Mini
Fluval AC20

Bought this and the ac20 intake adapter. For a shallow nano tank this is a must if you’re planning to run an ac20!

J
Joe M. (Reston, VA, US)
Medium
Pre Filter Sponge on Tidal Optimizers

Love these in combination with the Tidal Optimizer. My only complaint is I wish the Large was a little less LARGE. Need to figure out how to shave it down to a smaller footprint.
Two of these in my 75g are a big unwanted attention grabber.

S
Sam M. (Orlando, FL, US)
Large
Perfect prefilter!

Needs to be called Easy Shop (Easy Green, lol) with how easy it is.

J
John W. (Highland Park, IL, US)
Medium

Good selection of pre sponge sizes 👌

C
Chris H. (Brewerton, NY, US)
Large
Great Fit and Helps Reduce Filter Maintenance

I bought one of these for my FX6 and one for my AC110 along with the 3D printed adaptors. They trap waste particles and uneaten food. I see my fish eating the food on the pre-filter often, which is great. They really cut down on the overall filter maintenance too! Highly recommend for anyone!

D
Dava (Chester, SC, US)

This sponge is a game changer! It fits perfectly as advised for the Tidal Optimizer! It really disperses the draw into the filter, but I can have higher flow going out.

R
Raptor I. (Miami, FL, US)
Large

I absolutely love these Aquarium Co-Op coarse pre filters for both my Fluval 207 canister filters and my Seachem Tidal 55 Aquarium Co-Op Easy Seachem Tidal Optimizer. I was having issues with a fine pre filter on my Fluval canister intakes getting clogged and causing the filter to sputter. Not the case with the Aquarium Co-Op large coarse pre filters!!!!

C
Chillotm (Florence, KY, US)
Large
nice inconspicuous pre filter

this pre filter was purchased in conjunction with the SeaChem Tidal optimizer. Does just what it says… keeps fry and other babies safe while also keeping the main filter material less gunky. Also adds a TON of surface area for your biological filtration. I just vacuum the debris off when I do water changes.
I thought it would be huge and ugly in the tank, but it is behind a large (fake) plant and blends right in to the background. Up close you can see it but really only if you are looking for it.
10/10

M
Michelle K. (Chapel Hill, NC, US)

This sponge is just what I needed to slow down the flow for my betta fish! The mini sponge fits perfectly over the outtake and reduces the flow of water to the perfect speed—it’s now calm enough to not push my betta around but still allows enough flow to filter the water. Highly recommend!

K
Kurtisstutzman (Port Charlotte, FL, US)
Large
Sponge

It's a prefilter sponge that does prefilter sponge things... I use one of them at the end of my water change hoses and my first one lasted about 4 years(mainly because the turtles would chew on it sometimes)...! Another great product...! Keep up y'alls awesomeness...!!!

C
Cisco G. (Puyallup, WA, US)
COURSE INTAKE FILTER

When I saw the Aquarium Co-op video on their intake filter. It made a lot of sence to me. In general it has kept a lot of unwanted things from clogging my canister intake. Plus given the added benefit of extra space to grow benefical bactiria which has seem to have been apart of the process to calm down my nitates and nitrites, bringing more stability to my tank.
My posted pic is about a year ago.

D
Dan N. (Grand Rapids, MI, US)
Modified Medium Pre Filter

I modified a medium to work with my Aquaclear 20. Just what I was after. Now it fits between the intake tube and the glass in my 15 gallon tank.

L
Luci M. (Austin, TX, US)
Pre Filter

Perfect for my inlet tube.

A
Andrew N. (Lehigh Acres, FL, US)
Dirted aquariums and sponge filters are a great match!

I have 2 planted 75 gallon aquariums, both dirted. I’ve used hang on the back filters and have the fluval Fx canister, but I rely entirely on these sponges and the Aquarium Co Op powerheads for one of my tanks and love the ease of use, the ease of maintenance, the extra biological filtration, the ability to remove cycled sponges for treating tanks and starting new ones. These are durable and more than adequate for all but microscopic mechanical filtration.

C
Carsandfish (Coleman, MI, US)
Great prefilters

I am using 7 of these and they work well and last well.

A
A.W. (Redmond, WA, US)
Also works in Oase pre-filters

I tried these on H0B filters, but I don't like HOBs--too loud, too prone to issues. I like Oase cannister filters, particularly the Biomaster 250 and 350 which come with an internal pre-filter. Coincidentally, or maybe not, the COOP pre-filter sponges fit perfectly as replacement sponges in those pre-filters. A little snip with scissors to make the sponge a cylinder, and it slides right onto the Oase pre-filter perfectly--2 sponges for the 250, 3 for the 350. These are easier to clean than the ones that come with the Oase, but just as effective in my experience.

T
Thom H. (Huntington Beach, CA, US)
BEST Pre-filter EVER!

What was I waiting for? I’ve been dealing with pre-filters getting plugged up and full of sludge that I’d have to change them before a week was even over. Thought this was a little expensive to pay for + shipping, but it was worth every penny! So glad I have this product, it works great! You cannot find it on Amazon, I wasted money there :-( Aquarium co-op, knows what they’re doing with this extremely course mesh pre-filter. ;-)

S
Shawn S. (Indianapolis, IN, US)
Great product

I love these. So much better quality than the competition. I have 3 and couldn't ask for any better

Frequently Asked Questions

SHIPPING POLICY

We process and ship out 98%+ of our shipments next business day. 

Live plants will ship using an appropriate service and typically arrive in 2 to 5 business days. Transit times do not include weekends, holidays, or weather delays. To avoid delays in the shipping network we recommend
ordering live plants on Saturdays and Sundays for a Monday ship out.

Dry goods such as fish food, medication, filtration products, etc. can be ordered any day and will ship the next business day with an appropriate service. Typical shipping times are 1 to 7 business day transit time,
depending on delivery location.

Faster shipping options available at checkout for an additional charge.

Alaska and Hawaii have a $17.99 surcharge. We do not ship to Puerto Rico currently.

90 DAY RETURN POLICY

90 Day Return Policy

At Aquarium Co-Op, our goal is to have satisfied customers. We make every effort to inform our customers about how our products work, and what is 
to be expected. We recognize that sometimes a product may not completely
 meet the expectations of a customer. We take pride in having a 
no-hassle 90 day return policy. If you have purchased an item and are not 
satisfied, we
will take it back.

To start a return, email our customer service team at shipping@aquariumcoop.com. Please note that the shipping cost of returning an item is not covered by Aquarium Co-Op.


Items being returned may be sent to:
Aquarium Co-Op
Shipping Team
800 Enterprise Dr.
Lexington, KY 40510 

STILL HAVE QUESTIONS? CONTACT US

Email: Shipping@aquariumcoop.com

Contact form: https://www.aquariumcoop.com/pages/contact-us

Visit our physical store:
Aquarium Co-Op
9661 Firdale Ave
Edmonds, Wa 98020

Send mail to our Warehouse:
Aquarium Co-Op Warehouse
800 Enterprise Drive
Lexington Ky, 40510