If you have having problems trying to get the AQUANEAT Aquarium Bio Sponge Filter to create bubbles and pump water, then you can take a look at this troubleshooting article from Aquarium Blueprints.
1. Before we start, it is important to note that the AQUANEAT Bio Sponge Filter does not work on its own. Instead, you need to connect it to an air pump via an airline tubing.
In our case, we used the 100-gallon Tetra Whisper Easy to Use Air Pump and AQUANEAT Aquarium Airline Tubing to go along with our 60-gallon AQUANEAT Aquarium Bio Sponge Filter. By using this combination in our tanks, we have absolutely no bubbling and pumping issues in our tanks.
2. You should also check if your air pump is working correctly.
To inspect it, put a finger next to an uncovered air outlet on the device. If the pump is working correctly, then you should feel air coming out of the outlet.
3. Furthermore, you should also make sure that the airline tubing isn’t damaged in any way. Otherwise, the air flow won’t be able to reach the sponge filter.
To test this, run your fingers along the airline tubing to see if there are any leakage. If there are, then you need to replace the tubing.
4. You should check the connection between your airline tubing and the inlet of the AQUANEAT Aquarium Bio Sponge Filter.
When we have an issue with our filter not bubbling, it was due to our airline tubing not completely covering the inlet. As a result, the air was escaping at the connection point, resulting in the sponge not getting any airflow.
We were previously using airline tubing made of plastic, which warps easily due to the constant unplugging and re-plugging actions.
Once we replaced the plastic tubing with one that is made from silicone, however, we were able to get our sponge filter to create bubbles and pump the water much more efficiently.
5. Last but not least, a clogged sponge could reduce, or even completely block, the air flow of the filter.
Therefore, it is important that you clean the AQUANEAT Sponge Filter occasionally. We recommend that you do so every time you do a water change to your fish tank.