You mention the internal filter with the single sponge. I'ts always bothered me giving that sponge a rinse in the dirty tank water I have just removed. I keep wondering just how much damamge I am doing to the tank ecology. Well, it's taken me about 10 months to figure this out but next water change I'm going to cut that sponge in half and only rinse half each week.

It's funny how you use the extreme cold temperatures to kill off bacteria and I use the sun and heat. I have a really great spot downstairs where the sun shines in for about 6 hours a day so I leave all my buckets and nets lined up to cop the blast. I know they won't last as long and will become brittle but it's so easy to do.