# Thoughts on filter media



## northtexasfossilguy

I'm pretty dead set on being cheap when it comes to filter media. I don't think it's necessary to constantly have to change media at $10 a pop, so I wanted to come up with my own alternatives.

I recently bought a bag of essentially organic cotton from a big box pet store, and that stuff seems to be pretty great. It collects all the sludge, and it's disposable, organic, slightly reusable, and probably a good place for bacteria to grow. 

I also use sponges, you can get these pretty much anywhere, just be sure it is very porous. I'm on the lookout for big sheets of the stuff.

I also reuse my clay media, but I came up with the idea of using broken Bisque (which is usually trash) from my local pottery stores. The only thing you have to look out for there is that the pieces are entirely unglazed. These do seem to wear out over time, I'm trying to bleach some to see what happens with them, obviously I will soak them in water to remove the bleach.

I don't use carbon that often. 

I usually don't vacuum as I tend to cover every square inch with plants and I have a jungle type look to everything.

What are your thoughts on DIY filter media for a planted tank? 
What are your thoughts on a proper filter setup?


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## playthecello

I'm also pretty cheap when it comes to filtering, more from necessity than from a desire to be frugal. I have an HOB Marineland Emperor filter on my 29 gallon. I've been re-packing the filter cartridges for at least a year now. I bought a bag of polyester batting (for stuffing sewing projects) for a few bucks, and I'm maybe 1/3 of the way through it. I attach a flattened handful of the stuff to an old cartridge frame with rubber bands. Once it's thoroughly disgusting, I take it off, throw it out and replace it. I use loose charcoal in the clamshell-style "media container" that came with the filter. I probably don't need to replace the charcoal as often as I do (about every 2 weeks), but everybody says something different about it, and I like to think it's keeping my tank non-toxic.


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## Diana K

Quilt batting = polyester floss. A queen sized blanket worth is a lifetime supply, especially when you rinse and reuse. (It finally does mat together, though, and needs to be replaced)

Aquaclear sponges seem to last forever. Rinse and reuse. 

I do not run AC regularly. I have some on hand for emergencies. Mostly the amount that came with new filters. 

There is a blue and white cut-to fit filter rmedia called 'Rite Size' that holds up really well. 

Bio media such as ceramic noodles and other things may not need to be replaced. I do not know if the biofilm builds up to the point that water flow suffers.

I re-load the canister style filters with Aquaclear sponges, Rite Size media, a little quilt batting and a nylon stocking of bio-media. I wish I could switch them all to ACs. The thick mass of filter media makes a much more efficient filter than the thin sheet that is a pre-made cartridge. 

I still have most of the pre-made cartridges that came with a filter right before I figured out how to do all the above.


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## northtexasfossilguy

Diana K said:


> The thick mass of filter media makes a much more efficient filter than the thin sheet that is a pre-made cartridge.


I reckon they are made that way for a reason (to fail).

I read on the box of those filter "noodles" that you should replace half every month or something. I would assume this is either complete bs or the bacteria build up to the point where they all might die or they might not have a good enough surface. I figure that bleaching them and washing them ought to renew it, so that's what I'm trying. Dunno if it will work or not.


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## TAB

I tend to buy the Aqua clear foam blocks and cut them to fit, I have some that are 10+ years old.

when they get cloged, I just take them out, wash them in tank water( wc waste water), then put them back in.


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## berniekooi

Are there any places online where you can get the quilt batting for cheap or should I go look at a local fabric store? I just rinse out the foam blocks and put them back...it has been working for quite some time now.


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## Noto

The fabric store is a good bet. I bought a bunch at Hobby Lobby when it was on sale. Other options: nylon or stainless steel pot scrubbers, polyester strapping, and bulk pond or aquaculture filter media.


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## berniekooi

Sounds good. I will be going to Hobby Lobby sooner or later I'm sure so I will be looking for it.


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## Diana K

I got it at Wal Mart. Any fabric store will have it. Even the smallest quilt-worth of batting is a lifetime supply! Don't bother trying to find the best deal on line, unless you are looking into other craft projects and maybe want to add in the quilt batting with another order. 
Just be sure there are no flame retardants.


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## wi_blue

I picked up some poly-fill at walmart for $2. Its enough for to large throw pillows and does a great job polishing.


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## Diana K

"poly-fill... $2... enough for two large throw pillows"

Compare to the wimpy little bag of the stuff in the pet department!


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## James0816

You definately can't go wrong with poly-fill.


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## RestlessCrow

my .02:

I used to do a lot of work with fish ponds and I was a goldfish and koi retailer. I could never get nitrates under control because of the massive fish load in my tanks. I was using a filter rated for 1500 gal to filter 200 gal. So I came up with something SO simple it worked awesome.

The water before entering the 1500 gal capacity (gravity fed) filter was first sent through a five gallon bucket. Yup. Just a five gallon bucket. I drilled a hole in the bottom of the bucket and plumbed in a bulkhead fitting. I drilled and plumbed another one in at the top. I sent the water in through the BOTTOM of the bucket, and let it flow out the top by gravity. 

My secret weapon? DEER netting. I stuffed that bucket with a piece of deer or bird netting (made by Ross) 7'x100'. First I unraveled it in the parking lot, and then just stuffed it in the bucket, taking care to get the lumps evenly spaced. I put a rock on top to keep it from clogging the outflow of the pipe that led to the other filter and my nitrate problems were gone in two days. Yes.... TWO days. 

When I'm due to change things in my cannister filter, you can BET I'll be using the deer netting. It's the best mechanical AND biological media I've found to date.


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## AEWHistory

I know it sounds a bit obvious, but has anyone tried eBay for the quilt batting or equivs? Seems like a logical place to start looking. I ran across a seller selling a huge amount of aquarium filter material--like the blue/white plies, but in this case they were pink--in these sizeable rolls. Would someone like me to see if I can find this again?

-Aaron


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## RestlessCrow

AEWHistory said:


> I know it sounds a bit obvious, but has anyone tried eBay for the quilt batting or equivs? Seems like a logical place to start looking. I ran across a seller selling a huge amount of aquarium filter material--like the blue/white plies, but in this case they were pink--in these sizeable rolls. Would someone like me to see if I can find this again?
> 
> -Aaron


Hey Aaron.... If you get a chance to take a ride.... head down to Aquatic Gardens and Koi in Jobstown, NJ. You're a lot closer to them than I am. They used to sell rolls of filter material there in different degrees of coarseness... Back when I was in retail they supplied me with all my pond supplies. I believe they were the main importer of Cyprio products until it was bought out by Hozelock. (They might still be.. I've been out of the loop for quite some time.) They still maintain a retail outlet down there in Jobstown.

You Just reminded me though. Cyprio made a filter that I used to LOVE. It was a gravity feed filter. Water entered through a spray bar for aeration. It sprayed down into the filter and then flowed through a series of "bottle brushes" that hung down into the water. The bristles on the bottle brushes were about two inches long and caught all the big junky stuff coming out of the pond. It also made for an AWESOME biomedia. The Stuff that I would hose off these on a weekly basis was AMAZING, and the Japanese maple benefitted nicely from all of the natural Fert. I wonder if anyone has tried using a similar media in aquaria?


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## barbarossa4122

berniekooi said:


> Are there any places online where you can get the quilt batting for cheap or should I go look at a local fabric store? I just rinse out the foam blocks and put them back...it has been working for quite some time now.


I bought mine from a fabric store in Manhattan............2 yards for $10.00 and 2 20oz bags of poly fill for $10.00/bag. Walmart and Michael's carry both product, cheap. I also bought the uncut blue bonded pads from Dr. Foster, about one yr supply for $22.00. I use 5 HOBs, 2 400s, 2 Aqueon55s and one Whisper EX45 for my 55g and 35g goldfish planted tanks. I think I have enough mechanical media to last me at least one yr. For bio I use Biomax, Eheim Substrate Pro, scrubbies and the bio wheels. So far everything is perfect except for little algae in my 55g, but they are on the way out(dying).
Oh, I forgot, you can get the uncut roll of blue bonded stuff real cheap here: http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/wwg/start.shtml


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## joshd

So this may or may not apply, but have any of you looked into Poret foam? Niko mentioned it to me in a post and I contacted the guy that sells it. www.swisstropicals.com I asked him about using it in my canister filter and this was his reply:

_"yes, I can recommend the Poret for canisters, in fact, the blue foam pads Eheim sells are made by my manufacturer. A combination of 10 ppi first followed by 20 or 30 ppi is by far the best combination since it will last a long time between cleanings."_

If you read on his sight, it sounds like awesome stuff. They recommend cleaning every 6 months to 1 year! I am planning on buying a couple 13 x 13 sheets and cutting them to put in both my Eheim and my XP1.

Just some food for thought on the subject.


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## Diana K

"long time between cleanings" mean a few different possibilities, not all of them such good news:
a) Not much debris in the system to get trapped. Low fish load, low plant load... whatever. 
b) Poor filter not moving water very well. Most of the debris is staying in the tank, or getting removed some other way (gravel vacs)
c) Large volume of filter media (big filter) allows plenty of debris to get trapped, but also encourages it to decompose in the system, releasing whatever is in it back to the tank as smaller molecules. This is one source of plant fertilizers; plants do not take in solid fish waste directly, but use the molecules from the waste after it has been broken down by bacteria and other decomposers.


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