Diy Filter Media

[stucolls]

Hey my box filter for fry tank just arrived but I dont have any carbon or filter wool as it suggets to put into it.......

how about gravel from main tank in the bottom, and any suggestions for the sponge?

I thought cotton wool and davidtq agreed with me, anymore ideas?

 

[Tolak]

Polyester pillow stuffing from a fabric store is the same filter floss your lfs sells, except the lfs floss has an inflated price. Buy the cheapest poly fiber, it has no fire retardants, any with fire retardants will have that on the package, as it's a selling feature for pillow stuffing.

 

[Danno]

You can buy everything you need at the dollar store...except the carbon..

PolyFill, Sponges, Mesh Bags, Twist Ties. $4

Can't beat that.

 

[three-fingers]

You don't need the carbon anyway, IME it's worthless except when trying to remove medicines .

For regular usage it does the same job as any biological media, apart from the added cost of having to replace it.

That's the only reason it's included in filters as standard to make money through sales of carbon.

 

[Danno]

You don't need the carbon anyway, IME it's worthless except when trying to remove medicines .

For regular usage it does the same job as any biological media, apart from the added cost of having to replace it.

That's the only reason it's included in filters as standard to make money through sales of carbon.

Carbon is under...discussion at the moment. I personally think it is a great way of removing excess minerals and contaminants...

But carbon is another topic, not this one.

 

[SuperColey1]

There are varying opinions on the carbon 'lifespan' and it is widely known that it only works for a short while in removing meds, minerals and other contaminants.

The varying opinions range from 24 hours to 7 days.

In other words if the former are right then for 24 hours it is doing what you bought it for and then it is just working as normal media from there on.

I haven't used carbon for a long long time, and don't see any ill effects. I do 50% water changes each week as I am planted and doing EI therefore any meds I use (only needed once) are diluted within 7 days and therefore I don't worry about the carbon.

I still have a big bag in my cabinet that came with my Tetratec.

Andy