filter floss/wool

[canis_lupus]

i'm looking to change my carbon to filter floss because the carbon cartriges r expensive and i've heard good thing about using filter floss/wool? i have 2 tanks both with aquaclear mini filters they have a sponge and a carbon. how do i go about switching to the floss, how often do i clean/replace it. is there anything else i should know about it? thanks 4 your help

 

[smb]

On my mini Penguin I just took out the carbon part and wrapped filter floss around the plastic part then secured it with a plastic twisty tie. You can use rubberbands also, I've done that before.

As far as maintenance, I swoosh mine around in a bucket of tank water once or twice a month and only change the filter floss once a year or so. Changing it twice a year would be fine also but I don't think it needs to be changed more than twice a year.

 

[Mollymomma]

Would that work in a fluval canister too? Just place the floss where the carbon sits in the baskets? Carbon is getting a bit expensive and I have heard alot of members don't use carbon at all. I worry about it leaching if not changed ofton enough.

Sorry canis_lupus for jumping in but I had the same question & ya beat me too it

 

[suemack]

not sure about the other types of filters but with the aqua clear minis I have 2 sponges in them - no carbon and just wash them out in the water I've siphoned out - just replace one of the sponges when they are worn - have taken the floss out and replaced with sponges in my little tanks as the floss used to get really gross and had to throw the whole thing out when it got too bad and lose all the bacteria

 

[canis_lupus]

that's ok mollymomma um so i can just take out the carbons and put the floss in ontop of the sponge? or do i wrap it around the carbon first? sorry i got kinda confused it happens a lot lately )

 

[freshmike]

I also asked the same question when I started on this forum. Since then I only have carbon in 4 of my tanks......one of my aquaclear 500's is without as well and seems to be fine, all 3 fluval 404's are now carbon free I mostly have carbon only in my aquaclear 300's..... but probably not for very long!

 

[StiX]

The thing with filter wool is it will clog up quicker than a sponge would, especially if u have a planted tank or fish which produce alot of waste. I think a fint hole'd sponge is better than floss, but thats just my opinion