scotch brite pad as bio-filter?

[AlissasDad]

Anyone ever tried this?

I don't want to leave my QT tank set up all the time so I'm thinking about soaking a piece of scotch brite pad in my main tank to use in the QT tank (UG filter) when I set it up.

 

[Alaris]

Which sponge are you talking about? - Sponges and scouring pads from Scotch-Brite

 

[AlissasDad]

Either one of these:
Scouring pads from Scotch-Brite

 

[Sum22]

As long as they don't have soap or a cleaning agent on/in them, it should be fine. i've seen posts of people on here using the store brand green pads as filter media.

 

[AlissasDad]

As long as they don't have soap or a cleaning agent on/in them, it should be fine. i've seen posts of people on here using the store brand green pads as filter media.

Yeah, same idea. I don't know how porous the individual strands are, but it just seems like they would be a really good harbor for bacteria.

 

[A4Ryan]

This was brought up on another forum I visit. The pads are treated with AL203 (aluminum oxide) which can be toxic, especially in acidic water.

If it were me, I would not take the chance.

 

[Zagz]

What I do use, is plastic pot scrubbers, not any antibacterial kinds. I buy them 3 for $1.00. Been using them in my tanks for years.

 

[Fierro Nights]

those scotch pads work great, thats what i used in my 1 gallon cycling media tank,

in that tank w/ not animals or food only chemicals, in a week i started to get a brown growth on the sponge as i added ammonia to the tank and ammonia levels would drop.

they work great for this, and are good for cycling a new tank or a friends tank but im not sure about a permanent fixture unless water passed through it after being filtered through other media first to prevent collection of food.