cut your own filter material, blue and white, question...

[glassbird]

This is embarrassing, and I bet there will be some eye rolls out there, but I give up. I frequently see "cut your own" filter material at fish stores with one blue side and one white side. Sometimes it comes in prepackaged lengths, and I have also seen it on a large roll...sold by the foot.

Which side is the finer side, the white or the blue? I want to put it in a filter with the coarser side getting the water flow first, but which color is that? I have examined it closely, and shown it to others. Guesses go both ways!

Let the laughing commence...

 

[MCorder]

I think the blue is...but not sure. Should be labeled.

 

[glassbird]

no labels...a diagram on some packages but it does not indicate which color is which. I just realized that I wrote the question badly...I asked which side is finer and then asked which side is coarser....

When you say "blue is" do you mean blue is finer, or blue is coarser?

 

[eyring2210]

Blue is coarser than the white.

 

[CA_BroncoFan]

Honestly I don't think it matters all that much. Id just put whatever side YOU think is the side YOU want towards the water. Haha

 

[meegosh]

Honestly I don't think it matters all that much. Id just put whatever side YOU think is the side YOU want towards the water. Haha

Well if the water from the intake hits the white side first it may clog faster (because it has smaller holes). I'm pretty sure the blue side should be the side the water from the intake hits first, then the white (smaller).

 

[glassbird]

Meegosh, that's exactly what I was thinking. The visual differences between the two sides seems minor, but there might be other differences that are not apparent to the eye. And then again, they might actually be the same, and the two-color thing is just a marketing trick....makes the purchaser feel like they are getting something more than just an inch-thick piece of filter material...

Sounds like the general opinion so far is that the blue is the coarser stuff.

 

[Crepe]

I always put white first. It's definitely the coarser material when it comes to my filter pads.

 

[glassbird]

Aauugggh!

Crepe, what kind of filter "pads" are you using? Is it the "cut your own" stuff, or something else?

Maybe I should post a picture of the stuff...

 

[meegosh]

Yeah I think a picture would help. A good macro shot of each side would probably be the best. Whatever side is the most porous should hit the water first.

 

[cmor1701d]

In the real world you should be removing the material to either clean it or replace before either side gets clogged. Therefore it doesn't really matter.

That aside, have you asked the store owner?

 

[Crepe]

I use Marineland Rite-Size Bonded Filter Pad.

 

[cabezon]

I believe the blue is stiffer and threfore coarser. However I use the polyester fiberfill that is a heckuva lot cheaper. if you want a solid pad, I believe you would be looking for batting. I have used green pot scrubbies for the coarse filter as well.

 

[meegosh]

I agree with you on both cabezon. I don't know why more people don't use polyfiber (or whatever you want to call it). The same $4-5 bag has last me ~3+ years.

 

[Andrewz00]

I believe the blue is stiffer and threfore coarser. However I use the polyester fiberfill that is a heckuva lot cheaper. if you want a solid pad, I believe you would be looking for batting. I have used green pot scrubbies for the coarse filter as well.

pot scrubbies? as in these....?

interesting....


as far as the more course side... ide have to vote blue.

 

[glassbird]

This is ironic...

I have been looking for a simple picture of pot scrubbies, because I am currently in the process of buying vast amounts as biological filtration for my ponds, and turtle habitat. I have been going from dollar store, to dollar store, as I need them CHEAP. The employees at these stores have different definitions of "pot scrubbie", so a picture would just cut thru the confusion. Tonight, I checked back on this thread...and found the perfect picture of pot scrubbies! Thanks!

I do use the loose polyester "pillow stuffing" in mesh bags in some of my filters. I have not tried the batting yet, but I will as soon as I use the last of this blue/white stuff. At least the batting is all one color...no more confusion!

Yes, I asked the owner of my favorite LFS. He said the blue was more coarse, but his manager jumped in and said it was the white. I am using this stuff in my pond filter, which is hard to get to. So using it the "right" way is fairly important. If it clogs sooner than it should, that would be bad. I think I will just have to bite the bullet and get used to checking on it more often.

Any additional votes would be welcome!

 

[cabezon]

I use the flat green kind. But those would work if you have the room.