Creat filter pads

[NavemadaMan]

Hey does anyone know a great, cheap way to create cheap filter pads instead of spending an arm and a leg buying the ones made specifically for your filter? I have a Marineland Emperor filter with a Bio-Wheel and the filter pads are just way too expensive

 

[Rokuzachi]

Are you talking about the cartridges with the carbon in them? If you are, you could just remove the carbon and keep using them, and wash them out once in a while when they get gunked up.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Hey does anyone know a great, cheap way to create cheap filter pads instead of spending an arm and a leg buying the ones made specifically for your filter? I have a Marineland Emperor filter with a Bio-Wheel and the filter pads are just way too expensive

I do that for my Aqueon filter.

I take pad material (HSH? Something like that) that I find at my LFS, place the pad in/on the frame the cartridge fits into and cut it a little over sized (shrinks a bit when wet). Works great and a huge pad is about the price of 2 cartridges and I can use it over and over (rinse in tank water from PWC). It tends to get a little limp after a few washings, but I just hold it in place till the flow hits it and it works fine.

Saves me a bundle to spend on other things lol.

 

[NavemadaMan]

How do I get the carbon out the best way I can?

 

[Mr. Limpet]

How do I get the carbon out the best way I can?

Just make a small cut on the upstream side of the filter media and shake/pick it out.

 

[NavemadaMan]

Just make a small cut on the upstream side of the filter media and shake/pick it out.

What do you mean by upstream? Andd how do you wash the pads in order to reuse them?

 

[nottooslow]

to wash them, just rinse them in tank water you remove during a water change.

 

[NavemadaMan]

to wash them, just rinse them in tank water you remove during a water change.

No bleach or any sort of disinfectant?? That hardly seems like cleaning a filter pad..

 

[Mr. Limpet]

What do you mean by upstream? Andd how do you wash the pads in order to reuse them?

Upstream means on the back side of the pad, that way the front (downstream is intact).

Yep, wash it in tank water after PWC and use it till it falls apart.

 

[BillD]

No bleach or any sort of disinfectant?? That hardly seems like cleaning a filter pad..

the purpose of cleaning the pad is strictly to remove the solid material such as fish feces before it can rot and allow good flow of oxygenated water to the bacteria living on these filter elements. They remove the ammonia from the water, convert to nitrites and nitrates. Killing them with bleach would stop the process. It is vital to maintain this bacteria in your system.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

the purpose of cleaning the pad is strictly to remove the solid material such as fish feces before it can rot and allow good flow of oxygenated water to the bacteria living on these filter elements. They remove the ammonia from the water, convert to nitrites and nitrates. Killing them with bleach would stop the process. It is vital to maintain this bacteria in your system.

+1

Never use bleach on any part of your filter, just get the loose stuff off and you're good to go until the next PWC.