Is it worth it?

[CorallineAlgae]

What is poly fill? Is that the same as floss?

It's the same. Just cotton like fluff made from very fine polyester fibers. It's cheap and mechanically polishes water at least as well as anything else you can buy. I still like to use a coarse filter sponge as my first canister stage.

You can alternately use the blue bonded filter pads. It comes in a pack and can be cut to fit any filter. I use whichever one I have or the store has on hand. They both serve the same purpose. Again, their isn't anything wrong with using whatever filter media that the manufacture recommends. It just costs more and anything that cost more to buy often gets replaced less often. At least it does on my budget! lol

 

[Cornstar]

It's the same. Just cotton like fluff made from very fine polyester fibers. It's cheap and mechanically polishes water at least as well as anything else you can buy. I still like to use a coarse filter sponge as my first canister stage.

You can alternately use the blue bonded filter pads. It comes in a pack and can be cut to fit any filter. I use whichever one I have or the store has on hand. They both serve the same purpose. Again, their isn't anything wrong with using whatever filter media that the manufacture recommends. It just costs more and anything that cost more to buy often gets replaced less often. At least it does on my budget! lol

It's just that I have a lot of filter floss at home, and if I can use those instead, I rather do that Thanks for the advices Coralline! Order will proceed and hopefully I'll get it soon!

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Glad to help and good luck. \(^_^)/

 

[Cornstar]

Just curious. Would I need a prefilter for the filter? I currently have sand as substrate and a lot of MTS. I'm not sure if it will hurt the filter like regular HOB

 

[CorallineAlgae]

That's a very good idea and it'll work fine. Canisters are often fitted with prefilter sponges over the intake. Just use a coarse sponge and squeeze it out after water changes. Great question.

 

[Cornstar]

That's a very good idea and it'll work fine. Canisters are often fitted with prefilter sponges over the intake. Just use a coarse sponge and squeeze it out after water changes. Great question.

To clarify, I wouldn't need a prefilter? Or would I?

Also my ehfisubstrat is coming late but I have my bio max and cotton. And I turn my canister with just those inside?

 

[CorallineAlgae]

To clarify, I wouldn't need a prefilter? Or would I?

Also my ehfisubstrat is coming late but I have my bio max and cotton. And I turn my canister with just those inside?

For africans you may want one but you can always add it later.

You should have one 'inside' your canister. Most canisters have a prefilter, fine filter material, biological media and chemical media. You can use a mesh bag to run carbon or Purigen.. or both in separate bags (purigen needs a special bag).

 

[Cornstar]

For africans you may want one but you can always add it later.

You should have one 'inside' your canister. Most canisters have a prefilter, fine filter material, biological media and chemical media. You can use a mesh bag to run carbon or Purigen.. or both in separate bags (purigen needs a special bag).

What does the prefilter look like? Do I need to buy one and if so, what do I call it? I probably want to get everything set up before running it.

 

[CorallineAlgae]

A pre-filter over the intake is just a coarse round sponge that fits over the intake screen of the filter tube. It helps keep sand or fry from getting sucked into the filter. A pre-filter inside the filter is just a coarse sponge that captures large debris that gets sucked into the filter so your fine filter floss doesn't get clogged as fast. The coarse filter sponge can usually still let water flow through it even when it's dirty. The fine floss slows the water flow in the filter a lot when it's dirty so it's important that they work together.

 

[Cornstar]

Thanks again! All the items came in today and I finally set up my filter. It took me literally 2 hours to prime my filter, at the end of the day I am not even sure how it happened. (I did not want to suck anything because it was previously used.

I was wondering if you know where I can buy the intake pre filter? The intake looks longer than the typical fluval intake filter.

 

[CorallineAlgae]

You're welcome!

I got mine as a powerhead accessory. It was meant to go over the intake of a powerhead but it was what people used for filter intakes, too. It was a local pet shop that had it. You could probably call an online pet supply retailer like Marine Depot or something similar and ask what they have that will work. I wish I had a link but.. it was just a local shop.