Newbie Considering Filter Floss

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leesjmarshall

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Sep 13, 2020
Messages
3
Location
Melbourne, Australia
Hi all,

I'm new to the aquarium game and would really appreciate some advice on filtration, in particular cleaning/changing filter media and the use of Filter Floss.

I have this fish tank: https://aquaone.com.au/2015-04-16-0...0-17/aquariums/lifestyle-2/item/3597-52041gbk

It has a built-in filtration system that consists of a filter cartridge containing wool and activated carbon and a sponge underneath that. I was considering adding filter floss, presumably on top of the filter cartridge(?) however there's very little room between the filter spray bar and the cartridge (actually touching) at the moment. What would people advise here?

Other questions, the manual states that both the sponge and cartridge should be cleaned weekly, with the cartridge being rinsed in tap water and the sponge in water from the tank. That doesn't sound right to me (cleaning frequency and also cartridge in tap water), but like I say I'm a newbie.

Again, looking for some pro/"old-hand" advice.

Finally, how frequently should I change the cartridge, again manual says roughly every 6 weeks, but conscious that could be more about money than reality?

Thanks in advance.
 
All filter components will house beneficial bacteria. So they should never be cleaned with tap water as it typically contains clorine, which will kill off bacteria. These don't need to be cleaned weekly; more like once every 5-6 months unless the finest stages are getting clogged. Even so, always wash filter components using tank water alone.
 
Filter floss will clog quickly and will need replacing way too often. The best filter media is 10/20 ppi foam of jut plain plastic pot scrubbies. Clean every 4-6 months with a quick rinse under water. Here is some info for you.
[FONT=&quot]http://aquariumscience.org/index.php/7-filter-media/
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[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]http://aquariumscience.org/index.php/6-9-tap-water-rinsing/
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[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]Great site for info.
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The fact that filter floss clogs rapidly is a sign that it's filtering particles out of the water, helping it to stay clean. A little bit of floss can help a lot and it takes like ten seconds to replace once a week,
 
I like filter floss. You can use quilt batting and get a bunch more for your money. I'm not sure if there's a difference, but I've been working on a big bag of quilt batting for 5 years.
 
"Filter floss will clog quickly and will need replacing way too often. The best filter media is 10/20 ppi foam of jut plain plastic pot scrubbies. Clean every 4-6 months with a quick rinse under water. Here is some info for you.
http://aquariumscience.org/index.php/7-filter-media/

http://aquariumscience.org/index.php...water-rinsing/

Great site for info."

So, you use this exclusively as your filter material and don't use anything else, or do you use this in conjunction with something else?
I only use 10/20 ppi foam on the bottom tray of my canister and the other two trays all plastic pot scrubbies. My Tidal filters only have 10/20 ppi foam in them. With this I have never had to use any filter floss or anything else in the aquariums to obtain crystal clear water all the time. Cleaning is ever 6-8 months with a quick rinse under water.
 
The use of floss is fine if you want very clear water. Regular sponges will begin to clog/develop microorganisms that will achieve the same effect over time. Floss should be used after the usual course sponges to catch any finer particles that pass through.

It’s not that important. I like floss. It’s cheap, quick to replace and really does ‘polish’ the water.

If I used a filter I’d probably add some floss.
 
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