Whisper Bio Bags

[tampa]

I have Whisper hob filters in all of my tanks. Up until recently I was able to buy the LARGE size bio bags (unassembled) at a national retailer for $9 for 12 bags. The local stores would honor the on line price that this national retailer showed on line.
All of a sudden, BOOM, the price on line shot up to $17 or &18. I use 10 bio bags per month, sooo that's a big difference.
I was wondering (and hoping) that someone knows of a mail order company that offers these bags at a more sensible (cheaper) price
Thanks for your help

[mfdrookie516]

how many do you use per tank? i had them on a couple of my tanks, and a bag would last me like 3 months. I bought the bags at petsmart, where you get an 18 pack for $15 and re-use the plastic frame inside

[CaptainAhab]

Just the bag, or the pre-filled kind?

BTW: 10 a month! back in the day I used to use those things till they fell apart.. Just kept rinsing them weekly in PWC tank water.

[tampa]

I don't use the pre filled kind, I usae the ones where you put the charcoal in. They come unassembled. The pre filled are too expensive ($2.50-$3 each).

The best that I can get out of a bag is oner month. After that they start falling apart when I try tol rinse them.

I use 2 bags per filter and on the 55 gallon tanks I have 2 filters each and on the smaller tanks I use 1 filter per tank

[mfdrookie516]

wow, how are you rinsing them and how often? i only rinsed mine once a month. and i always used gravel instead of carbon, it does just as good and carbon is useless after a week.

[thominil]

Petsmart has the top fin bags that are the same for cheap lol, I just quit buying them and I just use a material that you can buy at petstores, I got a big roll of it from the person that I bought my light from, just need to rinse in water every once in awhile. Can't remember what it's called, but I'm going to petsmart today, so I can find out for you. Kind of like the mesh bag of the whisper cartridges, just a lot thicker.

[CaptainAhab]

You could always go to a fabric/hobby store and buy like stuff in bulk, cut it up; use a rubber band or something to seal the top..

The bag itself is used for nothing more than a container for your carbon/purigen/whatever and a mechanical filter.


BTW: Do some research on the carbon. Not all research will agree with the once week depletion comment or other conclusions attributed to GAC

[mfdrookie516]

Originally Posted by CaptainAhab

BTW: Do some research on the carbon. Not all research will agree with the once week depletion comment or other conclusions attributed to GAC

so you disagree with the carbon statement? if so im very interested... everybody on here told me not to waste my money on it because aside from pulling medicines and discoloration from the water, it served no purpose... i feel bad now for saying that then... should i be using it?

[CaptainAhab]

It's a personal choice. I'll dig up some research info and PM it to you. Like alot of other things, there are groups on each side. Doing your own research will let you make an informed decision.

It's been bantered here and just about every other aquatic forum that exists.

[mfdrookie516]

ok great... everything ive researched either agrees with the idea that its useless, or praises how wonderful it is... id love to see some good factual info.

[CaptainAhab]

Again, facts are in the eyes of the researcher. You need to take into account their experience, education, parameters around their research , etc.

A scientist from a major GAC retailer may run a test in a certain way and draw a conclusion that an academic scientist would not and draw a completely different conclusion.

Just something to keep in mind as you weight the bits of information you read here, there and elsewhere

[tampa]

thominil..........PetsMart has also raised the price of the Top Fin bags so that they are just $1 less than the Whisper bags

[thominil]

Still a $1 lol.