Fiber filter media

[Lady Hobbs]

A couple months ago, I bought some pillow stuffing from Walmarts and used it as filter media. It was spun cotton and polyester. I liked it a lot. It is heavy when wet and catches a lot of debris.

This month I got the regular spun filtering for aquariums and don't care for that stuff much at all. After two weeks in the tank, it is almost still clean so this tells me the debris is not sticking to it much. Pieces also break away and get caught around the bio-wheels and also float around in the tank, get in the plants and clog up the strainer.

I know you can buy bags to put it in and probably should have but my concern mostly is it's lack to hold the debris.

I did like that pillow stuffing, it stayed where you put it and was plenty dirty after two weeks.

What kind of stuffing, if you use it, are you buying and how is it working for you?

Thanks

[Fishguy2727]

I use Blue Ribbon aquarium filter floss, but I use it in canisters where the water is forced through, so I can cram it all together in one tray and it catches it really well. I don't think it would really work that well in a HOB, but if the other stuff worked in the HOB keep it up.

[Danny M]

What kind of stuffing, if you use it, are you buying and how is it working for you?


I'm using that kind of polyester wool that comes in sheets; I am a tailor, and we are using this as interlining for the overcoats. The filter wool costs too much over here, and the poly wool I'm using it's almost nothing. This kind of wool, in sheets, I use to put inside the canister's basket, let's say, about 10 - 15 layers of wool. When cleaning the filter, the bottom 2 - 3 layers are thrown away and putting new layers on top of basket. This way, I'm not changing all the wool once.
The other baskets are filled: first with ceramic rings, 2nd with foam, 3rd with bioballs, leaving the last one for the wool. I'm happy with this setup, and my fish, too.

Be careful with the stuffing you're using, if it contains any cotton! The cotton will decay eventually, and you must change it completely after 2 - 4 weeks. But I know it works like a charm, the finer fibers of the cotton are catching the smallest particles.

[Fishguy2727]

You may want to switch the layout of your filter around. The mechanical should go first to remove particles before they get to the biological media which they can clog. And bioballs are made for wet dry filters, not canisters, so it would probably be better to get something that has more surface area and is made to be submerged, rather than the lower surface area media made for a drip system. It will probably work better long run, even if you are not having any problems at all yet. I do reallly like your method of switching out the bottom dirty layers while still being able to keep the others in there.

[Lady Hobbs]

Thanks guys.