re filter

littlefoot · 11/19/2006, 02:11 PM

now that i have a skimmer i want to kind of redo canister filter. when i 1st got it lfs said take floss pads out keep charcoal in and add bio balls. Well now that i have skimmer i can use it as an expensive ph but what were the floss pads for? Do they help polish h2o?

RandyStacyE · 11/19/2006, 06:09 PM

The carbon and bio balls were more for 'biological filtration'. The filter floss pads are for 'mechanical filtration'.

If you have an adequate amount of live rock and reef sand then you likely have plenty of biological filtration as is. I'm not a big fan of the bio balls and synthetic biological filtration media. I think it's more a gimic/something to sell. Don't get me wrong, I've been there - done that. I used to shell out for bio stars, stress zime, bio wheels ......

If you placed floss pads (which you can substitute with cheap felt) inside your canister filter, you will notice an increase in clarity, but those pads need to be replaced often.

I used to use a canister filter that I made and it worked excellent. Talk about absolute crystal clear water! The only problem is I tended to neglect it. You get wicked problems when you do that. Then I switched to using filter socks.

littlefoot · 11/19/2006, 07:00 PM

so after the break in period of my skimmer can i take all bio out of filter and put the floss pads bac in and start it up again and if so can i take all the bio stars out at once? and thx randy for helpn

RandyStacyE · 11/19/2006, 07:23 PM

I don't see any reason why not. If you already have plenty of biological filtration, I don't see the need for what is in the canister.

littlefoot · 11/19/2006, 07:29 PM

also how often would i change the floss pads

RandyStacyE · 11/19/2006, 07:35 PM

You'll be able to tell. They get nasty. You don't want all that gunk in contact with the water or it begins to harvest nitrates.

littlefoot · 11/19/2006, 08:31 PM

reading the instructions that come with it- it says i can rinse them out. True?

11/19/2006, 02:11 PM	#1
littlefoot Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 316	re filter now that i have a skimmer i want to kind of redo canister filter. when i 1st got it lfs said take floss pads out keep charcoal in and add bio balls. Well now that i have skimmer i can use it as an expensive ph but what were the floss pads for? Do they help polish h2o?

11/19/2006, 06:09 PM	#2
RandyStacyE Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Indiana Posts: 2,659	The carbon and bio balls were more for 'biological filtration'. The filter floss pads are for 'mechanical filtration'. If you have an adequate amount of live rock and reef sand then you likely have plenty of biological filtration as is. I'm not a big fan of the bio balls and synthetic biological filtration media. I think it's more a gimic/something to sell. Don't get me wrong, I've been there - done that. I used to shell out for bio stars, stress zime, bio wheels ...... If you placed floss pads (which you can substitute with cheap felt) inside your canister filter, you will notice an increase in clarity, but those pads need to be replaced often. I used to use a canister filter that I made and it worked excellent. Talk about absolute crystal clear water! The only problem is I tended to neglect it. You get wicked problems when you do that. Then I switched to using filter socks.

11/19/2006, 07:00 PM	#3
littlefoot Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 316	so after the break in period of my skimmer can i take all bio out of filter and put the floss pads bac in and start it up again and if so can i take all the bio stars out at once? and thx randy for helpn

11/19/2006, 07:23 PM	#4
RandyStacyE Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Indiana Posts: 2,659	I don't see any reason why not. If you already have plenty of biological filtration, I don't see the need for what is in the canister.

11/19/2006, 07:29 PM	#5
littlefoot Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 316	also how often would i change the floss pads

11/19/2006, 07:35 PM	#6
RandyStacyE Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Indiana Posts: 2,659	You'll be able to tell. They get nasty. You don't want all that gunk in contact with the water or it begins to harvest nitrates.

11/19/2006, 08:31 PM	#7
littlefoot Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 316	reading the instructions that come with it- it says i can rinse them out. True?