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Biocube filter mod


TEALCOBRA

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Im sure a bunch of you might be doing this already.... its pretty basic, I was thinking about the stock filters from Oceanic, and how they are WAY too expensive considering they get clogged up in a matter of days most of the time.

 

You figure most of us have ZERO use for the carbon in the filters since most of us are already using chemipure, purigen, or something like it, so it really serves no purpose in the oceanic filter.

 

The answer ?? GUT the thing.... I ripped apart an old oceanic filter that was all clogged up, and used a dremel with the cutting wheel on it, and took out the little sections inside it...... That gives plenty of room to work with....

 

filtergutting.jpg

 

Then I bought a huge filter pad from petsmart for $5.99. Cut out a rectangle of it, and VOILA, a filter that can be replaced frequently, because each time only costs 50 cents or so. Plus it makes the water crystal clear, so I like it. :D

 

newfilter.jpg

 

 

Best part is that any of the BC owners can do it. :happy:

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Did you do the mod between chambers one and two (widen the opening for bettter flow)? If so are you finding that water still flows through this filter?

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Yes, and Yes.... I have the bottom grate removed from the first chamber also, so some of it goes around the filter, but it still pulls a TON of junk out of the water.... Ill take another pic of it in a few days to show everyone...

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just fits right in there... the water flow will also help keep it in there, but if you cut it to a good size, you gotta peel it out of there, so its a good fit... same depth as the stock cartridge and everything...

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That is a really good idea- I've done the same for FW, I don't know why I didnt think of that myself either. I was going to use pura pad, (Like 4 at a time, but I think I'll use only 2 layers of that and one of what you did. (Otherwise it would be way too expensive!) Thanks!

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chuckfullservice

I think its brilliant ! I already have a bag of carbon on top of filter floss in the second chamber so most small particals get caught in the second chamber if missed by the first filter .

This is perfect because my filter is clogged after a couple of days . Some times when I come home from work all i see is a tank full of air bubbles from the pump running dry. If it works like you say this could save money , stress on fish from running a dry pump, the pump and time running to the store for replacement filters.

 

 

Brilliant!

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Question:

 

Does anyone know where to buy the polyfloss that comes in a sheet? I was thinking that it would be cheaper than the petsmart filter?

 

Wal-mart. I use the 100% polyester pillow stuffing for filter floss. It's about $2 for a large bag. They sell sheets of it as well.

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I have the pillow stuffing stuff that I used for my old tank. I need that same stuff in a sheet. Someone told me that you can buy quilt batting to cut into the shape of the filter cartridge for the cube.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well call me a cheap SOB, but after fooling with Koi and ponds for many many years I settled on filter media made from scrubber pads, specifically the green non abrasive 3m scubber pads. YOU can get a pack of 6 for like 99 cents, and just ball parking the dimensions, you should be able to get 4 inserts for a modded BC filter from each 6 x 12 scrubber pad. I get packs of them at Big Lots, Dollar Tree etc......and they are very durable, and can be washed eaily and shaken out and reused.........its all nylon and no harmfull junk inthe pads. I also use floor scrubber / buffing pads, for different density of media. They average about 3 bucks each at industiral and janitorial supply stores here and are typcially 18" in diameter.......lots of choices in densities and all work super for filter media.

 

BigAls on line also has / had a special on phosphate remover pad, 12" x 18 " for like $3.49........they work good and durable as well.

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I acquired a used bio cube filter from the lfs day before yesterday. The lfs knows be as a diy, and when I asked about if he had any old ones he said he just changed theone on the display cube, and low and behold he stil had it in the back. What I found is there is really no need to dremel anything out of the filter itself. Just remove the filter media fabric. It leaves 4 spaces with a rib, which also helps make the frame wrok a bit more ridgid. In designed use it holds charcoal separated inthe compartments. Those 4 sections of the filter frame are the same size so its easy enough to cut filter pad media to size. Usually its th eupper portion that gets dirtier quicker, so its easy to just pull out a dirty "section" instead of wasteing a longer piece of media bat. Like I posted previously I am a cheap SOB.

 

I use a razor knife to cut off the filter material, then scrape the edges with knife edge to remove the molded on media to frame joint, and clean up the edges. Scraping it all takes a few minutes but is easy to do with an exactly knife. LFS here gets $12.95 for 2 of those filters.........they were not exactly keen on hering how to modify them as it would cut back on their potential sales in the future ;-) I also found that most LFS are not to keen on DIY types anyhow.

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I acquired a used bio cube filter from the lfs day before yesterday. The lfs knows be as a diy, and when I asked about if he had any old ones he said he just changed theone on the display cube, and low and behold he stil had it in the back. What I found is there is really no need to dremel anything out of the filter itself. Just remove the filter media fabric. It leaves 4 spaces with a rib, which also helps make the frame wrok a bit more ridgid. In designed use it holds charcoal separated inthe compartments. Those 4 sections of the filter frame are the same size so its easy enough to cut filter pad media to size. Usually its th eupper portion that gets dirtier quicker, so its easy to just pull out a dirty "section" instead of wasteing a longer piece of media bat. Like I posted previously I am a cheap SOB.

 

I use a razor knife to cut off the filter material, then scrape the edges with knife edge to remove the molded on media to frame joint, and clean up the edges. Scraping it all takes a few minutes but is easy to do with an exactly knife. LFS here gets $12.95 for 2 of those filters.........they were not exactly keen on hering how to modify them as it would cut back on their potential sales in the future ;-) I also found that most LFS are not to keen on DIY types anyhow.

 

I originally did that for a few days, but found that my water seems to get better polished with the one large piece of material. if the 4 small squares works for you, I say go for it. :)

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@tealcobra - nice mod. I've got an unused stock filter that I almost threw away. I'm glad I didn't. I haven't tried this mod yet, but I think I will. Is it still working out OK. I use filter floss on top of the drip try for chamber 2. It works ok, but really causes some flow issues as the filter floss quickly gets gunked up. Do you think this is keeping your water more clear than what you were doing before? What were you doing before?

 

@ everyone - I'd like to find out what filter material is most effective for this mod. Please post what you are using and your results.

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  • 3 months later...

If you do this with purapad, or filter floss, how do you compensate for the lack of carbon? The current biocube filter has carbon in the back of it....

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