Do I rinse filter floss before putting in tank?

[Blackbird97]

Topic is pretty much self explanatory lol. I just made a surface skimmer for my BC14 out of some egg crate and have been experimenting with some filtering materials. I've used type of disposable sponge and it started to back up the flow. So i decided to use filter floss. The stuff I got came in about a 12 foot long roll, and I can cut squares out of it to fit into my egg crate tray. I've been using it for about a week now, replacing the filter material every two days and seems to be working great. But should I be rinsing the pads off before I put them in the tray?

[Oceanic 30g]

No

[dopamine]

my hands are usually wet and I just kinda ball and stretch it out which grabs any of the loose fibers off the ball.

[SeeDemTails]

Why would you put nitrate floss; I mean filter floss in your tank?

 

Unnecessary stuff that can cause problems in your tank quick. You know how you said it was backing up flow, this will too, thats because it is starting to get clogged with stuff which will rot and cause no3 in your tank. You are better off without it.

[Blackbird97]

Why would you put nitrate floss; I mean filter floss in your tank?

 

Unnecessary stuff that can cause problems in your tank quick. You know how you said it was backing up flow, this will too, thats because it is starting to get clogged with stuff which will rot and cause no3 in your tank. You are better off without it.

 

Well I replace it every two days, or possibly sooner if it gets dirty. After doing allot of searching on here a week or so ago and talking to a couple of my local salt water fish guru's I had decided to pull out the bio balls *nitrate factories* and the blue sponge *nitrate factory jr.* I replaced the sponge with a half a bag of the chemi-pure and replaced my bio balls and trays with my own egg-crate tray and filter floss. So far things have been working out great. I've also upgraded the pump, put in duel flow heads, took out the removable baffles,raised the amount of water in the rear chambers and took a pair of clippers to the chamber 1 separator. In another week or so when I know for sure that this is working well, i'll prob post up something with some pics or what not. I know its not too special haha, but I'm proud that its working

[StevieT]

so just let the junk get collected in your filter chambers, causing nitrates to rise there?!

 

as long as you change it out weekly, you'll be fine. Plus it makes your water super clear

[Blackbird97]

I'm no pro either, so I'm not trying to sound right or anything. I really do appreciate your input! But do you think with the frequency of me changing out the filtering element it would really have enough time to create allot of nitrates?

[dopamine]

so just let the junk get collected in your filter chambers, causing nitrates to rise there?!

 

as long as you change it out weekly, you'll be fine. Plus it makes your water super clear

 

nachos belle grande face speaks da troof.

[SeeDemTails]

Sure you will be fine, until 6 months from now when you get lazy. Every 2 days is a major PIA and something you are going to get tired of real quick.

 

And it doesnt make the water that much clearer

 

Rule # 1.....KISS. Why add another thing to your routine?

[StevieT]

I'm not saying this will work for everyone, but I change mine every friday when I do a water change. If you were not good with routine then don't run it.

 

0 nitrates, run floss and two sponges. Catches all the junk in the tank. It catches everything, nice and gunked up at the end of the week. I can't say I would want that floating around in the water.

[shivametimbas]

[mikellini]

It depends on what filter floss you're talking about... The coarse stuff that comes in sheets that you can cut to fit will only trap large particles and really won't make the water much clearer. But, If you use 'floss' that kind of looks like cotton candy it is much finer and will trap most all particulate from the water. You just need to tear off a chunk and fill the empty space in the chamber with it, it works great... must be changed frequently though

[Oceanic 30g]

I change my pads or floss every week. I do not have issues and it really helps to trap and remove the larger particles.

 

Again, there are a lot of ways to do it. I have had tanks since I was 16, so anything I put out there as advice has worked for me in the in the past.

[scrapz]

How much floss do you guys use? I use the really fine stuff from joann's($10+ a roll assuming it'll last me 3-4 months)

 

I usually fill chamber 1 half way full of floss and change out the top layer every 2-3 days & everything out once a week /w water changes.

[BKtomodachi]

Why would you put nitrate floss; I mean filter floss in your tank?

 

Unnecessary stuff that can cause problems in your tank quick. You know how you said it was backing up flow, this will too, thats because it is starting to get clogged with stuff which will rot and cause no3 in your tank. You are better off without it.

This logic is flawed- anything that will decompose in the tank will do it somewhere, and you'll remove it. Either through water changes in nitrate form, or through chemical filtration, hopefully before most of it becomes nitrate (every few days). Tanks are closed systems, so all input must come back out, but it doesn't matter how IMO.

[JustReef]

I'm not saying this will work for everyone, but I change mine every friday when I do a water change. If you were not good with routine then don't run it.

 

0 nitrates, run floss and two sponges. Catches all the junk in the tank. It catches everything, nice and gunked up at the end of the week. I can't say I would want that floating around in the water.

 

+1

I change mine every week. 0 nitrates. Tank has been running since Nov '06.

Based on the gunk that is in my floss. I have a hard time believing that it doesn't make my water any clearer.

 

This isn't any different than people with large tanks putting a filter sock in their sump. That's a failry accepted practice.

[SeeDemTails]

I agree, but the problem with particles getting stuck in a sponge or floss is that they cannot be eaten and taken care of by the micro fauna in the system. Amphipods play the largest role in the CUC, in my opinion. They cant eat the small stuff once it becomes trapped in an inaccessable spot. Its up to you, the keeper, to remove it instead of your CUC. You might forget, they never do.

 

Point being is that a tank will run 100% fine with no floss or sponge, have crystal clear water, and will be one less thing you have to do to your tank. After you have tanks for a few years you start trying to simply stuff and get rid of the riff raff.....floss and filters on reef tanks are nothing more than than.

[Oceanic 30g]

I put mine in a bag. (Easy to remove and clean)

[klarion]

I agree, but the problem with particles getting stuck in a sponge or floss is that they cannot be eaten and taken care of by the micro fauna in the system. Amphipods play the largest role in the CUC, in my opinion. They cant eat the small stuff once it becomes trapped in an inaccessable spot. Its up to you, the keeper, to remove it instead of your CUC. You might forget, they never do.

 

Point being is that a tank will run 100% fine with no floss or sponge, have crystal clear water, and will be one less thing you have to do to your tank. After you have tanks for a few years you start trying to simply stuff and get rid of the riff raff.....floss and filters on reef tanks are nothing more than than.

 

So, out of this follows that, if your tank is well set up and mature with various micro and macro fauna, you will do just fine without the floss (unless you run media in your filter that will become your new "floss" thus making the effort pointless), but if you're new and just setting up or have not gotten a very diverse fauna, then you're better off using the floss and being meticulous about cleaning and replacing.

 

If you do rinse, try not to use tap water and you're probably better off replacing the floss if it is cheap.

[Blackbird97]

Excellent conclusion! Thanks for the help peeps!

[shiveley]

there's nothing wrong with filter floss if you change it every week or so. i've been using it in my 12G aquapod for over a year without issue. it sure beats letting all that crap sink to the virtually unreachable depths of those rear chambers...

[masterbuilder]

I use floss and have for two years now. Change mine twice a week. I can only remember one or two times that I went longer than that and that was like 5 days. I don’t find it a pain to change. I can find the 2 minutes it takes to swap it out....grab it, dump it in the trash, grab more, stuff it in....gezzzz...that was difficult. IMO, I really like it....its full of dirty junk. I use a piece about 1 or 2 inches thick. I think it works like sorta like a poor mans skimmer, removing the big stuff before it becomes the little stuff that gets in places where it turns into bad stuff. My nitrates have always been undetectable. I dont rinse.

 

I will agree...if you don’t or can't change it OFTEN...then don’t use it.

 

Mark

 

p.s. now...sponges...that’s a no no.

[Smurf]

so just let the junk get collected in your filter chambers, causing nitrates to rise there?!

 

as long as you change it out weekly, you'll be fine. Plus it makes your water super clear

 

 

+1 I do it all the time in my fuge.

[ldballoon4]

no you dont rinse filter floss (polyester fill) its good to go right in.

I use it in my phosban reactor as a media suspenser/ filter.

Change it peridoically , and DO water changes or your No3 bomb will go off.

[SeeDemTails]

Sure it works, but not all of us are reef nazis.....sad to say but 60% of the reefers out there are super lazy and have zero knowledge. I work at a LFS and see it all day. I get used to recommending not using it because of how many people just arent responsible enough to keep up with it.

 

As long as you are committed, it will not cause any problems. Forget once and you will have problems though.