Fine particles in water?

[drpresto]

I removed my sponges to prevent the nitrates but now I'm getting real fine particles in the tank. Any way to filter these out without the nitrate trap?

[Mr. Fosi]

Buy some filter floss from Walmart or a fabric store and change it out every time you do a water change.

 

Filter floss = polyester pillow fill that has not been chemically treated.

 

You can get a large bag of it for ~$2 where I live. The amount that comes in the bag will easily last for a year or more.

[Gimpster]

Small particulate matter will be useful for your filter feeders. I have it in my tank and my filter feeders and micro brittle stars have ben multiplying like crazy.

[One Eyed Bunny]

I recently tried filter floss and it does work. There is still some fine sediment floating around, however, I've noticed a good 75% reduction in the amount floating around in the water after switching to filter floss.

[Mr. Fosi]

There is still some fine sediment floating around...

 

IME, it depends on how much of the material the water must pass through.

 

I place it where most/all of the water moving through my AC70 must pass through it, and I can get reasonably good extraction with about 1" thickness of compacted material. I can do much better if I make it thicker.

[drpresto]

Thanks guys you rock!

[oscar5453]

How does this filter floss work? Where does it go ? In your filter? like the sponges used to go?

 

Also I just bought a FLuval 405 hoefully its a good one.

[One Eyed Bunny]

From my understand it's simply a sponge that's disposable and as you make the sponge more dense it can collect finer particles unlike your stanard 1 - 2mm sponges. It just makes clean up easier as well as traps sediment significantly better than a sponge.

 

I'll try making the floss more dense, I just don't want to obstruct the water flow anymore than it already is, even though it is minimal.

[JF2381]

Filter floss works great. I use it for water polishing on my freshwater tanks.

It works like a micron sock, sponge. It's that is much much cheaper.

Like Mr. Fosi said go to walmart or once of them craft shop and buy a bag for like $2. i will last you a long time.

[non-photosynt]

The only thing that worked for my 20 gal tank, is Quick Filter attachment for AquaClear powerhead, but filtering pad should be changed frequently (in my case weekly). I tried Marineland floss in AC50 - it's too fine, water can't go through, bypasses it.