FishProfiles.com Message Forums

Is that OK?
If it doesn't alter the water flow in the filters?

Are there any chemicals in some types of foam rubber that would hurt fish?

Most are treated with mould and/or fire retardants, not ideal.

Ask the supplier. At our chain foam rubber shops over here there is one type that is untreated (used to betwo, but they stopped stocking the good one ).

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

That's going to be very hard to checkout and do, over here in my area. We don't have any specialty foam rubber stores.

I think what I might try is to get a regular kitchen sponge from a grocery store....and slice it very thin, maybe with a razor...like 3mm.
That might be tough do do, but if I could accomplish it, they would be Very easy to squeeze and was/rince out the minute particles.

thanks

Seal, what is this for, a replacement sponge for a filter.... If you go to LFS the sell sheets of the black bio foam that come with most new filters now... for cheaper than kitchen spounges..... As far a upholstery foam Calls right the are treated with chems.... but on top of that they are toxic to begind with... my wife dog, before I met her from what I hear ate evreythign including the couch.... which was his down fall. The foam was toxic and killed the dog... I know this because we just got a new dog

Djrichie
"So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish" Douglas Adams

Whoh!
Then it Definitately would kill my tetra, Rams, etc.

This post is a continuation of my earlier one about charcoal in filters...and "polishing" my water from the slight haze that is constantly in my water, since quiting using charcoal in my filters. I still have 4 Bio-Wheels running, doing the "bio-thing"...but without the charcoal inserts in my filters (2)and with my new "Daylight" flourescent light to grow a few live plants...my "wooly loosly woven mechanical inserts are NOT catching the fine particles in the water. And they are being recycled endlessly.

I'll look into the Bio-Foam that you mentioned.
(I think I'll do a Google search for it right now to find out about it)

Thank You

they sell sheet of heavy white floss and the course black bio filters.... in LFS.... Not sure if I seen it a petco,or the chain store but any mom and pop lfs should carry it... Also with out the char. you DW will leach into the water some time giveing a brown tea look. it safe.. just watch you pH and do a weekly 30% WC

Djrichie
"So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish" Douglas Adams

You don't want a kitchen sponge, lots of those have antifungals or antibacterials. Safest bet is to find something at the LFS.

What filtration do you have? How many gallons per hour are you getting? By the sound of it, I doubt the water clarity is because you don't have enough filtration.

In the other post you note you have greenish water. This probably means algae. Algae cannot be removed by charcoal nor by filter floss. In the past, I have found an air bubbler has helped make water clearer.

--------------------------------------------
The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

Some brands of kitchen sponges in Aus actually come with a warning on their packets that they are not safe to use for cleaning aquariums, so I wouldn't let them anywhere near your tank. I think you're in the US, but situation is probably similar. Best to stick the the floss & sponges that they sell in LFS.

Cheers
TW

OK, no kitchen sponges....Thanks for the warning.
Shinigami, I don't know if it's algea, and I guess not any real color(maybe grey?)....but just a haze when looking end to end thru the side of the tank. Not REALLY clear, since not replacing any charcoal now.


I have 2 tanks, both 55g each.
Both are lightly planted with live plants (LOTs of rocks and very realistic plactic plants....lots of cover in both)

In each, I run 2 Marineland Emperor 400 Dual Bio-Wheel filters. So, water turnover is 800 gallons per hour...or every 7 minutes, or so...with 4 bio-wheels going in each tank.

In those filters, there are a number of filtering options for the chemical and mechanical filtering. Each filter comes with 4 slots to insert a filter. The main filter type is both mechanical and chemical, since it has a wooly loosly woven pad on the outside that "mechanically" catches particles...and a thin plastic chamber with charcoal in it. They also come with a larger reusable chamber that can be filled with just charcoal, if you want to use it in one of the 4 slots.

My house has an elaborate water filtering system that covers all the house water...and of course, what goes into my tanks at water change time.

The Bio-Wheels (once "seasoned"do their biofiltering job for years and are not said to need cleaning or replacing.
But the wooly/carbon filters do about every 4 to 6 months, with rinsing and washing visible collected debri and particles at every water change.

Now, since I do not really need charcoal chemical filtering...and the very porous wooly mechanical pad only works on larger particles, and charcoal no longer filters anything, my water is looking slightly cloudy from minute particles now....and I'm looking for a rinsable, fiber, foam substance that I can clean and not need to buy the stock cartridges with charcoal in them continuously.

The Bio-Floam I found online appears to be made for a certain brand (Whisper)filter, and are pretty porous looking and stiff, enclosed in a plastic cartridge that need replacing. I need the "stuff inside", and have it be less "holey" than it looks. I'd hoped it would be flexible also, so I could squeeze, rince out like a thin sponge daily, if I needed/wanted.

I there Anything like that?

Hi,
Here is one option that can be purchased in bulk or by
the pad. One pad can be cut to fit the filter chamber
and leave enough left over for another time or two.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4136+4231&pcatid=4231

As far as sponge is concerned, you would want to research
and find a link for this type of sponge used on inside
filters:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3579+3953&pcatid=3953

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

FRANK...You are Everywhere to help, aren't you friend?

That 2nd one was more like the "sponge" material I was hoping to find. That shape wouldn't work, they'd need to be in a "flat" sheet. I'll keep looking.

The 1st link pad filter looks interesting, great!


Wow!!!....Hey, I just found the foam sheets I've been looking for. I can cut it to fit my filter bays (and if I could slice the 1/2 inch version in half to 1/4 inch...it would be Perfect!!!:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=5239

Thanks, FRANK

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

I somehow doubt its your filtration, I have satisfyingly clear aquarium with only one Emperor 400 on a 55 gallon, although you might have higher standards than I.

If the tank has not been set up for very long, you may still have remnants of a bacteria bloom in the water, which form a whitish-cloudy appearance. If your tank is older, however, this would be very unlikely.

--------------------------------------------
The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.