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So i have a Penguin 350 bio wheel filter and am getting tired of paying for replacement filters and would like to know if anyone has made reusable media to replace them and what they used. i have access to some Hepa pre filter material it comes in sheets about half inch thick and approx 3 feet by 2 feet. i was also thinking of buying some sponges that would fit the slots for the filters.

Ideas ?

"All water has a perfect memory and is forever trying to get back to where it was."
Toni Morrison.
CHECK MY PROFILE FOR PICTURES.

you can either use the cheap filter media you mentioned by cutting out squares and using elastic bands to hold it on.

another option is to cut 4-5 bars off each row in the back of your penguin filters, dump the carbon out in a bag or trash. now after they are dirty take them outside and put them on a elevated piece of screen or on top of some spaced out wood like 1x2's. how using a hose with a gun tip simple rinse out the gunk. be carefull it will take some trial and error. wanna use high pressure but not to focused you want it a little spread out enough that it doesnt blow through the floss.

i actually use a low pressure washer to do about 30 of these pads. ive aquired so many now that i can go an entire winter without cleaning them. then spring hits and i clean them all. after i pull them out of the filter dirty i just toss in a ziplock and keep wet till its time for cleaning.

might take a couple passes and a pass from the back side. you will need to get closer to the back side to get past the grating. just dont be to close when you hit the part where you cut off some of the bars to let the carbon out. you will blow right through the floss.

With a hose and tip one pad lasted an average of a yr. with the pressure washer ive been able to fine tune the tip to do it perfectly so my pads have been lasting about 3 yrs. ya 3 which is a HUGE savings when you have enough filters to tie up 8 pads at any given time. replacing every month would cost me a fortune !

one last thing if your not into cleaning poo from floss with a hose. they sell a filter backing with a locking front for the penguins/emporers. simple lock in some of that rolled filter floss and trim to fit. when dirty toss and repeat reusing the plastic cartridge part.

I just rinse out my filter catridges regularly instead of replacing them. Mostly what you're going for with filtration is the mechanical filtration given by the filter floss, so it's okay to just rinse that out every now and then to remove all that sludge.

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

yeah i have been cleaning the filters themselves but find that the material wares out fairly quickly.

"All water has a perfect memory and is forever trying to get back to where it was."
Toni Morrison.
CHECK MY PROFILE FOR PICTURES.

I have an eclipse 3 hood. I too got tired of paying $3.00 per cartidge. What I did is purchase the Marineland Carbon and some bulk floss - Marineland sells it in sheets as well. I then cut the floss off of the last cartridge that I bought. Now I just pour some carbon in the plastic case (bottom of the cartridge) and place a piece of floss cut out to the size of the plastic and put it all in place. Works like a charm. I think you would need a way to keep the floss attached to the plastic - the rubber band idea sounded like it might work well.

Very cheap alternative to the OEM product.

Good luck.