Filter Floss & Prefilters

Is it easy to find pre-filters that are black? It will be for a fluval 404.
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I am not familiar with the fluval line at all, If it is a 1" intake tube, a penguin revers flow sponge kit is all you will need, otherwise I would buy bulk sponge and just put a homemade one over the intake. As far as cost, I avoid the premade set-ups with the exception of the penguin kits (which are dirt cheap) I keep at least twice as many sponges as I use, and like RTR When I do my weekly, I just swap out dirty for clean and then When I'm done I wash all my sponges in tap water and set them out to dry for next week. with the bio-filtration in other parts of the system, I don't need to worry about the bacteria in the sponge too much. I can go 4-6 weeks with the media in my Emp and AC before it needs cleaned (I clean it more often but it will go that long before the overflows show water). I really have no media cost except the bulk floss which I don't use at all times. Big Als is where I order my sponges and reverse flow kits. I should know pricing but usually destroy my reciepts so my wife doesn't know how much I spent. :laugh: :laugh:
 
I guess I'm a little confused. I am setting up my tank with an AquaCclear300 filter. If I were to use filter floss, where do I put it? Below the foam filter? Can it be placed in the water intake tube? I assume that it is to be used as a pre-filtration step to remove debris before it hits the foam filter(s).

I was planning on using two foam filters. If I do, should I also use filter floss to remove debris?

Thanks.
 
I put the floss on the top layer. That way the larger bits are first caught by the sponges and anything small that gets through those will be caught by the filter floss. Also if it starts clogging in a few days it is easy to remove being at the top.
 
Experiment some...

If you use the correct amount of filter floss it won't clog until it needs changing/cleaning. I can't imagine a HOB or canister filter without filter floss. The floss is the filter media, as well as the sponge. You should replace the floss, never just rinse it. Filter floss is not expensive.. HTH
 
I have not used any floss - other than the bonded pads under OE-RFUG - in years. My external canisters are all bio-only and prefiltered, such that the prefilters are rinsed weekly, and the bio-filter itself (Dupla Mimikaskade or Eheim Ehfimech) is only back-flushed every few months, opened only to clean the impeller. My mechanical filtration is also separate, mostly by internal canisters (Eheim and Fluval), rinsed weekly. Volume and capture size matters on mechanical - much more than the nature of the capture material. Floss is too messy for me. If my sponges did not do the job, I would either add more, or change the existing for finer pore sizes.
 
Originally posted by RTR
I... Floss is too messy for me. ....
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I remember when "glass" floss was on the market... Ouch!.. Not for me....

I 'can't' do the pre-filter thing as I believe it disrupts the original design of the filter -- whether HOB or canister.
 
The stuff from Walmart might wind around your impeller, be sure to look carefully and tear if off with sharp tweezers!
 
The 1 inch thick baby bumper batting (polyester) floss I use stays together well and doesn't really come apart.
 
Originally posted by 125gJoe
I remember when "glass" floss was on the market... Ouch!.. Not for me....

I 'can't' do the pre-filter thing as I believe it disrupts the original design of the filter -- whether HOB or canister.
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Some filter manufacturer (e.g., Eheim) sell prefilters for their canisters. I cannot see how a prefilter would interfere with the correct functioning of a filter, unless it were allowed to get dirty and clogged. I prefilter all of my canisters (except my Eheim 2229 wet/dry canister) and many of my HOBs. I've never noticed any problems... if anything the filters, media, impellers, etc. all seem cleaner than on non-prefiltered varieties. I'd be interested to know what sort of problems a prefilter might cause.

Jim
 
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