Using polyfiber as filter media

excuzzzeme said:
There have been many discussion about the use of polyester fiber (a.k.a. Fiber floss, poly floss, Fiberfill, etc.) as a media for filtration and it's efficacy. Those like myself praise the value of it. Since some people cannot envision the use of it, I have included pictures of how I use it.

This is on an Emperor 400 and I do the same thing on all power filters regardless of manufacturer.


First thing I do is to take a worn out cartridge and strip the media and dump the carbon.
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I then insert it back into the filter and moderately pack floss between it and the back of the filter. (Bio-wheel has been removed for better viewing).

View attachment 96551View attachment 96552


This is how well it works at trapping dirt and waste. Keeping in mind that this is a wad of fiber, it actually has more particle trapping surface area than a manufacturer cartridge. I change the floss about 1-2x a month or as needed. Some of my smaller tanks get changed less often due to the light stocking.
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Great advice. I have plenty of floss and just discovered today where to get it real cheap, same place I got the poly batting. Thank you.
 
Yup I switched to the WalyMart quilt batten. If for anything else that I don't have to keep buying the tiny bags at the LFS. I recommend after cutting it to size before filter installation grab a corner and peel it down the middle making two pieces which works just as good, actually better becasu 1/4 inch is thinner last longer and wont clog as easy. Plus you make twice as much LOL. Just remember to place the woven side against the filter and media and the tormn side away from media.
 
CWO4GUNNER said:
Yup I switched to the WalyMart quilt batten. If for anything else that I don't have to keep buying the tiny bags at the LFS. I recommend after cutting it to size before filter installation grab a corner and peel it down the middle making two pieces which works just as good, actually better becasu 1/4 inch is thinner last longer and wont clog as easy. Plus you make twice as much LOL. Just remember to place the woven side against the filter and media and the tormn side away from media.
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Just remember to place the woven side against the filter and media and the tormn side away from media./QUOTE]
What do you mean against the filter and the media and away from the media? I don't get it. Can you explain some more, please.



I was thinking of wrapping the batten around the cartridge frame about 1 1/2 or 2 times and use rubber bands. If this sounds OK which side should be on the outside and which on the inside?
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What I mean is if you have ever used loose Polyester wool and it comes in contact with other media such as sponge or blue bond pads when you go to remove it during a cleaning the polyester wool sticks like lint to all the other reusable media. Well the same thing happens when you use polyester batten if the batten has been split down the middle into two pieces. The torn side will stick and pull apart during the next cleaning it it is placed up against other media becasue its ruff and no longer woven smooth, so place the remaining woven un-torn side against other media and the torn side out to the open water or up against the plastic container.

Just like you wear crushed velvet, the fuzzy side out and the smooth side up against your body, otherwise they will nickname you itchy and scratchy.
 
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CWO4GUNNER said:
What I mean is if you have ever used loose Polyester wool and it comes in contact with other media such as sponge or blue bond pads when you go to remove it during a cleaning the polyester wool sticks like lint to all the other reusable media. Well the same thing happens when you use polyester batten if the batten has been split down the middle into two pieces. The torn side will stick and pull apart during the next cleaning it it is placed up against other media becasue its ruff and no longer woven smooth, so place the remaining woven un-torn side against other media.
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Got it. This is the first time I'll be using batten. Thanks again for your help.
 
i use the stuff in my 29g show.... works great.... i tend to pack it a little tighter than i should sometimes and itsloes down water flow but thats not a big problem.... especially when the bio wheels still turns.... :-)

i have more recently started using these new "corner filters" in my bare bottom tanks instead of sponge filters. they use filter floss as there median. they work pretty well and run off of air. i like the sponges more but at 3 bucks a from were i get em.... (online via aquabid seller).... normally more if you get the hydro ones everyone likes at like 8 bucks a pop.

i got a whole bin of these corner filter, like 20ish of the big ones and some smaller ones, to from a fellow entusiast (spell check lol) for like 10 bucks...

thats less than 50 cents a piece

:-)
 
This thread has answered the question I've been needing to ask for a long time.

Polyester non-fire retardant quilt batting is exactly what I'm looking for.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread :)
 
I also use the polyfiber in all my filters and also use it to make little booties to fit the bottom of the intake in my fry tank...haven't lost a fry yet.......just cut a rectangle the size of the intake and sew the bottom and up one side, turn it right side out, and slip it over the intake....secure with a common rubber band and viola' no fry can get sucked up..... make up several at a time to have them handy when changing or carefully wash out in the tank water in your siphoning bucket....
 
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