How many times can you reuse "rite-size" filter media?

[BassetsForBrown]

I have a Cascade canister, but I'd sooner sell myself on the street than buy their overpriced filter fiber material, so I cut my own from a roll of rite-size by Marineland. (the blue and white stuff). When I rinse it out, it's not brand new looking, but it still seems to be very much intact - I clean the filter about once every 1.5 months. I was wondering if its alright to rinse, and then reuse this media?

It's not an issue of cost, their rolls are very reasonably priced, its more that cutting new pieces to fit into the 6 filter trays is an annoyingly time consuming process.

Thank you!

 

[Modest_Man]

I think I've got some that's over 10 years old. I definitely have some Aquaclear 500 (before they changed it to the 110) sponge filters that are over 10 years old.

 

[BassetsForBrown]

I think I've got some that's over 10 years old. I definitely have some Aquaclear 500 (before they changed it to the 110) sponge filters that are over 10 years old.

The Cascade filter came with two pieces of the black "sponge" tough mechanical media, and I have used those same two since I bought it. I am talking about the "soft" mechanical media, the type that resembles thick coarse cotton or, some other fibrous material. My understanding is that the "sponge" type is intended to filter thicker particles, and the "soft" one I am referring to is meant for finer particles.

 

[BassetsForBrown]

Aside from a potential lack of effectiveness, could the old floss pieces eventually fester something that would be bad for the tank if they were unchanged for too long?

 

[neutrino]

As they age the carbon granules will gradually rinse out of them a bit at a time and eventually the fiber gets thinner, but you can use them quite a long time. Since your nitrifying beneficial bacteria colonize various surfaces where water flow provides oxygen, the frame, fiber, and even the carbon become bio-media in time and you get some mechanical filtration from the fiber. Only thing you lose is chemical filtration as the carbon loses effectiveness in that respect, so once that happens in a few weeks you essentially have a bio and mechanical media cartridge you can use as long as you want.

Don't know exactly how the Cascade filters are set up inside, but with power filters I pretty much dump the cartridges after a while and instead use poly pad or floss-- often with a mesh bag with some specialized bio media, but the specialized bio media isn't required, since like I said any media surface becomes bio after a while. Then I just maintain this setup by rinsing regularly as the media gets dirty (tank water or well water, as you probably know chlorinated water can kill the beneficial bacteria). Most cartridge based power filters have room in the box for more than just the cartridges they sell and you can use more of this space and end up with a more effective filter.

I'd say most serious hobbyists at some point eventually take the step from filter maintenance meaning buying and replacing cartridges to more permanent media that you just rinse out regularly.

 

[Bad-Daddio]

Same as Modest_Man said - I have some of that stuff in filters that is waaaaay old. I just rinse and re-use until it falls apart, which it really doesn't do. It seems to last forever.

Many many years ago I thought it was a good idea to buy 8 rolls of the stuff on ebay. I still have 7 unopened rolls.