Looking for pre filter ideas for my trickle filters which consist of two 5 gallon buckets with bio balls and drip plates over the bio balls.Im currently using poly-fil over my drip trays. I use a lot of it and I feel its not only mechanical filtration but bio filtration as well. When I change it out I feel it has a impact on my biological filtration. If I had something I could rinse and reuse with tank water that would be best.Anyone using any type of foam over a drip tray? Maybe similar to the rinsable foam that's in the aquaclear filter? Someting I can cut to size?
Pre filter options,need help please
- Thread starter Rogerdodger
- Start date
I wouldn't worry about it. I use polyfill, as do many many others. I use it in my "mechanical" side and like you i toss a big dirty wad of it away every water change day. It's cheap as chips, excellent at what it does and no doubt you will get some BB growing in there. But i have an excellent "bio" side also. This means that throwing away the polyfill doesn't matter one iota because my bio side is more than able to cope with a few BB losses from the tossed aside polyfill.
Take readings of your water parameters.
Change the poly fill.
Take water readings about 6 hours later then again about a day later.
What are the readings telling you? My bet is there are no fluctuations in nitrates, nitrites and ammonia? If so then no problem changing out your poly fill.
If you do see a spike in water parameters then you can bump up your bio filtration. Add a bag of ceramic rings under the bio balls in the 5 g bucket. This should give you plenty of bio filtration to buffer poly changes.
P.S. I prefer the blue filter pads that I buy in 20 foot rolls and rinse several times before having to replace. But poly fill also does a really good job.
Change the poly fill.
Take water readings about 6 hours later then again about a day later.
What are the readings telling you? My bet is there are no fluctuations in nitrates, nitrites and ammonia? If so then no problem changing out your poly fill.
If you do see a spike in water parameters then you can bump up your bio filtration. Add a bag of ceramic rings under the bio balls in the 5 g bucket. This should give you plenty of bio filtration to buffer poly changes.
P.S. I prefer the blue filter pads that I buy in 20 foot rolls and rinse several times before having to replace. But poly fill also does a really good job.
Side note/question...
The noisiest part of my wet/dry trickle filters is the water crashing into the drip tray, poly or or more expensive "high" quality pads seem to clog quickly or tear directly under water stream. This is the same in my 300g and 210g, both eshopps. After a few days they start to overflow the drip tray and make horrible water noise as they gurgle and dump. Is weekly poly changes common?
The noisiest part of my wet/dry trickle filters is the water crashing into the drip tray, poly or or more expensive "high" quality pads seem to clog quickly or tear directly under water stream. This is the same in my 300g and 210g, both eshopps. After a few days they start to overflow the drip tray and make horrible water noise as they gurgle and dump. Is weekly poly changes common?
