What do you do with your dirty filter floss?

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Filsby

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 29, 2014
35
0
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Canada
So I use polyester quilt batting as filter floss/mechanical filtration in my sump. I change it every 1-2 days.

I'm just wondering if there's any way to re-use or possibly recycle the dirty filter floss? I almost feel bad just throwing it away every other day.
 
Filsby said:
So I use polyester quilt batting as filter floss/mechanical filtration in my sump. I change it every 1-2 days.

I'm just wondering if there's any way to re-use or possibly recycle the dirty filter floss? I almost feel bad just throwing it away every other day.
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They sell cotton and wool fill (which means its biodegradable) if that's the concern. Also, why so often do you toss it?
 
Ill look into getting some cotton or wool next time :) Thank you!

My fish is messy and the filter floss does an excellent job at trapping debris. I have a big flowerhorn who eats like a pig, and I feed him my own homemade diy frozen food, which is messy in itself.

I change it so often because if I don't I definitely notice a flow decrease through my sump. As well it helps to keep the water quality high as the waste doesn't have much of a chance to sit in the water column and breakdown.
 
If only it was biodegradable, it would be such great fertilizer. Though actually, if it was laid on top of a potted plant's soil it might release some aquarium sludge during every watering, providing a steady source of nutrients. I always just throw it away too.

Cotton and wool might be great alternatives, but keep in mind that they both react with water, and polyester doesn't (I think). Cotton will degrade in water (probably not in 2 days, granted) and I think wool gives off heat when exposed to water (http://www.geoffanderson.com/kat16-Fabrics/side318-Merino-wool.html). It would be nice to be able to put used filter floss on the compost heap though, so it's worth a try.
 
I used to use pillow stuffing as my filter floss it was such a pain to change it now I just use two sponges, one in my overflow is very course just catches big junk that will clog my bio balls in the wet dry then a second it's finer it catches most the smaller stuff I clean them every two weeks or so I've had same sponges for over two years just ring em out under warm water till it's clear got both for 10 bucks at a craft store


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I use white poly felt instead of floss. bleach it for a day, rinse, and reuse. I haven't replaced a section in years.
 
I throw mine in the garbage because 'merica, that's why. No seriously by the time I get to change my floss it's a brown matted mess.

My bonded poly pads I rinse and reuse until they fall apart

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