What's everyone using for filter floss?

[Disturbed.)]

I built a 12X18" tray in my sump to pre-filter because I hate trying to clean filter socks. I've been using extra-loft quilt batting for the last few years. It's kind of a hassle to unfold the stuff to cut off the portion you need but the price more than made up for the extra couple minutes a month. I have a fairly thick layer of it just before the bio as a fine polisher that will last 3 or 4 months before it needs rinsed out and can be used for another 2 or 3 months before I have to pitch it.
I also use it as the very first prefilter to catch the big stuff, mostly duckweed. I put a couple layers down which is about 5/8 that I just replace every 2 weeks or so.
I've used bonded roll stuff in the past but this was so much cheaper that spending time bent over in the bathtub rinsing high priced pond floss didn't make cents. Well quilt batting has recently nearly doubled in price so I'm thinking of switching back but all the reviews I'm reading for all of the actual pond floss on Amazon suggest that none of them are sturdy enough to rinse out and reuse anymore.
If you have a brand that holds up for you let us know.

 

[jjohnwm]

I haven't used floss in a long time; I'm just too cheap to keep replacing it, plus I have a sort of OCD-ish aversion to the whole living-in-a-disposable-world thing. I use Poret foam almost exclusively for all mechanical filtration, including initial pre-filter stages. 20 pores per inch for prefilters, 30 or 40 for final stages. The stuff ain't cheap, but it is insanely durable and holds up well to even daily rinse/squeeze cleaning for at least several years; I have never simply worn out a piece, or had a fish or turtle damage one.

 

[Mudfrog]

I use the blue and white filter floss on top of a coarse black sponge. Both can be purchased from Amazon. Occasionally I'll run a polishing pad in my tray, but it usually clogs within a few days. My tray is around 9x12.

 

[esoxlucius]

I use cheap pillows! They'd be absolutely crap as actual pillows, uncomfortable as hell, but boy the polyester filling inside is brilliant for filtering.

 

[Disturbed.)]

I haven't used floss in a long time; I'm just too cheap to keep replacing it, plus I have a sort of OCD-ish aversion to the whole living-in-a-disposable-world thing. I use Poret foam almost exclusively for all mechanical filtration, including initial pre-filter stages. 20 pores per inch for prefilters, 30 or 40 for final stages. The stuff ain't cheap, but it is insanely durable and holds up well to even daily rinse/squeeze cleaning for at least several years; I have never simply worn out a piece, or had a fish or turtle damage one.

I run foam as bio. The problem I have using it as the prefilter is while lifting it out of the tray. Tons of debris slips past the edge. It might work for me if I ran several layers of really thin foam. How hard is it to blast things like rotting plant matter and living duckweed out of it and how thick are your prefilter pieces?

 

[Disturbed.)]

I use cheap pillows! They'd be absolutely crap as actual pillows, uncomfortable as hell, but boy the polyester filling inside is brilliant for filtering.

View attachment 1505718

Is it loose filling or in batts?

 

[Disturbed.)]

I use the blue and white filter floss on top of a coarse black sponge. Both can be purchased from Amazon. Occasionally I'll run a polishing pad in my tray, but it usually clogs within a few days. My tray is around 9x12.

The blue and white is what I used to run but most of them out there now are low quality stuff that leach dyes into the tank and fall apart if you try and rinse them. Do you have a brand that you'd recommend?

 

[fishguy1978]

I started running poret foam in my sumps. Each has a tray and I lift out the tray to minimize debris escaping.

 

[Mudfrog]

The blue and white is what I used to run but most of them out there now are low quality stuff that leach dyes into the tank and fall apart if you try and rinse them. Do you have a brand that you'd recommend?

I typically use them as throw away and not rewash them. The coarser black media I'll rewash. I haven't had any issue with the blue leaching, not that I've noticed at least. I buy this: Blue filter media and this black filter media

 

[FJB]

I only use sponges, and consider terrible to use disposable media, regardless of how cheap. It may be inexpensive to purchase but it causes incredibly expensive damage. Totally unnecessary.