Alternatives to poly fiber

Murica · Feb 13, 2021

I’m making a diy detritus filter for my tank... going to take poly fiber, put it in a 5 gallon bucket that has holes, then pump water into the bucket. My question is, are there any alternatives or environmentally safe substitutes out there? I’m trying to do my part when it comes to keeping this planet clean, but roller mats aren’t large enough for my size tank and I’ll never use a filter sock again.

Billdogg · Feb 13, 2021

polyester pillow stuffing from WallyWorld has been my go-to for filter floss for at least 20 years. In fact, I still have about 1/2 of a very large bag of it somewhere in the basement fish room. Smaller scale, but I use it in a eheim canister filter on my mixing barrel to remove the crud that can be left behind from mixing salt.

I suppose you could rinse it, bleach it, and reuse it but I'd be a bit leery of the possible buildup of funk in it. Not really worth the effort IMO.

Sarlindescent · Feb 13, 2021

I wouldn't bother with anything else. The reason batting is used is that it is both inert and not biodegradable. If you put some organic/more eco-friendly substrate in there, there is no idea of if/when/what it is degrading into in a saltwater environment.

I guess you could make a stand in the bucket or use the lid to hold a filter sock in there since they are reusable, but an organic material is not a good idea. To note, 7" filters socks would be the ideal since they hold more and are easier to clean.