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Originally Posted by pluff
I'm wondering if I can use COTTON as a filter inside my Hagen 802 Quickfliter powerhead,instead of using the filters that are made for them?As they add up quick in price 
Pluff |
Yeah, those 802 Quickfilter replacements are expensive. I use AquaClear Mini foams in mine. You can buy them cheaper in a 3 pack rather than singly.
Or, if you really want to save, buy the AC 500 foams and cut them to size using a serated bread knife.
Foams will last for two or three months until they begin to harden and break down.
To export the most amount of crud from your reef, gently turkey baste your rock, sandbed and corals. This gets detritus up into the water column where your foams can catch it. Once the water has cleared, clean the foams in outgoing changewater, or in RO water if turkey basting between water changes. Clean the foams weekly, or more often if desired.
I'm a bit anal keeping my tank clean, so I baste and clean 2-3 times a week in our 42 gal hex. My nanos get basted and the foams cleaned at least twice a week too.
When cleaning the foams, use about a cup of water and squeeze the living heck out of them. Dump the dirty water, then repeat as many times as needed until you get clear water at the end of the cleaning.
FWIW, I just cleaned the foams in the 42 gal. Man, were they cruddy. Glad I exported all that crap out of my reef