Are you tired of having your fish tank water cloudy and dirty? If you are a cleanliness freak like me, you want to make your tank water crystal clear. For this, you will find mechanical filtration very handy. You might be looking for every other best option you could use. You must also be wondering why to use aquarium filter floss when there are plenty of options available for mechanical filtration.
Aquarium filter floss is easier to use the mechanic filtration process. It is a faster, effective, and efficient way to get your job done!
Therefore, in this article, we will discuss why you should use aquarium filter floss and how to fit it into your fish tank. I will also be presenting you with the best filter floss available in the market, in my opinion. So, it will be easier for you to decide.
I am really happy to help you with this topic. Before jumping into the article, I would like to give you a brief description of filter floss.
What Is Aquarium Filter Floss?
Filter Floss is a type of mechanical filtration that helps you to remove larger waste and debris from your fish tank. You can see the debris from your naked eye floating inside your aquarium.
The debris may include uneaten foods by the fish, waste matter remaining after a food has been digested, and algal debris in your fish tank.
You can use filter floss to trap and collect the debris from the floating water of your fish tank. After that, you can easily remove it from your fish tank.
Why does my tank get dirty so fast? How to clean and maintain tanks? Find out more here.
You have to change the filter floss regularly after use to prevent the debris from decomposing in the floss itself. You would not want your filter floss to make your aquarium dirty instead.
Dirty water and algae formation can cause diseases in fish. So a filter floss is the easiest and fastest way of achieving that perfect crystal clear water in your aquarium you have always wanted.
Next, let us learn about why we should use filter floss in an aquarium when we have so many options to choose from.
Some articles about maintaining your aquarium you may like:
- Maintain Aquarium Water Hardness properly from our Freshwater Aquarium Guide.
- How to Maintain Aquarium During Summer?
Why Should You Use Aquarium Filter Floss?
You can use mechanical filtration like aquarium filter floss for removing particulate material from the water. The particulates include leftover foods by the fish and feces, which can result in hazardous water quality.
Articles about maintaining the water quality that you may like:
- Cloudy Water in Aquarium: Causes and Prevention
- How to Lower pH Level In Saltwater Aquarium?
- How to perform water change in an aquarium?
- How to stop water evaporation from your aquarium?
Therefore, filter floss is mainly used for maintaining the water quality of your fish tank, which protects your fish from diseases. Here are other reasons you should use filter floss, and they are as follows:
Filter Floss Is Faster
You can use filter floss if you want your aquarium to be clean quickly. When you have cloudy and dirty water, it may hamper your fish and the visual treats that an aquarium is supposed to give you.
So you must look for the fastest way to get the aquarium clean. For this, filter floss will help you achieve your goal. You might not expect it to be clean right away, but it will take approximately 2-3 days to get that crystal clear water.
Filter Floss Is Effective
You will find filter floss effective from the first try as it removes the microscopic bubbles from the water, which makes the water look cloudy.
However, I suggest you change your filter floss daily or when you see it becoming dirty. The troubles of cloudy water are now solved with ease!
Filter Floss Is Efficient
Filter Floss is more efficient than other mechanical filtration. The sponge is also considered to be the most used filter for aquariums. Although the sponge is cheaper than the filter floss, it is less effective.
Moreover, you should change your filter floss regularly because the debris will decompose, which may dissolve in water. If the filter floss starts decomposing the debris that it collects, filter floss will not be effective.
No Need To Wash Other Filter Media
After using filter floss, you do not need to wash your tank filter media because it collects the waste and dirt present in your filter media.
As a result, all the waste and dirt of your fish tank is ready to be thrown out in the garbage without much effort. Therefore, you do not have to clean your filter media from time to time, as it will be cleaned by filter floss itself.
No Need To Wash Decorative Objects
You might have made your aquarium look dreamy by using several decorative objects like rocky substrate, floating plants like duckweed, small house, caves, or castle. It felt like interior design, didn’t it?
You can get a better idea of How to decorate an aquarium from our Beginner’s Guide.
Not only do these decorative items make your aquarium look better and unique, but it can also recreate the natural habitat for your fish and maintain the ecosystem of your fish tank.
After putting filter floss inside your fish tank, you do not need to wash your decorative objects from time to time.
Your filter floss collects the waste and saves your tank from being dirty all by itself. It saves a lot of your time and is a more effective way to make your fish comfortable inside the aquarium.
Some fishes may not be good with changes. So this will help you to solve that problem as well.
Create Your Dream Aquarium
Have you ever gone to someone’s house and so the best aquarium in your life? Well, it does look beautiful and dreamy.
For me, looking at a clean and decorated aquarium is almost like diving to view fish in their own habitat. Maybe, I am being dramatic, but you cannot deny it is true.
Filter floss helps you to achieve that level of cleanliness in your aquarium. No one wants to look at the cloudy and dirty aquarium, right? Just help yourselves out with filter floss.
You can get more ideas from our article on ‘How to set up a 20-gallon water tank?’ and ‘How To Set A 50-Gallon Fish Tank?‘.
Prevent Diseases In Your Fish
If you did not know this, algae formation and murky water could cause diseases in your fish. The debris that your aquarium water collects will eventually form bacterias and affect your fish from within.
Besides, the fish may eat the remaining food causing them to get fat. To avoid the grim situation of having to quarantine your fish or even the worst-case scenario of losing your fish, filter floss will assist you.
Did you know overfeeding can also cause diseases in your fish? Find out more on ‘Obesity in Aquarium Fish: Are You Overfeeding Your Fish?’
Things To Be Considered Before Using Filter Floss
Filter Floss is a quicker and effective way to get rid of debris. However, you can get in difficulty using filter floss if you are a beginner. Therefore, in this topic, we are going to discuss the things which you need to consider while using filter floss.
Potential To Raise Nitrate Level
A very controversial fact about filter floss is that it can raise the nitrate level of your aquarium. If you are an experienced aquarist or even just an enthusiast, you know that rise in nitrate level affects your fish haphazardly.
However, this is not the case in every filter floss. The waste and debris collected in the filter floss affect the nitrate level of your aquarium water. As a result, your fish may be hunted down by nitrate poisoning. Besides, it can cause the fish to be stressed as well as vulnerable to diseases.
Change Your Filter Floss
To stop your filter floss from raising the level of nitrate in your fish tank, all you have to do is change it out every 5 to 7 days. The risks rise as the number of days rises. So, remove the filter floss to clean the waste. Moreover, you can also decline the risks of decaying debris inside your fish tank.
Set Up Right Next To The Intake
Most beginners make a common mistake by not setting up the filter floss right next to the intake. What does setting up your filter floss right next to the intake of your tank do?
It makes the water go through your floss first, making your water clean before mixing in your tank water. This act is a relief for many people, as changing the water frequently becomes low.
Steps To Set Up Your Filter Floss
To set up the filter floss, for beginners, is quite a complicated job because there is not much information on the internet. Therefore, we have come with the steps to set up filter floss, and they are as follows:
Measure The Area
Firstly, you need to measure the area of your filter in which you are going to set up your floss. The length and breadth are the only topics of concern here. So, you do not need to worry about depth.
Cut The Floss
After measuring the area, you have an idea about the dimensions of the area where you will be playing. Now, cut your floss by using sharp scissors or box cutters to avoid chewing of floss. You need to make sure while cutting that the floss does not float in the water of your tank.
Furthermore, you have to be careful while cutting your filter floss. You can be cost-efficient if you cut your filter floss properly. You could always combine the pieces left, but it would not work as correctly as a single piece.
So, make sure that you measure your filter floss correctly and then cut it to save some extra dollars.
Place It In Your Aquarium
After you have cut down your floss into an appropriate size, you can place it into the spot where you had previously measured. You can also fold your floss if needed. Majorly if the floss is thin, you should undeniably fold it to collect the dirt and debris!
Therefore, by following these steps, you can set up your filter floss in your fish tank.
Recommendation For The Best Filter Floss
Now, you know about filter floss and how to set it up in your tank. But you are still confused about the brands that offer this product. You can find filter floss of many brands for your fish tank easily in the market.
I know all the filter floss looks the same when you have a first glance at them. Besides, the surface of all filter flosses looks the same, right?
Even I was confused at first regarding this very topic. Now that I have used many products, I found out a lot about the mistakes I was making and the real way to get the most out of filter floss.
Due to the lack of information on the internet about filter floss, it will be difficult to pick the best filter floss for your fish tank. So, I am going to recommend you the best filter floss that I trust.
You should undeniably try inTank Aquarium Filter Floss. It is the best filter floss I know because of the following reasons:
Does Not Fall Apart
Firstly, inTank Aquarium Filter Floss is a built high-quality double-bonded poly band that allows the maximum amount of water to flow through the filter floss and to hold up over time without falling apart.
Now, you can chill out because this filter floss is not falling apart. The filter flosses that I used before would fall apart. It was not a problem until I started seeing problems in my fish.
As a matter of fact, fish eat the filter floss particles, which is not at all a good decision.
Double-bonded Poly Band
Secondly, inTank Aquarium Filter Floss is thicker because of its double-bonded poly band. You can catch small and big detritus in your fish tank without much difficulty and enjoy your clean tank in no time.
Thicker Than Other Filter Floss
Thirdly, inTank Aquarium Filter Floss is thicker than other filter flosses that are available in the market. Hence, you do not have to worry about doubling or tripling up this filter because it is already thick. Your aquarium is getting a filter floss that is about 1 inch to 1.5 inches thick.
Easy To Use
Fourthly, this filter floss is easier to cut despite being thick. It makes the filter floss more easy to use and convenient.
Budget-friendly
Lastly, this filter floss is quite cheaper when you consider the benefits it comes with. You can buy this filter floss for around $15 to $26 in the market or any other online shop.
For a cheaper alternative, I would suggest the affordable product Blue Ribbon Pet Products ABLPLY7 Polyester Floss Bag Filter Media for Aquarium of 7-Ounce.
What Is The Cheapest Aquarium Filter Floss?
You will be surprised to know that filter floss can be made out of your pillows themselves. There are certain things to consider, such as 100 percent polyester base, undyed, and unscented version.
If you are interested in DIYs, you can go to the store and find out the cheapest pillow possible. One pillow is enough to last a year or two, depending on the size and aquarium you use it in.
Moreover, it is cheap if you look for this in the long run. It will even be home to beneficial bacteria making your tank look clean and your fish healthy. You can change it in three to five days. It avoids the decomposing of the debris as mentioned above, and it is cheap as well!
If you are breeding the fish in your tank, this is probably the best way to keep the fry safe! However, you will need a mesh bag to stop the filter floss from clogging your filter, which can be a headache to unclog manually.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Where Should I Buy An Aquarium Filter Floss?
If you are in a hurry, you can choose any products on Amazon. Be sure to check the reviews before you buy a filter. Since you want the best for you at a low price, you will find many options on Amazon to choose from.
Similarly, you can also check in Walmart. Make sure that the filter floss is 100 percent polyester and does not consist of any chemicals. If it is treated with chemicals, there is a separate risk of change in water parameters.
You will fail to understand the cause of your fish being unhealthy until you check the ingredients used in your filter floss, which is the least expected subject matter in this case.
When Should I Use Other Filters Than Filter Floss?
There are some cases when filter floss will not be effective. Although filter floss seems to be working in most cases, here are some situations when it might not work.
Living Bacteria
Sometimes foggy water in your fish tank can be caused by an actual living bacteria in your tank. Filter floss does not remove the bacteria that causes foggy water.
In such cases, to remove the foggy water from your tank, I suggest you put the water you use in your aquarium ultraviolet light to make the water clear!
Microalgae Spores
When your aquarium has overly abundant microalgae spores, your water in the aquarium will look greenish and dirty.
In such cases, you have to put your aquarium water in the sun or ultraviolet light to prevent the reproduction of such spores.
You can also learn about ‘How to grow Black Beard Algae (BBA) Guide?’
Conclusion
In conclusion, aquarium filter floss is very useful if you want to clean your fish tank. You can get filter floss easily in the market and even online. It is undeniably an efficient and fast way of cleaning your fish tank!
Thank you for reading this article till the end. I hope after reading this article, you have a good understanding of this topic. If you have queries regarding this article, you can write down in the comment section below.
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