Daniel Morrow wrote:
Is laundered foam (or other) filter pads safe for freshwater aquarium
inhabitants? Any chance the laundry soap (detergent) leaves any residues
that are harmful for aquarium inhabitants (snails, fish, plants other
invertebrates, etc.) could still be on filter media that has been freshly
laundered? Is it safe to use laundered filter media? Thanks all - good luck
and later!

Detergent is poisonous to aquatic critters and there are usually
detergent residues in laundry. I doubt there's enough to be poisonous,
but I don't want to be the one to tell you to use it and kill your fish.

FWIW, I use tupperware containers that have been through the dishwasher
to acclimate fish and prime filters and have never had a problem. If I
were to try laundered media, I would rinse it thoroughly and put fresh
carbon in the filter to adsorb any residual detergent.

Why are you considering laundering filter media? A rinse in plain water
is usually sufficient. If you need to sterilize it and can't afford
new, consider 5% bleach. You can rinse well and use dechlor and/or let
it dry completely and it will be fish-safe.

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