Can a sponge or SOS nylon scrubbing pad be used as a bio filter media?

that is a little high in pH, but GF outta do fine
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES USE GREEN NYLON SCOURING PADS. dont use anything that isnt
specifically for aquariums. there are some "scrubbies" that have stuff in them kills
fish immediately.
if you go to walmart get polyester batting with NO TREATMENT, like no antibacterial
or anything. you can use that as media. also, fish stores have white filter style
material, even scrubbies for tanks... those are safe.
Ingrid

wrote:

I've got another question about my goldfish.
I've got the big one in a new 30 gallon tank.
The ammonia was quite high, so I added some "ammonia clear" tablets
to neutralize it. The API test kit still shows high ammonia, but the
instructions said that the kit would still test positive.
I never cycled the tank. I just dumped the fish in. Can you
tell I'm a completely idiotic newbie?
My tap water (from a well) has a very high ph (at least 8.8)
What should I do about it? It is terribly hard and has messed up
our pipes for years with lime deposits.
I have a 4" airstone running full-time.
My uncle dug out an old Whisper filter that sits on the outside of the
glass. I bought a new filter bag and carbon for it. But it no longer
has the bio filter media.
Can I take one of those green nylon scouring pads by SOS (3M)
and use that inside the whisper as the media for the bio-bugs? Or
how about a sponge? (new & unused for both)
I went to the local pet store today, and they sell filter bags
& carbon, but they don't sell bio-filter material.

I want to get the ammonia down and get the bacteria going as
quickly as possible. I just don't know what to use as the "home" for
the bacteria.

Thanks.

(I bought some :"cycle " by nutrafin to get the bacteria started.)

Also, is spring water OK to use for water changes?

Thanks for helping out this totally ignorant newbie.

dave in michigan





~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List at
http://weloveteaching.com/puregold/
sign up: http://groups.google.com/groups/dir?...s=Group+lookup
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I receive no compensation for running the Puregold list or Puregold website.
I do not run nor receive any money from the ads at the old Puregold site.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zone 5 next to Lake Michigan

I disagree
I have used the green scotch brite scourer things thousands of times
cut into squares they even make an interesting cannister filter media
when choosing a sponge to use in a filter
first make sure the stuff is 'open cell' not like a honeycomb or water won't
be able to flow thru
then make sure it doesn't have detergent or anti-bacterial on it
last make sure it isn't gonna rot away under the water!!

other things that work well are gutter guard, shade clothe, mosquito
netting, body scrubbers, army men (plastic), chopped straws, sanded leggo,
velcro strips.....
really as long as it has a nice surface area your set
that said I buy boxes of various foams from factorys in china
they are safe for fish tanks and cost me nothing
But in the past and in some of my filters still
theres the odd sponge that was designed to fit on a mop
or a tangle of packing tape

growing bacteria is not really that hard
and buying stuff from fish shops is always going to be far far more
expensive
perhaps it's best to go for 'normal' stuff when you start out
but as time goes on
and ya build your first bubble bead or fbf
ya start to experiment

I'd find a website that sells chunks of foam you can cut to size
in the end thats the best way
but when ya have to fill a huge sump
anything goes






wrote in message
...
that is a little high in pH, but GF outta do fine
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES USE GREEN NYLON SCOURING PADS. dont use anything
that isnt
specifically for aquariums. there are some "scrubbies" that have stuff in
them kills
fish immediately.
if you go to walmart get polyester batting with NO TREATMENT, like no
antibacterial
or anything. you can use that as media. also, fish stores have white
filter style
material, even scrubbies for tanks... those are safe.
Ingrid

wrote:

I've got another question about my goldfish.
I've got the big one in a new 30 gallon tank.
The ammonia was quite high, so I added some "ammonia clear" tablets
to neutralize it. The API test kit still shows high ammonia, but the
instructions said that the kit would still test positive.
I never cycled the tank. I just dumped the fish in. Can you
tell I'm a completely idiotic newbie?
My tap water (from a well) has a very high ph (at least 8.8)
What should I do about it? It is terribly hard and has messed up
our pipes for years with lime deposits.
I have a 4" airstone running full-time.
My uncle dug out an old Whisper filter that sits on the outside of the
glass. I bought a new filter bag and carbon for it. But it no longer
has the bio filter media.
Can I take one of those green nylon scouring pads by SOS (3M)
and use that inside the whisper as the media for the bio-bugs? Or
how about a sponge? (new & unused for both)
I went to the local pet store today, and they sell filter bags
& carbon, but they don't sell bio-filter material.

I want to get the ammonia down and get the bacteria going as
quickly as possible. I just don't know what to use as the "home" for
the bacteria.

Thanks.

(I bought some :"cycle " by nutrafin to get the bacteria started.)

Also, is spring water OK to use for water changes?

Thanks for helping out this totally ignorant newbie.

dave in michigan





~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List at
http://weloveteaching.com/puregold/
sign up:
http://groups.google.com/groups/dir?...s=Group+lookup
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I receive no compensation for running the Puregold list or Puregold
website.
I do not run nor receive any money from the ads at the old Puregold site.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zone 5 next to Lake Michigan