After a long winters nap, I am back. I didn't post much last season so you all
probably don't remember me, but here I am.
I am so excited for the new season!
I am in the process of building a filter out of a 70 gal stock tank. I found
many ideas and have combined them into my own design. I am trying to figure
out what to use for filter media. The nearest pond store, Lowes, Home Depot is
2 1/2 hours away, but I found some cooler pad that I think might work. It is
blue, called Dura-Cool. It says it does not decay and is non allergenic. If I
cut this into smaller pieces, will this work?
Thank you so much.

Shawn

I use the blue furnace filters myself. They are sort of spun fiber and see
through, like a scrub brush. I think they call them hogs hair, but they are
really some sort of fiber not really hogs hair. I get them at the plumbing
store called Naughton's but that is a local store here in Tucson AZ, I
think. "Cooler filters" ? as in swamp coolers used in the dry southwest?
Most of them have some sort of stuff on them to retard mold and I would
check really good to be sure they aren't going to kill your fish. Good Luck
what ever you decide to use. Kathy in AZ
GaneaRowenna wrote in message
...
After a long winters nap, I am back. I didn't post much last season so you
all
probably don't remember me, but here I am.
I am so excited for the new season!
I am in the process of building a filter out of a 70 gal stock tank. I
found
many ideas and have combined them into my own design. I am trying to
figure
out what to use for filter media. The nearest pond store, Lowes, Home
Depot is
2 1/2 hours away, but I found some cooler pad that I think might work. It
is
blue, called Dura-Cool. It says it does not decay and is non allergenic.
If I
cut this into smaller pieces, will this work?
Thank you so much.

Shawn





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"Cooler filters" ? as in swamp coolers used in the dry southwest?
Most of them have some sort of stuff on them to retard mold and I would
check really good to be sure they aren't going to kill your fish. Good Luck
what ever you decide to use. Kathy in AZ

Yes, swamp coolers. I am in Northern Nevada and I forget that not everyone
uses a swamp cooler. hehe
Thanks for the advice, Kathy. I decided to go ahead and try the Dura Cool. I
will keep you informed as to what happens to the fish.
Shawn

I use the blue furnace filters myself. They are sort of spun fiber and see
through, like a scrub brush. I think they call them hogs hair, but they are
really some sort of fiber not really hogs hair. I get them at the plumbing
store called Naughton's but that is a local store here in Tucson AZ, I
think. "Cooler filters" ? as in swamp coolers used in the dry southwest?
Most of them have some sort of stuff on them to retard mold and I would
check really good to be sure they aren't going to kill your fish. Good Luck
what ever you decide to use. Kathy in AZ
GaneaRowenna wrote in message
...
After a long winters nap, I am back. I didn't post much last season so you
all
probably don't remember me, but here I am.
I am so excited for the new season!
I am in the process of building a filter out of a 70 gal stock tank. I
found
many ideas and have combined them into my own design. I am trying to
figure
out what to use for filter media. The nearest pond store, Lowes, Home
Depot is
2 1/2 hours away, but I found some cooler pad that I think might work. It
is
blue, called Dura-Cool. It says it does not decay and is non allergenic.
If I
cut this into smaller pieces, will this work?
Thank you so much.

Shawn





-----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
-----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =-----

"Cooler filters" ? as in swamp coolers used in the dry southwest?
Most of them have some sort of stuff on them to retard mold and I would
check really good to be sure they aren't going to kill your fish. Good Luck
what ever you decide to use. Kathy in AZ

Yes, swamp coolers. I am in Northern Nevada and I forget that not everyone
uses a swamp cooler. hehe
Thanks for the advice, Kathy. I decided to go ahead and try the Dura Cool. I
will keep you informed as to what happens to the fish.
Shawn

"GaneaRowenna" wrote in message
...
After a long winters nap, I am back. I didn't post much last season so
you all
probably don't remember me, but here I am.
I am so excited for the new season!
I am in the process of building a filter out of a 70 gal stock tank. I
found
many ideas and have combined them into my own design. I am trying to
figure
out what to use for filter media. The nearest pond store, Lowes, Home
Depot is
2 1/2 hours away, but I found some cooler pad that I think might work. It
is
blue, called Dura-Cool. It says it does not decay and is non allergenic.
If I
cut this into smaller pieces, will this work?
Thank you so much.

Shawn

Newbie in Newsgroups but not testing posting.

UK based, years of experience in all sorts of aquatics and also a year in
industry testing chemicals.

Really, any inert material will do for filtration, either mechanical or
biological, the first to kill the flow speed and settle the solids, the
second to provide a huge surface area for all the bugs to munch away on the
waste. If you're worried about the cooler pad (whatever that is), shake it
up hard in some water and see if it forms a persistent surface foam. If it
does, I'd avoid it. Alternatively you could put some in a bucket with a
small fish for a week. Don't feed (to avoid pollution). What's it made of?
Did you know they used to sell glass wool as a filter medium? Can you
imagine the damage? Totally unsuitable! If the fish doesn't show any obvious
distress then it's probably OK BUT DON'T BANK ON IT.

I've used polypropylene garden shading as a filter medium for years without
any obvious problems.

Got algae? Fit a new filter in the system, with aquatic plants, but watch
the roots don't block the outflow, and they'll take out a lot of the
nitrogen. They use the same system at sewer works. Grow plants, not algae!

Regards to all ponders, Mike.

"GaneaRowenna" wrote in message
...
After a long winters nap, I am back. I didn't post much last season so
you all
probably don't remember me, but here I am.
I am so excited for the new season!
I am in the process of building a filter out of a 70 gal stock tank. I
found
many ideas and have combined them into my own design. I am trying to
figure
out what to use for filter media. The nearest pond store, Lowes, Home
Depot is
2 1/2 hours away, but I found some cooler pad that I think might work. It
is
blue, called Dura-Cool. It says it does not decay and is non allergenic.
If I
cut this into smaller pieces, will this work?
Thank you so much.

Shawn

Newbie in Newsgroups but not testing posting.

UK based, years of experience in all sorts of aquatics and also a year in
industry testing chemicals.

Really, any inert material will do for filtration, either mechanical or
biological, the first to kill the flow speed and settle the solids, the
second to provide a huge surface area for all the bugs to munch away on the
waste. If you're worried about the cooler pad (whatever that is), shake it
up hard in some water and see if it forms a persistent surface foam. If it
does, I'd avoid it. Alternatively you could put some in a bucket with a
small fish for a week. Don't feed (to avoid pollution). What's it made of?
Did you know they used to sell glass wool as a filter medium? Can you
imagine the damage? Totally unsuitable! If the fish doesn't show any obvious
distress then it's probably OK BUT DON'T BANK ON IT.

I've used polypropylene garden shading as a filter medium for years without
any obvious problems.

Got algae? Fit a new filter in the system, with aquatic plants, but watch
the roots don't block the outflow, and they'll take out a lot of the
nitrogen. They use the same system at sewer works. Grow plants, not algae!

Regards to all ponders, Mike.

"GaneaRowenna" wrote in message
...
Newbie in Newsgroups but not testing posting.

UK based, years of experience in all sorts of aquatics and also a year in
industry testing chemicals.

Really, any inert material will do for filtration, either mechanical or
biological, the first to kill the flow speed and settle the solids, the
second to provide a huge surface area for all the bugs to munch away on the
waste. If you're worried about the cooler pad (whatever that is), shake it
up hard in some water and see if it forms a persistent surface foam. If it
does, I'd avoid it. Alternatively you could put some in a bucket with a
small fish for a week. Don't feed (to avoid pollution). What's it made of?
Did you know they used to sell glass wool as a filter medium? Can you
imagine the damage? Totally unsuitable! If the fish doesn't show any obvious
distress then it's probably OK BUT DON'T BANK ON IT.

I've used polypropylene garden shading as a filter medium for years without
any obvious problems.

Got algae? Fit a new filter in the system, with aquatic plants, but watch
the roots don't block the outflow, and they'll take out a lot of the
nitrogen. They use the same system at sewer works. Grow plants, not algae!

Regards to all ponders, Mike.

"GaneaRowenna" wrote in message
...
Newbie in Newsgroups but not testing posting.

UK based, years of experience in all sorts of aquatics and also a year in
industry testing chemicals.

Really, any inert material will do for filtration, either mechanical or
biological, the first to kill the flow speed and settle the solids, the
second to provide a huge surface area for all the bugs to munch away on the
waste. If you're worried about the cooler pad (whatever that is), shake it
up hard in some water and see if it forms a persistent surface foam. If it
does, I'd avoid it. Alternatively you could put some in a bucket with a
small fish for a week. Don't feed (to avoid pollution). What's it made of?
Did you know they used to sell glass wool as a filter medium? Can you
imagine the damage? Totally unsuitable! If the fish doesn't show any obvious
distress then it's probably OK BUT DON'T BANK ON IT.

I've used polypropylene garden shading as a filter medium for years without
any obvious problems.

Got algae? Fit a new filter in the system, with aquatic plants, but watch
the roots don't block the outflow, and they'll take out a lot of the
nitrogen. They use the same system at sewer works. Grow plants, not algae!

Regards to all ponders, Mike.

I realize this is an older post, but wanted to share some info that may help because I was a little nervous about using this in my clown fish breeding rig's sump. The stuff I bought was sold at Home Depot in the States as “dura-cool.” I shook it up in some water and didn't see anything except initial dust. I tried googling for a material safety data sheet for the product and found one:

https://www.dialmfg.com/technical%20...ool%20MSDS.pdf

The containing page for that link was he

https://www.dialmfg.com/technical%20...msds/msds.html

These MSD sheets have been very helpful in the past when I needed to check a glue, plumbing epoxy, etc. It appears the makeup is 40% polyester and 60% acrylic. I believe this is identical to many algae scrubbing pads and should be reef safe. I'm going for it after a good rinse. The rig doesn't have livestock in it so we'll try some cheap hermits in the sump and see how they fare.