Rinsing filter floss in tap water

majorwoo · 01-09-2013, 03:34 AM

So if I take my Eheim canister filter apart and rinse the filter floss (JUST the filter floss, not the bio media) am I being paranoid to add a ml or two of water conditioner to my tank because the floss holds a little bit of water which would have some chlorine?

P.S. <-- bored engineer, over thinking things.

**Jeffww** · 01-09-2013, 03:42 AM

Won't make a diff but I personally wash filter floss in tank water since the sponges/floss also hold a lot of bacteria.

Darkblade48 · 01-09-2013, 05:41 AM

I squeeze out my floss in tap water and don't add water conditioner all the time. No harm.

If you want to add water conditioner, it won't hurt either.

Razorworm · 01-09-2013, 11:15 AM

I fill a 5 gal bucket with either tank water or water with Prime. I use this water to wash/rince ALL filter media including pads etc. Whether or not chlorinated water will impact my bacteria population is a science experiment I would prefer to pass on. Since consistancy in any aquarium is a key to success, I adopt any and all practices geared towards maintaining that consistancy.

NWA-Planted · 01-09-2013, 11:59 AM

I just throw away my filter floss and add new o.o

Sent from a dark corner in my happy place

parker679 · 01-09-2013, 12:14 PM

Are you being paranoid? Maybe. Are you doing anything wrong? Absolutely not.

It probably adds a negligible amount of time to your process and gives you peace of mind.

Personally, when I do a full filter cleaning I rinse it all in tank water. But sometimes I want to rinse the pads alone and if I'm not doing a water change I just do under the tap. I've never had a problem.

roadmaster · 01-09-2013, 12:23 PM

I clean the blue pad's in my Eheim's under the tap with no problem's.
Never touch the bio-media (substrat pro), except to back flush with the water from the canister after I fetch all the baby shrimp's from it.
Much larger surface area for bacteria to colonize on substrate,wood,rock, and plant leaves in my view,so I do not worry bout losing some from cleaning the pad's under the tap.

majorwoo · 01-09-2013, 03:38 PM

Thanks all. I appreciate the replies, makes me worry a bit less.

I usually rinse it in tank water when I do a full blown cleaning, this is just when I decide to take 15 minutes and rinse the filter floss to filter out the dust from the flourite sand, which is pretty well settled down now so I shouldn't have to do this much more.

01-09-2013, 03:34 AM	#1
majorwoo Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Georgia, USA Posts: 82	Rinsing filter floss in tap water - enough chlorine to cause a problem? So if I take my Eheim canister filter apart and rinse the filter floss (JUST the filter floss, not the bio media) am I being paranoid to add a ml or two of water conditioner to my tank because the floss holds a little bit of water which would have some chlorine? P.S. <-- bored engineer, over thinking things.

01-09-2013, 05:41 AM	#3
Darkblade48 Moderator (View User Tanks) PTrader: (3/100%) Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Toronto Posts: 7,058	I squeeze out my floss in tap water and don't add water conditioner all the time. No harm. If you want to add water conditioner, it won't hurt either. __________________ Anthony A Primer to Pressurized CO2 and A Primer to Planted Tanks Eheim Pimp #362 - Eheim 2213 x2, Eheim 2028, Ehein 2217, Eheim surface skimmer and Eheim autofeeder. Victor Pimp #33 - HPT272-125-350-4M

01-09-2013, 11:59 AM	#5
NWA-Planted Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (9/100%) Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Bentonville, AR Posts: 3,086	I just throw away my filter floss and add new o.o Sent from a dark corner in my happy place __________________ Sump Pimp #8 RAOK Clubber #28

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01-09-2013, 03:42 AM	#2
Jeffww Microsynodontis Lover (View User Tanks) PTrader: (9/100%) Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Houston Posts: 2,081	Won't make a diff but I personally wash filter floss in tank water since the sponges/floss also hold a lot of bacteria.

01-09-2013, 11:15 AM	#4
Razorworm Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Hawthorn Woods IL Posts: 551	I fill a 5 gal bucket with either tank water or water with Prime. I use this water to wash/rince ALL filter media including pads etc. Whether or not chlorinated water will impact my bacteria population is a science experiment I would prefer to pass on. Since consistancy in any aquarium is a key to success, I adopt any and all practices geared towards maintaining that consistancy.

01-09-2013, 12:14 PM	#6
parker679 Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (1/100%) Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Florida Posts: 22	Are you being paranoid? Maybe. Are you doing anything wrong? Absolutely not. It probably adds a negligible amount of time to your process and gives you peace of mind. Personally, when I do a full filter cleaning I rinse it all in tank water. But sometimes I want to rinse the pads alone and if I'm not doing a water change I just do under the tap. I've never had a problem.

01-09-2013, 12:23 PM	#7
roadmaster Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Missouri united states Posts: 696	I clean the blue pad's in my Eheim's under the tap with no problem's. Never touch the bio-media (substrat pro), except to back flush with the water from the canister after I fetch all the baby shrimp's from it. Much larger surface area for bacteria to colonize on substrate,wood,rock, and plant leaves in my view,so I do not worry bout losing some from cleaning the pad's under the tap.

01-09-2013, 03:38 PM	#8
majorwoo Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Georgia, USA Posts: 82	Thanks all. I appreciate the replies, makes me worry a bit less. I usually rinse it in tank water when I do a full blown cleaning, this is just when I decide to take 15 minutes and rinse the filter floss to filter out the dust from the flourite sand, which is pretty well settled down now so I shouldn't have to do this much more.