DIY filter pads?

First and foremost hello!
I am almost there to set up my first turtle tank(I know it's a fish forum, bear with me.)
I have the Fluval U3 Underwater Filter. The reason I bought it was because it was pretty much the only good fully submersible filter. It has 2 carbon slots in the filter. It's brand new and I haven't used it before. I'm just thinking toward the future, how can I make DIY carbon replacement pads? Do I just use filter floss and put in carbon?
There are small hooks that keep the carbon pads in place, is there any way so that the carbon replacement won't slosh around?

Beyond that, I have a few other questions.
There are coarse sponges at the end of each side of the filter. I know I have to rinse them in tank water every week, right? When do I replace them? And what product do I use to replace the beneficial bacteria? I replace the carbon every month?

Thank you for answering!

Best regards, Narnia

 

Greetings, you actually do not need carbon (from the standpoint of a fishkeeper), it just covers up everything with itself and makes medicine useless. You should not replace the filter pads as you will have to cycle each time you do. I would recommend putting Poly-FIl in the filter, just make sure there are no additives or chemicals. I do and it filters out fine particles so well!

Best wishes, NBettas83

 

Greetings, you actually do not need carbon (from the standpoint of a fishkeeper), it just covers up everything with itself and makes medicine useless. You should not replace the filter pads as you will have to cycle each time you do. I would recommend putting Poly-FIl in the filter, just make sure there are no additives or chemicals. I do and it filters out fine particles so well!

Best wishes, NBettas83

So do I take out the carbon? I heard that it made water pristine. Poly fll in what? Instead of the carbon?

 

So do I take out the carbon? I heard that it made water pristine. Poly fll in what? Instead of the carbon?

You can just let the carbon run it's course. I'm sorry, I should have made this more clear, Poly-Fil is a polyester filling (like in stuffed animals), and as long as it has not chemicals, you can use it as filter media. Pet stores tell you to change the carbon so you buy more and they receive more profit.

I just realized that I wrote, "has not chemicals."

 

You can just let the carbon run it's course. I'm sorry, I should have made this more clear, Poly-Fil is a polyester filling (like in stuffed animals), and as long as it has not chemicals, you can use it as filter media. Pet stores tell you to change the carbon so you buy more and they receive more profit.

Where do I put the poly-fill though. Sorry, I completely understand just not know where in the filter to put it

 

Oh, I just put it where the other media like the filter pad goes. I put it behind the existing filter pad so it stays there.

 

Oh, I just put it where the other media like the filter pad goes. I put it behind the existing filter pad so it stays there.

Thank you so much! I'm excited for this new tank!

 

Good luck!