Polishing Pads

[Poseidon]

HI all.

I just have a question about polishing pads in filters. are they only suppose to be used for short periods of time (like to clear cloudy water) or are they left in all the time.
and for those who use them are they a real benefit or do they not make that much of a difference

Stephen

 

[chrisb01]

I don't know what you mean by Polishing Pads.

Do you mean like replacing the filter cartridge with Scotch Brite pads, or something like that?

 

[JRDroid]

Polishing pads filter out very small particles and "Polish" the water, making it super clear. If it is in your primary filter, I would only run them for a short time or with additional filter media. If it is in a second filter, I think it would be fine to use it all the time.

 

[Aquarist]

Good morning,

Polishing pads or Micron Filter pads may clog faster since they do trap smaller particles. I use a Micron Filter Pad (50) in my wet/dry and I have to rinse it every 5 days. I soak it in bleach/water solution over night, rinse it, soak it in water with Amquel + added to remove the bleach, let it air dry before using it again. In the link below are the micron pads I use, I can cut them to fit and I use one around the clock:



The 50 Micron will filter smaller particles than the 100 Micron.

They do a wonderful job polishing and clearing the water but they will not filter a bacterial bloom.

Ken

 

[Dahammer]

Good morning,

Polishing pads or Micron Filter pads may clog faster since they do trap smaller particles. I use a Micron Filter Pad (50) in my wet/dry and I have to rinse it every 5 days. I soak it in bleach/water solution over night, rinse it, soak it in water with Amquel + added to remove the bleach, let it air dry before using it again. In the link below are the micron pads I use, I can cut them to fit and I use one around the clock:



The 50 Micron will filter smaller particles than the 100 Micron.

They do a wonderful job polishing and clearing the water but they will not filter a bacterial bloom.

Ken

I'm curious as to why you soak/rinse them in a bleach/water solution?

 

[allibobs]

I'm guessing to thoroughly clean them and get all the gunk our as there so fine they will gunk up real easily?

 

[Regal]

I'm curious as to why you soak/rinse them in a bleach/water solution?

That's what the instructions say to do for the micron cartridges that come with Marineland's Magnum filters. The micron filter on these really does polish the water. I don't use mine all the time and I do move it from tank to tank.

There are other filter materials that are referred to as polishing pads. By "pad" I'm assuming it would be something that would be cut to fit your filter. I've seen a product like this in the Foster Smith catalog.

My Marineland C Series canister filters also have a polishing pad but they are meant to be disposable.

Hope that helps

EDIT: Ken, isn't the micron cartridge on the magnum one micron? I thought that was how it makes the water super clear, because it filters out stuff so small we can hardly see it.

REedit the EDIT: I can't find the micron size anywhere online but that's the way I remember it. Another plus for the micron cartridge: It clears green water fast! I put my HOT magnum on my brother's completely green 55 gallon and could see the fish after about 15 minutes and it was clear in a couple hours.