Save Money On Filter Pads

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How To Save Money On Filter Pads

Ever since I managed a local pet store, and ran my own aquarium design and maintenance business almost twenty years ago, I have been sold on using external filters like Marineland's Penguin 330 bio-wheel filter.

As many of you reading this will already know, a lot of external filters of this type rely upon a cartridge as the means of performing mechanical and/or chemical filtration. In the case of the Penguin 330, this cartridge consists of a small amount of carbon on the inside, as well as an outer blue mesh material.

Like all physical things, these cartridges eventually wear out, and need to be replaced. If you are on a limited budget, over time, the price of replacing the cartridges adds up.

Personally, I reached a point where I decided that there must be a cheaper way, and I found one. The fact is that for years now, I haven't purchased a single cartridge for my Penguin filters. Instead, I use the foam that comes inside of furniture cushions.

Even better is the foam that comes inside of those thin mats that children are sometimes required to take to daycare centers, or to school, to sleep on. The latter foam is about half an inch thick, and is perfect for filters like the Penguin. I just cut it to the right size, and in it goes.

Unlike Penguin cartridges, these custom-made foam pads can be used over and over again. Whenever they become clogged with waste material, just wash them out well, and use them again.

Now, if you are a "carbon evangelist", you may not like this simple, economical approach, but personally, it has never caused me any problems. In addition, there has long been a debate regarding whether or not carbon is good or bad for aquariums. You certainly won't find water being filtered through carbon in the lakes of Africa, or anywhere else. ;)

Think about it.

Regards,

TheFishGuy

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