# Cotton balls in your canister filter???



## fishguy1313 (Feb 19, 2007)

I read on here someone using cotton balls in there canisters instead of floss or micro pad. Can anyone confirm this??? I am about to switch to pot scrubbers and cotton balls if this is true. You could clean the shelves of cotton balls and pot scrubbers with the cash you would save from using ordinary bio-media/filters!!!!

Please confirm or deny!!!!!!!!!!!

If you do use these for media describe how you have it in your canisters! Thanks!


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## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

Funny you bring this up.
I have used cotton balls just to see if they would help clean up my water and the stuff floating in the tank.

Did a pretty damn good job BUT I wouldn't recommend it b/c it just clumps up and I would imagine its possible that itt could clog but its doubtful. 
just buy the poly filter material. It works for me!
Good luck


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## maknwar (Jul 16, 2007)

Eheim sells some stuff that is like cotton balls. I think it is synthetic though. I really do not see why it would not work.


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## Nick G (Jul 15, 2007)

i have cotton balls inside a filter bag. i just dumped carbon out, and filled it up. it works well, but it is also on an overfiltered tank, so who knows.


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## evermore (Oct 7, 2003)

cotton seems to dissolve over time. but if you use the synthetic kind like from a cheap pillow it lasts along time


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## Piranha Dan (Nov 11, 2007)

I think once wet it would clump up on you and clog your filter. Ever dip a cotton ball in water or alcohol to clean a cut? They shrink down to about half their size. The filter wouldn't clog, but the water would just end up flowing around the cotten instead of through it (this happens to my microfiltration pads when I forget to change them, when I open the filter I see the corners bent upwards and I know the water was just pushing the pad out of the way and going around it).


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