# Crystal water in your tank



## igor.kanshyn (Jan 14, 2010)

I would like to share very simple but extremely helpful tip for making your aquarium water clearer. 
Imagine that you have a well established tank, but water still contains some small particulars that your filter doesn't catch. The good example of those particulars are *diatom algae*. It can't be live or dead, it doesn't matter for our solution.

What you can do to remove this from your water is add several *cosmetic pads* as your filter media. I use round cotton ones, look at the picture. I'm sure ladies in your house can give you some of these things.
I simply place two pads between sponges in my filter and after a day they will be dirty and *your water is clean*.

These pads *will not eliminate a source of pollution*, but they do remove very small dirt from water.

There is a disadvantage. Cotton pads will rot in two/three days in your filter, so, do not forget to remove them. One day is quite enough for them to do the job.

I have a Fluval Water Polishing Pads in a canister filter. It's a piece of junk in comparison with cotton pads


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## BettaBeats (Jan 14, 2010)

polywool also works, but it can get small poly-fibers into the tank that wrapped around my plants and looked ugly.

good tip suggestion.


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## igor.kanshyn (Jan 14, 2010)

Thanks you BettaBeats, 

Why do you wrap plants?

polywool can be a better thing for placing into a filter. It should not rot


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

Igor!!! You smarty!! *Raids the bathroom drawer for her cotton pads*


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## igor.kanshyn (Jan 14, 2010)

Thanks, women bring a lot of benefits into our life


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

Where do you place these pads in the filter so that they catch debris and also so you avoid bypass? Could you describe how to place them in a HOB or Canister?


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## Philip.Chan.92 (Apr 25, 2010)

Thanks! This worked out pretty well. Finally got rid of the floating sediments from my gravel even after washing it for an hour. Thanks again


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## igor.kanshyn (Jan 14, 2010)

AquariAM said:


> Where do you place these pads in the filter so that they catch debris and also so you avoid bypass? Could you describe how to place them in a HOB or Canister?


It's better to place this thing at the end of a filter media set.

I have a Fluval canister filter. This filter has round whole in a cover of last media box. I placed round cotton pads on top of my last media just under this whole. I used four pads, I guess.

I also have AquaClear power filter. I placed these pads between a carbon mesh and a last sponge. Their round shape is not perfect for rectangle media basket, but they are still work good.

Just do not forget to take them out in a day or two.


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

I'll check it out.  thanks


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## AquaNekoMobile (Feb 26, 2010)

igor.kanshyn said:


> It's better to place this thing at the end of a filter media set.
> I have a Fluval canister filter. This filter has round whole in a cover of last media box. I placed round cotton pads on top of my last media just under this whole. I used four pads, I guess.
> 
> I also have AquaClear power filter. I placed these pads between a carbon mesh and a last sponge. Their round shape is not perfect for rectangle media basket, but they are still work good.
> ...


Slightly confuzzled. 

So that would be in an AC piwer filter from the bottom sponge -> cotton pads -> carbon -> biomedia -> lid of AC.

Wasn't too sure if the end was meaning near the motor water inlet or end meaning near the top of the AC lid as I've heard the term been used both ways before.


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## igor.kanshyn (Jan 14, 2010)

AquaNekoMobile said:


> Slightly confuzzled.
> 
> So that would be in an AC piwer filter from the bottom sponge -> cotton pads -> carbon -> biomedia -> lid of AC.
> 
> Wasn't too sure if the end was meaning near the motor water inlet or end meaning near the top of the AC lid as I've heard the term been used both ways before.


I'm sorry. My explanation was not perfect 

A media set is a collection of medias (sponge, carbon, ceramic rings, ...) that you have in a filter. Water goes through medias, right. A begging of the media set is a place where water enters to the first media. An end is a last media on a way of water 

So, place pads near the last media of a way of water 

In fact, a place of these pads is not so important. Having them as a first media, you make them collect all dirt you have in a water. They will clog fast, but will work.


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