The Puffer Forum

Anyone ever put bio media (like ceramic rings) in a cheap hang-on-the-side filter like a Whisper? I have an old rated-10g Whisper filter and it has a mesh bag that usually holds carbon... instead of carbon I was thinking of adding bio media.

Comments/suggestions?

-Pyratt Pete

I've done it. I used a media bag and the little black plastic frames that come with the whisper filter cartridges. I put the frame in the bag and then filled the bag with biomax. Simple as that.

You could use the floss bags that it comes with, but they get clogged up pretty quick, and you can't fit as much biomax inside and it's a pain to get out.

hmm sounds good. i do have spare mesh bags (intended for use in aquaclear filters)

However maybe there is some advantage to the floss for mechanical filtration which would be completely gone if I opted for the bag route eh?
I suppose going all out biological would be better unless if I use this on a tiny aquarium as the sole filter.

-Pyratt Pete

I use Purigen in a mesh bag and polyfill in mine.

You could always put a layer of filter floss in front of the bag, or a sponge.

Right now I use a whisper 20 with a sponge for mechanical filtration and an aquaclear with filter floss and biomax for polishing and biological. I also add a small bag of carbon once a month to help clear up the water.

I find the whisper is much easier to clean than the aquaclear, so it works really well for mechanical filtration. The aquaclear is prefiltered with filter floss so it rarely needs to be cleaned.

Having 2 seperate filters really is a nice luxury.

I have a Whisper 3 on one of my tanks and decided to do this with it, it is not the main filter so I thought I would modify it since it was just wasting away in the garage...

foam filter floss (walmart) and pot scrubbers (dollar general) turns out to be a very nice Bio filter and have had no problems at all with it, the whispers in general are very quiet and never stop running...

LOL, the pot scrubbers are awesome!

i know the colors are great, my girlfreind was dying when i asked her to goto the store and get me a ton of them....I use them in my Magnum 350's, Emp 400's, AC 500's and all my Whispers...they are great for bacteria colonies, she laughed at first but now she sees what I was doing, and you can switch them for starting new tanks.....


** Edit: Just thought I would mention this, I changed the idea around a bit from the first time, now I use the filter pad in the back on BOTH sides and use the pot scrubbers in the FRONT (4 per side) this way the floss filters out the debris and the scrubbies dont get clogged up at all much more efficient this way, I will get some pics up in a bit if anyone is still interested

I was thinking the exact same thing about the placement of the scrubbers and floss. I do something similar but only use floss and the foam inserts that come with newer whispers for bacterial colonies.

-goes to buy biomax.