Hi guys,

Anyone know where to get large pieces of medium-coarse filter sponge? The LFS charges like a wounded bull for it

Para or similar? Bunnings has none

Cheers

fish2water, on this forum sells Poret foam. Not sure if that's the sort of stuff you're after?

I need a piece of poret foam sized like one of these

Any old sponge I can use in a filter will do, pref a few different grades. I'd rather pay packing foam prices, not aquarium supplies prices

Just be aware that packing foam/sponge may have toxic plasticizers and or *icides in them, and may not be nicely open-cell like poret

Is poret a special type of sponge? or does it mean anything that looks like this?

Check para rubber and ask them for aquarium or food safe sponge.

A couple of years ago I bought the wide pored stuff from them and they had it in sheets like the picture. I don't think it's very common though, last time I asked they had just run out and it was going to be 2 weeks before they got it in again.

When it comes to surface area - which is what you want for filtration - and flowrate then no packing foam beats open-cell poret foam.

Think about it:

Packing foam has to be flexible and needs a lot of cushion effect for its porpose. This comes from closed cells and soft material. Closed cells are pretty much useless for filtration due to the lack of surface for bacteria to live. The softness is achieved with plasticizer which will slowly leech into your tank and the foam disintegrates after a few years.

Been there, done that - waste of time and money in the long run...

JaSa

I'm pretty sure I got open cell foam from para. Though their closed cell stuff is cheap and seems ok, it isn't fit for purpose like JaSa says