Tonster76

Thanks a lot for the responses and advice, fully appreciate it.  I see the light...   just buy it cheap in bulk...  Syd thanks for those comments about the properties of the wool. And I see there are challenges involved with cleaning anything... (no detergent)... agitation seems to break it up...Recognise the importance of the fibres of Dacron.

 

I will come back to you all when I am rich and have invented/discovered a re-usable material with similar properties of Dacron but a little more robust so it can be rinsed and re-used.

Thanks a lot for the replies. 'Dacron' is a good tip thanks. So people just buy it as cheap as possible and time vs money it not worth piecing them together out of a washing machine.

My temptation is to change them sooner rather than later.. Starts to feel wasteful...

So does this mean the Dacron has some special properties that I wouldn't get from a piece if flannel for instance as a mechanical filter.

Heheh nah I haven't seen them get knocked out, but I can see and hear the aquarium from where I watch TV and they're whacking into the sides every couple of hours.  Hard to see who it is - I always look for the dazed one.  Could be the dragons blood peacock stirring up the Electric Blues.  Always makes me criunge when i hear it and have been more careful lately in not suprising them

Geez man, at least sell some of the equipment and get some of that hard earned $3K back. ouch

Being into servers and that, my thoughts go to some sort of APC UPS.  Which has batteries and supplies power for maybe 15-60 mins for 230W or so... you can pay for bigger and smaller..  If you look at their site the 1500VA might do 30 mins and the 2200VA up to 2 hours.  Unfortunately the model numbers seem to equate to their RRP.

 

The batteries and UPS are high voltage so you really really really can't afford to get one wet - so I hope I'm not suggesting a death trap.

 

(I only have one tank and don't run any backup power ;>)