I believe in the states this is something that aqueon has started to convert thier line to and the items are made from something like coconut fibers into a type of matala mat. Given the amount of misconception about how people recycle, landfills, waste, pacific garbage patches, and the amount of toxic chemicals that find their way into anything from fish oil to the salmon on your dinner table.... Yeah. The world needs this. If you're against it, ask yourself when the last time you recycled some aquarium foam is? What happened to it after it was "used up" and needed to be replaced. The misunderstanding, lack of clarity, poor marketing is such a concern. I wish companies new better how to tell the customers about their design decisions and it's great to see stuff like this make it's way from the design board to someone's hands. Keeping cost similar means it might actually get used.
😻 This is a sage message. We all want a successful, achievable ( low /good value cost ), and easy start when we try something new.And if it's thoughtful to our planet, even better.
Hi Matt, just wanted to say a massive thanks for making videos.I have only been in the hobby for two years after my Aunt died and some fish were thrust upon me. To say I had a lot to learn and very quick is an understatement. Your videos have been a source of education and importantly reassurance. Your storytelling, ways of breaking the complex into the understandable and welcoming, down to earth approach Is fantastic. My fish are happy , healthy fellows and you’ve had a huge hand in that.
Thank you for taking the time to comment! I'm sorry to hear about your aunt, but I am super happy I could help you look after her fishkeeping legacy! Thank you so much! It's comments like these that drive me forward to make more content!
I have no fish. I'd like to, but just haven't had the time/opportunity to get any. I love your videos though, and I appreciate anyone who has the depth of knowledge AND the passion and love for their hobby that you do. You've made getting into it a lot less scary, and seeing options like this make it seem like something that's attainable and not as big of a learning curve as I might have thought. Keep up the amazing work, man. You're awesome.
Let's hope it's not too long before the big companies do these in a full range for filter systems and how brilliant straight into my compost. Well said Matt so enjoyable your. videos..
I think it's true , beginner will take something they can put to garbage because it's easy.Here in my province I saw a lot of it have to be easy no maintenance no research. So this alternative is a good Idea. People watching this video are not the target consumer but knowing this exist and be able to recommand it is important.Thank you so much for showing it.
Thank you for understanding the video! This isn't for seasoned veterans and if we scare off all the newcomers our hobby won't survive the future! There is a reason every hobby is slowly getting easier and more accessible.
I was excited when you brought these filter cartridges in to try. Its so great to see that they are performing exactly as they should and can be composted. Thank you for yet another fun and informative video.
These are really cool. I wish I had these years ago! I wish more companies would work towards this goal. We can certainly cut plastics in some areas of our hobby. This is a great option for people who want to use a HOB filter.
You're absolutely right convenient technology makes it easy for many people to set something up. That is why I think Superfish Start tanks are so convenient. They look good enough and come with the basics to get started. Though I'm someone who does do a lot of research beforehand and prepare things, doesn't do the cartridges but replaces them with foam and ceramic media. I modified the contents my Juwel Rio 240 filter pretty much the same way according to that video on Pondguru for example. My Superfish HOB filters contain ceramic media, bit of filter floss and one of them is even planted! But a lot of that is also after watching video's like yours and getting ideas.
Exactly this! Everyone has to start somewhere. I suppose it's a bit like learning anything really. But the easier we can make it the more people we can hopefully entice into the hobby.
Thanks for the information! I won’t use these, but I agree it’s good for beginner fish keepers who buy a lot of cartridges. And I like staying informed.
I think it's a fair point. When I had my first tank a decade plus ago, before information was easy to find. My local shop didn't explain the basics like soil to keep plants and filter types... Not needing to do a weekly water change but to check levels and adjust ect..... All these things lead to a frustrating aspect of the experience so as much as I enjoyed having the fish, they didn't have the best quality of life, and the interactions with the tank felt negative. Now many years later I'm looking to get tanks again but coming at it with a lot more knowledge and a different perspective.
Yeah the easier we can make it the better in my opinion. The more people we can help into the hobby the more research and development gets done on things like this.
Good on you to address the environment and the way we keep polluting it. We love nature don’t we? And that new filter solution sounds the part. Great stuff. 👍
Yes we do, any step in the right direction is good. Thank you!
Месяц назад+6
This is fine for people who just want to replace something. I use foam blocks in my filtration (20 ppm then the final one is 40ppm). Take them out, rinse it off, put it back. No mess, no left over stuff to clog the landfills. I'm not chained to replacement cartridges, spending too much hard earned $$$ to pad some corporate coffers to make my life "easier". One time commit to getting the foam and cutting it to fit. And it's the best filter media out there.
Feel better soon! I’m having flashbacks to when my infant son took the entire family out with hand, foot, and mouth disease, and then H1N1 “swine flu”. Almost everyone got bronchitis or pneumonia. Preschool builds amazing immune systems, lol.
@ It was not fun, lol. And I was having the house recarpeted that week, so I had to move all the upstairs furniture downstairs and then all the downstairs furniture upstairs with a chest infection. Good times.
Matt you are too young to remember Animal Magic and the presenter Johnny Morris, but your "glug, glug" reminded me of his voice overs for animals, in B&W TV zoo shots from the 1960s.
Thanks for the update, I’ll be upgrading my nano tank at some point and was wondering what filter to use, and I love the idea of these, so thanks! Anything to be slightly more economical. Excited for the fish room garage! Saw the small update
Thank you! Yeah I think they're a great new innovation that this hobby needs! Yeah I'm sat here now listening to the new window being fitted into place, the worry is there is a lot of banging for something that is 90% glass hahaha.
Thank you for your knowledge, Matt. I guess if one was overly worried about the loss of bacteria, you could have dipped the new pad into old water from previous pad? TY
I absolutely hear what you are saying about making things easy for newbies and yes, replaceable cartridge style filters do seem to do that, but they have always been more about trapping new customers into a neverending cycle of repeat purchases making the company a ridiculous amount of money from those unsuspecting newbies who don't know any better. These new biodegradable cartridges absolutely help reduce plastic waste... but that's plastic waste that the company put into the world intentionally in the first place purely to scam new customers into giving them even more money. Bringing these new cartridges out is more about appearing to be environmentally friendly than actually being environmentally friendly, whilst simultaneously getting even more money out of them by encouraging them to change to a new product which won't last as long as a decent filtration system that can simply be washed and reused!
The cartridge filters are engrained into the hobby to make it easy for newcomers into the hobby. The only way our hobby grows is by having an influx of new people coming into it and succeeding. I know from my years of retail experience that as soon as you start getting a little complex or start talking about swapping out filtration they would glaze over and stop listening. Once they got the hang of it then they were away and would often change their filtration but those training wheels at the start are a huge help. I don't agree that it's a money spinner as they could just leave it as is with all the plastic and not spend thousands of pounds researching something to make the hobby a bit greener.
I love that wood in the minnow tank.. Ever since you put it in.. kinda like a boar sticking it's head out of the bush.. always waiting for it to look at you lol BTW, when I feel a cold or something coming on.. I start taking vitamin C , about 1000mg a day.. it dramatically speeds up recovery time.
@FishShopMatt I mean even though you buy sponges once and keep for years. If that material is biodegradable is great. And yeah you may have to replace them every few years... but if they break down is much better for sure
Filters here in the USA you have the plastic frame, and then you buy refillable bio bags and charcoal so you only use the original plastic frame - you never throw that away.
As you say it's made for the 'new aquarists' . It doesn't take long to discover these cartridges are big money spinners for the manufacturers and there are lots of other very cost effective, environmentally friendly and efficient ways of filtering a tank.
Totally agree. Hate having too use disposable cartridges and have been replacing the charcoal pads for my Fluvals with floss pads. They may not be degradable but it at least means the cartridge itself is not on a landfill site. Problem is I don't feel like buying a new filters and wonder if there are Intrepid cartridges that fit other manufacturers?
Yeah it's a great step in the right direction. I don't think they currently do a cartridge to fit other filters but maybe with time as these are a very new release!
Hi Matt, enjoy your content! Question on quarantine, i know in store you treated your systems on receiving fish. What is you procedure at home, do you quarantine and treat any issues that manifest or do you use a preventive treatment. If preventive what treatments do you use, cheers 😃👍
I just purchased an Aqueon SmartClear 50 HOB filter and it came with a filter pad just like this instead of the typical black coarse & white fine foam mesh.
A while ago I tried one of those cheaper shrip filters, you know the double barrel foam cylinders and Iv never had such crystal clear water, I use them in a 30L and 45L hiding them behind plants. I’d love to see these redesigned into something mote speak and stream line. Has bio media and I squeeze them out every few months. If you can hide them they are great I think.
Yeah there are tons of innovations that could happen in the hobby but don't. Maybe have a look at adding a bag of biomedia under it at least it would be something?
Hopefully they will do recyclable plastic cartridges which will just add to what you are saying and also help people who just don’t have the facilities to compost themselves xxx
Plastic waste is the reason I reuse all the sponges in my filters. Though the fact I don't clean them for months at a time also helps reduce any waste too. And don't worry everyone my tanks are as healthy and green as they ever have been. A deep sand substrate goes a long way.
Exactly once you get into the hobby and start learning you can start doing things like deep sand substrates. We just need to make sure the beginners find it easy to start with.
@@FishShopMatt I feel that the companies should focus on things like deep sand substrates for beginners. Maybe offer a slightly cheaper sand or a larger volume of sand. When I started I jumped straight into the deep sand substrate and never looked back. It's a very natural approach and works superbly as a filter. They may sell more aquasoil or sand substrate if they push deep sand substrate. Got five all natural tanks going strong with very deep sand substrate. With the amount of funding that went into all the substrate the companies would be hard pressed to find a better cash cow if they pushed the proper procedures. Thank you for all the good content too. You, Father Fish, and MD are the reason I keep going in this wonderful hobby.
I want to try making a prefilter for my Fluval 407 with this stuff. I've been using coco sheets (like the stuff for hanging baskets) as a planted drip wall in my paludarium for a year. After a year they start to show delaminating and they do take a long time to compost. When used like this they it does trap a lot of muck This can lead to algae and cyanobacteria if not maintained. But nothing a little Excel and Erythromycin cant fix.
Hi Matt, I`m a newbie and have found your videos absolutely brilliant. I have purchased these bio cf1 replacement filters, but i have the traditional cf1 filter. I am confused with the smaller pad- does it just sit loosely between the media cartridge and the front cage? Thanks so much
I've had a bit of a search around before committing to showing you all this product and most places say that coconut can take around 10 years to breakdown some say shorted some longer but I think that depends on how they are breaking down. I'll be honest even if it took 100 years it's still better than the 1000s that the plastic ones can take. I know that Interpret have had this in testing for literal years so I know there is a lot of work that has gone into this product.
Thanks, Matt. Nice to see some innovations like this. But my big complaint about the hobby is the number of plastic bags needed to transport fish and plants - I feel so incredibly guilty every time I add something to my aquarium. All those bags just get chucked out afterward. Not sure what alternatives could be implemented, but it would be nice to begin to change things there too.
Thank you! Do you know what this was an issue I looked into years ago. There aren't many alternatives but I did have a look at using the plastic clip lid cereal boxes in an insulated cool bag. Never really finished researching it so maybe something I will look at in the future
Love watching your videos. They really help, plus ive nano tank 28 l as Superfish Quadro 40 Aquarium but unfortunately i broke the glass top 😢 if you know where i get that would a great help many thanks Richard
Thank you! You can buy the glass replacement covers through anyone who sells their products. Or go to a local window company and they should be able to cut you a piece.
Do those filters fit the whisper line? And I don't know about the electric car example.. they had some pretty cool ones back in the late 80s/early 90s,, and they were getting 200miles per charge ,, BEFORE lithium batteries.
That's interesting, I guess companies need to be cautious and tell people to change more often when it comes to fish filtration. You just know who people would be blaming if they reused the filters and their fish started falling ill.
Hello mate I recently brought some fish form my local store and 2 weeks later I’ve noticed some small little white worms in the glass I believe them to be planaria , is there anything you can recommend for me to treat them with to get rid of them ??????
I use pre filter sponges that I rinse and wring out about every other week, even on my canister filter. That helps to keep the actual filter sponges cleaner. And even then, when I wash out my actual filter sponges, I reuse them. But they’re still plastic. And if however many thousands of us fish keepers only threw out our sponges every year or two, that’s STILL A LOT of plastic sponge that will never break down! I would LOVE to replace all of my filter sponges with something compostable! I do have a question though. Since the fibers are so compact, would this kind of filter also replace filter floss in our canister filters?
Exactly it's a great step forward! It is fairly fine so seems to be catching lots of particles. Also as it catches more muck in theory it will catch finer waste. But so far they are performing really well!
Hi Matt love the videos. Can I ask some advice. I want to use aqua soil but I’ve read it lowers PH can you buy it that doesn’t lower it and recommend any many thanks
Thank you! There isn't really any soil that I know of that won't affect the pH. But it's not the end of the world obviously a lot of people manage with having full soil scapes it just takes a bit more work.
Hi Matt I have the same issue as you do with livebearer plenty of females but very few males any chance of a video explaining why this happens and how to combat it
I think it has to do with soft water so buffering up the water seems to be what most people recommend. But I have had a few people suggest temperature. I've heard of it happening in a few fish species where different water parameters give different ratios of males and females.
@ it was in the same tank with the mickey mouse tail fish. It was definitely not a pleco unless that is what they look like as new borns. It was this white round blob with lips that kept opening and closing. I am not sure how you missed it when filming lol
Is there any lids you recommend for that tank? I have the exact same one and unfortunately my Betta jumped out in the night and dried up like a quaver =(
Oh no I'm sorry to hear that! There isn't a lid designed for this tank but you could order a piece of perspex off the Internet to cover the tank better. Or even go to a local window company as they can cut glass to size.
@@FishShopMatt I've ordered some fine metal meshing that I'll cut to size and place over the top. This will be a learning experience with open tanks, that's for sure! The little guy was doing so well, too. Don't know why it decided to jump.
Hi mat can you put gold lazer corys in with other corys, I've got a 240l family of mollys , big Bristol nose pleco 1 strip loach please help much appreciated rich
Hi Matt, I’m a beginner and am wondering if I can add ceramic media and or filter sponges in any filter if they fit? Instead of buying cartridges I’d rather do that but I don’t have to spend money on an entirely new filter.
Yeah absolutely you can, a little net bag of ceramic or a few foams placed in will work. Make sure if it's a hob filter that you don't block it up too much so that it could overflow if it blocks.
Can't see the appeal myself. I'm using the same filter sponges in a 200 litre tank since 2003, still good just need a rince. These could not last near as long without degrading. Is there not a fear of the pad starting to degrade and contributing as an ammonia source? It's a natural material so I'm unsure how this isn't a concern?
Sooo… experiment time? I did a quick search on Amazon, and you can purchase natural coconut mats/sheets that are food and pet safe, that are about 7.5 mm thick. I wonder if those could be cut to a custom size and slotted in as a filter pad? 🧐
Interesting, my worry would be what they are using as a binding agent and how that would react to water long term. It's pets safe to touch but would water running through it constantly mean it breaks down?
Had this for a month and when I opened front the first layer was broken apart and deposited parts of coconut into wood and plants into my scape. Not happy!
I think the energy cost of lifetime cycle is way higher on thees than let say an internal spongefilter. If your garbage disposal is landfills then they are better to use as disposable than plastic. But that is not a preferred garbage disposal. A reusable spongefilter would have a much better ecological footprint. Also of they take years to degrade you wouldn't want them in your compost. Cleaning a sponge filter isn't that hard work, and for a beginner it would be cost effective since a sponge will last for years.
I totally get what you're saying, if I had a load of tanks in a system I would run them on air driven filters. The problem is people starting out in the hobby a lot of the time don't want to get their hands wet or mess around with possibly noisy air pumps. This is why cartridge filters are so so popular. A lot would change in the fishkeeping world if we wanted to be perfect but unfortunately as with everything perfection is hard to achieve.
I argee that more eco friendly is always better. Now if I could just get some more influential hobbyists to start using under gravel filters like I do so there would be no waste at all...
The Bio Degradeable Thing is a bit weird. Don't get me wrong - I agree doing something is better than doing nothing, but how long do ceramics decompose, or glass for that matter, or even external filters? I think I would share a lot more enthusiasm if these were usable as a reasonable replacemet for for all those filter sponges ... I am also a bit sceptical about "natural" as some of the most dangerous toxins known to man are natural ... and give your bio chocolate to your dog and see what happens ... Can you throw these on your compost in the garden? How long until these decompose?
Something is better than nothing and I think if we started looking at that sort of thing with glass and external filters none of us would have any hobbies. This is obviously the first step in releasing a product like this, who knows what they have lined up for the future of the product and other applications. Coconut products are used lots in reptile, insect and plant based hobbies so I don't think there are any hidden toxins alongside these have been tested and tried for years behind the scenes. I do go over it somewhere in the video but they take anywhere from 8 years to decompose. It depends on the situation as warmth and the environment has a big bearing on how quick it goes.
I use ceramic all different types mixed together in all my filters the sponges,charcoal filters all get taken out & I replace with this & a bit of filter floss on top everyone comments on how crystal my tanks are…
They're African Dwarf Frogs Matt.(See 44 seconds) African Clawed frogs are entirely different as you mentioned in your original tank building video. You may want to issue a correction as people may buy the wrong frogs & they shouldn't do that. Clawed frogs grow huge and eat all the livestock. ADFs do not.
I run a simple hang on the back filter on one of my tanks. 3 sponges. 1 bag of Bio-media. Filter cost £25, Sponges and media cost less than £10. I rinse them out every month or so. Put them back in. No waste, plastic or otherwise. Takes 5 minutes. Just as easy as what you do in this video and costs £0. I get your argument, I just believe it's about after sales profits. It would be very easy for companies to eliminate plastic waste, maintain ease of use AND eliminate cost. But they don't. Because it is about profit. The 'pods' are necessary... because the filter is perfect at filtering? Sorry, I can't help but be a bit skeptical... feels iffy.
I can see where you're coming from but after working in the hobby for years I know that there are loads of people that want to just pull the pads out and put new in it's just the way of our world in everything. With these at least they breakdown after a few years and not 1000s. With sales and profits I can see your thoughts, but again I come back to people wanting an easy life. The amount of seasoned fish keepers that I would talk through buying boxes of medias or sponges so they can cut it down themselves only to be told that they would rather buy the specific ones. The pods are just a helping hand in the aquarium the filter doesn't rely on them it's just boosts the bacterias in the tank. We as humans don't need to have supplements but some of them can help you.
Reduce, reuse, recycle; you can reuse by not using filters that degrade. Use sponges and clean and reuse. This is way better the biodegradable filter pads.
It's taken years of testing behind the scenes for this to become a thing. I guarantee you that most big aquarium companies will be more than likely working on similar projects but protecting the info on it until it's ready.
I don’t have hob filters but it’s a good idea. However, you said latex… MASSIVE red flag to me. they need to rethink that material. Many people are allergic to latex . Symptoms could be mild all the way to anaphylactic. Not cool! And the kids bringing home every illness! Yep! Take care of yourself
Oooo that's interesting I believe it's only a tiny amount and also has carbon mixed in with it so not sure how much you have to touch for it to be a problem. Yeah germs suck!
I believe in the states this is something that aqueon has started to convert thier line to and the items are made from something like coconut fibers into a type of matala mat. Given the amount of misconception about how people recycle, landfills, waste, pacific garbage patches, and the amount of toxic chemicals that find their way into anything from fish oil to the salmon on your dinner table.... Yeah. The world needs this.
If you're against it, ask yourself when the last time you recycled some aquarium foam is? What happened to it after it was "used up" and needed to be replaced.
The misunderstanding, lack of clarity, poor marketing is such a concern. I wish companies new better how to tell the customers about their design decisions and it's great to see stuff like this make it's way from the design board to someone's hands. Keeping cost similar means it might actually get used.
I agree. All that aquarium foam ends up in the landfill eventually.
sister company FYI
😻 This is a sage message. We all want a successful, achievable ( low /good value cost ), and easy start when we try something new.And if it's thoughtful to our planet, even better.
Thanks for catching us up with these new, natural cartridges! I think I'm gonna try some myself 😊 I'd love to help cut out plastics.
Yeah every little helps! They're very cool and I'm super happy with how well they've worked in these two tanks.
Hi Matt, just wanted to say a massive thanks for making videos.I have only been in the hobby for two years after my Aunt died and some fish were thrust upon me. To say I had a lot to learn and very quick is an understatement. Your videos have been a source of education and importantly reassurance.
Your storytelling, ways of breaking the complex into the understandable and welcoming, down to earth approach
Is fantastic. My fish are happy , healthy fellows and you’ve had a huge hand in that.
Thank you for taking the time to comment! I'm sorry to hear about your aunt, but I am super happy I could help you look after her fishkeeping legacy!
Thank you so much! It's comments like these that drive me forward to make more content!
@ Thanks so much for your comment back and kind words. Hopefully, I’ve done her proud.
J'aime beaucoup votre démarche écologique! Un grand merci pour la vidéo!
Thank you! I like to try and show off as many options for all different types of fishkeepers.
I have no fish. I'd like to, but just haven't had the time/opportunity to get any. I love your videos though, and I appreciate anyone who has the depth of knowledge AND the passion and love for their hobby that you do. You've made getting into it a lot less scary, and seeing options like this make it seem like something that's attainable and not as big of a learning curve as I might have thought. Keep up the amazing work, man. You're awesome.
Great video again.
Any chance of a small video on how to tackle black beard algae?
Thank you! I always feel a bit fake when I talk about something that I'm not dealing with or suffering with but I will try and make something soon
Thanks for explaining the benefits of compostable filter cartridges more in detail. I think people are looking for solutions like that in every hobby.
Let's hope it's not too long before the big companies do these in a full range for filter systems and how brilliant straight into my compost. Well said Matt so enjoyable your. videos..
This could be an amazing step towards things like this. All these steps ensure that we get more research and more products in the future.
I think it's true , beginner will take something they can put to garbage because it's easy.Here in my province I saw a lot of it have to be easy no maintenance no research. So this alternative is a good Idea. People watching this video are not the target consumer but knowing this exist and be able to recommand it is important.Thank you so much for showing it.
Thank you for understanding the video! This isn't for seasoned veterans and if we scare off all the newcomers our hobby won't survive the future!
There is a reason every hobby is slowly getting easier and more accessible.
Wow thats an amazing move in the fish keeping world! Hopefully more products like this will start being developed.
I was excited when you brought these filter cartridges in to try. Its so great to see that they are performing exactly as they should and can be composted. Thank you for yet another fun and informative video.
Great to hear! I like to find new innovating things and give them a try especially when it may help people get into the hobby.
@@FishShopMatt I got back into the hobby and enjoying it more than ever from watching your videos.
Hi Matt, thank you again 😊
My pleasure!
Yay! Everything is looking great. We love watching our frogs and mystery snails the most.
I do love mystery snails! Definitely going to get some soon!
These are really cool. I wish I had these years ago! I wish more companies would work towards this goal. We can certainly cut plastics in some areas of our hobby. This is a great option for people who want to use a HOB filter.
I totally agree! I think a lot more companies than we realize are probably working on things like this. Just interpret were the first there.
Yay Matt, happy days!🙂
Hey! 👋
You're absolutely right convenient technology makes it easy for many people to set something up. That is why I think Superfish Start tanks are so convenient. They look good enough and come with the basics to get started.
Though I'm someone who does do a lot of research beforehand and prepare things, doesn't do the cartridges but replaces them with foam and ceramic media. I modified the contents my Juwel Rio 240 filter pretty much the same way according to that video on Pondguru for example. My Superfish HOB filters contain ceramic media, bit of filter floss and one of them is even planted! But a lot of that is also after watching video's like yours and getting ideas.
Exactly this! Everyone has to start somewhere. I suppose it's a bit like learning anything really. But the easier we can make it the more people we can hopefully entice into the hobby.
Thanks for the information! I won’t use these, but I agree it’s good for beginner fish keepers who buy a lot of cartridges. And I like staying informed.
I think it's a fair point. When I had my first tank a decade plus ago, before information was easy to find. My local shop didn't explain the basics like soil to keep plants and filter types... Not needing to do a weekly water change but to check levels and adjust ect..... All these things lead to a frustrating aspect of the experience so as much as I enjoyed having the fish, they didn't have the best quality of life, and the interactions with the tank felt negative.
Now many years later I'm looking to get tanks again but coming at it with a lot more knowledge and a different perspective.
Yeah the easier we can make it the better in my opinion. The more people we can help into the hobby the more research and development gets done on things like this.
Good on you to address the environment and the way we keep polluting it. We love nature don’t we? And that new filter solution sounds the part. Great stuff. 👍
Yes we do, any step in the right direction is good. Thank you!
This is fine for people who just want to replace something. I use foam blocks in my filtration (20 ppm then the final one is 40ppm). Take them out, rinse it off, put it back. No mess, no left over stuff to clog the landfills. I'm not chained to replacement cartridges, spending too much hard earned $$$ to pad some corporate coffers to make my life "easier". One time commit to getting the foam and cutting it to fit. And it's the best filter media out there.
I think this is just a natural evolution for some people, others just want an easy life with replaceable cartridges.
I know the piece of wood is supposed to look like a dragon's head, but all I see is a pig or hog. Once you see it, you can’t unsee it 😂 love the video
Hahaha loads of people said hogs head! I don't mind I'm a fan of pumba
@FishShopMatt same- it's definitely unique. My fish and my Dalmatian, Olive, are sending their greetings from Louisiana!
Feel better soon! I’m having flashbacks to when my infant son took the entire family out with hand, foot, and mouth disease, and then H1N1 “swine flu”. Almost everyone got bronchitis or pneumonia. Preschool builds amazing immune systems, lol.
Oh my word that sounds awful! I can see why you would get flashbacks I bet that was horrendous!
@ It was not fun, lol. And I was having the house recarpeted that week, so I had to move all the upstairs furniture downstairs and then all the downstairs furniture upstairs with a chest infection. Good times.
Your spot on with the newbie. Great video
Glad you liked it!
Matt you are too young to remember Animal Magic and the presenter Johnny Morris, but your "glug, glug" reminded me of his voice overs for animals, in B&W TV zoo shots from the 1960s.
Hahaha just googled it, love it!!!
Thanks for the update, I’ll be upgrading my nano tank at some point and was wondering what filter to use, and I love the idea of these, so thanks! Anything to be slightly more economical. Excited for the fish room garage! Saw the small update
Thank you! Yeah I think they're a great new innovation that this hobby needs!
Yeah I'm sat here now listening to the new window being fitted into place, the worry is there is a lot of banging for something that is 90% glass hahaha.
Thank you for your knowledge, Matt. I guess if one was overly worried about the loss of bacteria, you could have dipped the new pad into old water from previous pad? TY
Thank you! Yeah you could absolutely do that but with the bio media cage I think you're covered.
I absolutely hear what you are saying about making things easy for newbies and yes, replaceable cartridge style filters do seem to do that, but they have always been more about trapping new customers into a neverending cycle of repeat purchases making the company a ridiculous amount of money from those unsuspecting newbies who don't know any better. These new biodegradable cartridges absolutely help reduce plastic waste... but that's plastic waste that the company put into the world intentionally in the first place purely to scam new customers into giving them even more money.
Bringing these new cartridges out is more about appearing to be environmentally friendly than actually being environmentally friendly, whilst simultaneously getting even more money out of them by encouraging them to change to a new product which won't last as long as a decent filtration system that can simply be washed and reused!
The cartridge filters are engrained into the hobby to make it easy for newcomers into the hobby. The only way our hobby grows is by having an influx of new people coming into it and succeeding.
I know from my years of retail experience that as soon as you start getting a little complex or start talking about swapping out filtration they would glaze over and stop listening. Once they got the hang of it then they were away and would often change their filtration but those training wheels at the start are a huge help.
I don't agree that it's a money spinner as they could just leave it as is with all the plastic and not spend thousands of pounds researching something to make the hobby a bit greener.
What a great eco-friendly filter x 🇬🇧
It really is!
It would be great if they started making that filter media in sheets so we could convert the filters we already have.
Who knows what the future holds! Fingers crossed!!!
Just one comment: frogs aren’t fish, Matt. Fronts are not fish!🤣 Love the eco-friendliness of the cartridges !
Having the permanent bio media is excellent
This is great news! It looks like the filter pads could have been used for a 2nd month, or at least half of it.
I love that wood in the minnow tank..
Ever since you put it in.. kinda like a boar sticking it's head out of the bush.. always waiting for it to look at you lol
BTW, when I feel a cold or something coming on.. I start taking vitamin C , about 1000mg a day.. it dramatically speeds up recovery time.
I love that everyone says it looks like a boar! I thought it was a dragon but I suppose pumba is just as cool!
Oooo great tip thank you!
Would be great to have a biodegradable sponge matt for bigger filters. Lets see if they make some in future
I think this could be a definite thing for the future.
@FishShopMatt I mean even though you buy sponges once and keep for years. If that material is biodegradable is great. And yeah you may have to replace them every few years... but if they break down is much better for sure
Excited to try these!
Glad to hear it!
Matt became a member of the Soggy Bottom Boys
Filters here in the USA you have the plastic frame, and then you buy refillable bio bags and charcoal so you only use the original plastic frame - you never throw that away.
That's interesting I don't think they're very popular over here. I vaguely remember a similar product here but can't remember much about it.
Great video update Matt. Get well soon
Thank you! I'm getting there, still sound a bit muffled though hahaha.
Perfect catch up for a Monday morning 😊... yeah supposed to be working but ..well you know 😅
Who needs work when you have fish! Hahaha
Hope ya feel better, Matt! Use thieves essential oil in a diffuser. That will help keep y'all healthy ❤️
Thank you! I'm slowly feeling better, I expect to be hot with a new strain of a virus next week hahaha.
As you say it's made for the 'new aquarists' . It doesn't take long to discover these cartridges are big money spinners for the manufacturers and there are lots of other very cost effective, environmentally friendly and efficient ways of filtering a tank.
Totally agree.
Hate having too use disposable cartridges and have been replacing the charcoal pads for my Fluvals with floss pads.
They may not be degradable but it at least means the cartridge itself is not on a landfill site.
Problem is I don't feel like buying a new filters and wonder if there are Intrepid cartridges that fit other manufacturers?
Yeah it's a great step in the right direction. I don't think they currently do a cartridge to fit other filters but maybe with time as these are a very new release!
Hi Matt, enjoy your content! Question on quarantine, i know in store you treated your systems on receiving fish. What is you procedure at home, do you quarantine and treat any issues that manifest or do you use a preventive treatment. If preventive what treatments do you use, cheers 😃👍
Matt, I could be wrong but it looks like You didn't put the small pad in the minnow tank filter. Hopefully I'm wrong
I realized this in editing but I went and checked and it was tucked beside the big one so I think I just hid it from camera.
I just purchased an Aqueon SmartClear 50 HOB filter and it came with a filter pad just like this instead of the typical black coarse & white fine foam mesh.
Oooo interesting
Great idea and video
Glad you enjoyed it
A while ago I tried one of those cheaper shrip filters, you know the double barrel foam cylinders and Iv never had such crystal clear water, I use them in a 30L and 45L hiding them behind plants. I’d love to see these redesigned into something mote speak and stream line. Has bio media and I squeeze them out every few months. If you can hide them they are great I think.
Yeah there are tons of innovations that could happen in the hobby but don't. Maybe have a look at adding a bag of biomedia under it at least it would be something?
@ oh these come with two bio media cups underneath the foam cylinders. Only I thing I think would be better is literally size and shape of them.
Hopefully they will do recyclable plastic cartridges which will just add to what you are saying and also help people who just don’t have the facilities to compost themselves xxx
Absolutely, this I'm sure is the first step in many towards greener alternatives in the fishkeeping world.
Plastic waste is the reason I reuse all the sponges in my filters. Though the fact I don't clean them for months at a time also helps reduce any waste too. And don't worry everyone my tanks are as healthy and green as they ever have been. A deep sand substrate goes a long way.
Exactly once you get into the hobby and start learning you can start doing things like deep sand substrates. We just need to make sure the beginners find it easy to start with.
@FishShopMatt 100% agree that the beginners are the ones who need to help the most. And these filters are a great ecologically friendly way to start.
@@danielingalls8980 yeah that's why I wanted to show it off. The more people that use these the less cartridges end up in landfill.
@@FishShopMatt I feel that the companies should focus on things like deep sand substrates for beginners. Maybe offer a slightly cheaper sand or a larger volume of sand. When I started I jumped straight into the deep sand substrate and never looked back. It's a very natural approach and works superbly as a filter. They may sell more aquasoil or sand substrate if they push deep sand substrate. Got five all natural tanks going strong with very deep sand substrate. With the amount of funding that went into all the substrate the companies would be hard pressed to find a better cash cow if they pushed the proper procedures. Thank you for all the good content too. You, Father Fish, and MD are the reason I keep going in this wonderful hobby.
I don't miss my kids being in primary school. Every September was plague season!
Yeah I can relate to that!
Hey, that skull shirt... badass 🫵👍
Thank you! I designed it a few months back and am really happy with how it looks.
I want to try making a prefilter for my Fluval 407 with this stuff.
I've been using coco sheets (like the stuff for hanging baskets) as a planted drip wall in my paludarium for a year. After a year they start to show delaminating and they do take a long time to compost. When used like this they it does trap a lot of muck This can lead to algae and cyanobacteria if not maintained. But nothing a little Excel and Erythromycin cant fix.
Oooo that's interesting nice idea!
Would be nice if you did like some videos of building the new fish house! Love the videos thanks!
Coming soon! I don't know how interesting the actual build is but there will be a stream of videos as tanks are added and the room is built.
Hi Matt, I`m a newbie and have found your videos absolutely brilliant. I have purchased these bio cf1 replacement filters, but i have the traditional cf1 filter. I am confused with the smaller pad- does it just sit loosely between the media cartridge and the front cage? Thanks so much
I’d try everything, but so far small hob filters are my favorite
This is what I love about fishkeeping we all have our favorites for different reasons.
Cool concept, yet I would like to see the proof in the pudding tho and see how they break down in the compost over time.
I've had a bit of a search around before committing to showing you all this product and most places say that coconut can take around 10 years to breakdown some say shorted some longer but I think that depends on how they are breaking down.
I'll be honest even if it took 100 years it's still better than the 1000s that the plastic ones can take.
I know that Interpret have had this in testing for literal years so I know there is a lot of work that has gone into this product.
Thanks, Matt. Nice to see some innovations like this. But my big complaint about the hobby is the number of plastic bags needed to transport fish and plants - I feel so incredibly guilty every time I add something to my aquarium. All those bags just get chucked out afterward. Not sure what alternatives could be implemented, but it would be nice to begin to change things there too.
Thank you! Do you know what this was an issue I looked into years ago. There aren't many alternatives but I did have a look at using the plastic clip lid cereal boxes in an insulated cool bag. Never really finished researching it so maybe something I will look at in the future
Love watching your videos. They really help, plus ive nano tank 28 l as Superfish Quadro 40 Aquarium but unfortunately i broke the glass top 😢 if you know where i get that would a great help many thanks Richard
Thank you! You can buy the glass replacement covers through anyone who sells their products. Or go to a local window company and they should be able to cut you a piece.
Admittedly I run a fluval cannister filter. But ive never changed filter media. Just gets washed out 😅
Love it
Thank you!
Great! How noisy are these filters?
Honestly very quiet they have suction cups and have a quiet motor.
@FishShopMatt that's good to know! Atm I run X2 hang on the back filters on my 30cm cubes and the humming/buzzing drives me mad
Do those filters fit the whisper line?
And I don't know about the electric car example.. they had some pretty cool ones back in the late 80s/early 90s,, and they were getting 200miles per charge ,, BEFORE
lithium batteries.
They do several different sizes so I would expect one would fit close enough.
I use Coco coir in hydroponics and "wash" buckets through after each grow and reuse it....over and over again
That's interesting, I guess companies need to be cautious and tell people to change more often when it comes to fish filtration. You just know who people would be blaming if they reused the filters and their fish started falling ill.
One can always rotate sponges if one wants to retain more bacteria.
Yeah good point change one of the two instead of both at the same time!
Hello mate I recently brought some fish form my local store and 2 weeks later I’ve noticed some small little white worms in the glass I believe them to be planaria , is there anything you can recommend for me to treat them with to get rid of them ??????
I use pre filter sponges that I rinse and wring out about every other week, even on my canister filter. That helps to keep the actual filter sponges cleaner. And even then, when I wash out my actual filter sponges, I reuse them. But they’re still plastic. And if however many thousands of us fish keepers only threw out our sponges every year or two, that’s STILL A LOT of plastic sponge that will never break down! I would LOVE to replace all of my filter sponges with something compostable!
I do have a question though. Since the fibers are so compact, would this kind of filter also replace filter floss in our canister filters?
Exactly it's a great step forward!
It is fairly fine so seems to be catching lots of particles. Also as it catches more muck in theory it will catch finer waste. But so far they are performing really well!
Hi Matt love the videos. Can I ask some advice. I want to use aqua soil but I’ve read it lowers PH can you buy it that doesn’t lower it and recommend any many thanks
Thank you! There isn't really any soil that I know of that won't affect the pH. But it's not the end of the world obviously a lot of people manage with having full soil scapes it just takes a bit more work.
Thank you for the advice
Hi Matt I have the same issue as you do with livebearer plenty of females but very few males any chance of a video explaining why this happens and how to combat it
I think it has to do with soft water so buffering up the water seems to be what most people recommend. But I have had a few people suggest temperature. I've heard of it happening in a few fish species where different water parameters give different ratios of males and females.
@@FishShopMatt thanks for your reply will try and buffer up the water and go from there.
what was the little white round thing with lips and no face in the tank that was floating near by the mickey mouse tail fish that you were showing.
I have no idea but I'll have to rewatch the video and try and see what you mean.
@ awesome!! I am excited to find out!! :). He was to the left of the fish that you were showing
@@iwilpraiseu it may have been one of my long finned bristlenose plecos stuck to the glass if it was in the tank next door.
@ it was in the same tank with the mickey mouse tail fish. It was definitely not a pleco unless that is what they look like as new borns. It was this white round blob with lips that kept opening and closing. I am not sure how you missed it when filming lol
The whiteish blob is a snail on the glass with its mouth opening and closing 🐌
Is there any lids you recommend for that tank? I have the exact same one and unfortunately my Betta jumped out in the night and dried up like a quaver =(
Oh no I'm sorry to hear that! There isn't a lid designed for this tank but you could order a piece of perspex off the Internet to cover the tank better. Or even go to a local window company as they can cut glass to size.
@@FishShopMatt I've ordered some fine metal meshing that I'll cut to size and place over the top.
This will be a learning experience with open tanks, that's for sure!
The little guy was doing so well, too. Don't know why it decided to jump.
Hi mat can you put gold lazer corys in with other corys, I've got a 240l family of mollys , big Bristol nose pleco 1 strip loach please help much appreciated rich
Yeah they do normally play well with others. You can mix most corydoras together with very little issues.
Thank you for getting back to me . Thank you, Matt
Hi Matt, I’m a beginner and am wondering if I can add ceramic media and or filter sponges in any filter if they fit? Instead of buying cartridges I’d rather do that but I don’t have to spend money on an entirely new filter.
Yeah absolutely you can, a little net bag of ceramic or a few foams placed in will work. Make sure if it's a hob filter that you don't block it up too much so that it could overflow if it blocks.
@ wonderful! Thanks so much for your response. Your videos are great and I’m learning so much, keep up the good work! 👍🏼
Can't see the appeal myself. I'm using the same filter sponges in a 200 litre tank since 2003, still good just need a rince. These could not last near as long without degrading.
Is there not a fear of the pad starting to degrade and contributing as an ammonia source? It's a natural material so I'm unsure how this isn't a concern?
Sooo… experiment time?
I did a quick search on Amazon, and you can purchase natural coconut mats/sheets that are food and pet safe, that are about 7.5 mm thick. I wonder if those could be cut to a custom size and slotted in as a filter pad? 🧐
Interesting, my worry would be what they are using as a binding agent and how that would react to water long term.
It's pets safe to touch but would water running through it constantly mean it breaks down?
so you do not use sponges i your filters?
Not in these two tanks you see in this video. Obviously I'm trying to show off all types of filtration for all different types of fishkeepers.
I think composting fill cartridges are a great idea but they need to be cost effective.
Agreed and with this being the first step I think it will only get better.
😊
OMG Mate, kids don’t stop bring home every cough, cold and tummy bug ever, it’s a thing after each half term holiday!
Hahaha I look forward to many happy years of this
When the first electric car was made in 1888 that was huge
👍🏻👍🏻
Had this for a month and when I opened front the first layer was broken apart and deposited parts of coconut into wood and plants into my scape. Not happy!
i think you actually enjoy cleaning your tanks 😄
Hahaha you don't? There is definitely a level of satisfaction after cleaning a tank.
@FishShopMatt 😀 it fills me with dread lol😆
I think the energy cost of lifetime cycle is way higher on thees than let say an internal spongefilter. If your garbage disposal is landfills then they are better to use as disposable than plastic. But that is not a preferred garbage disposal. A reusable spongefilter would have a much better ecological footprint. Also of they take years to degrade you wouldn't want them in your compost.
Cleaning a sponge filter isn't that hard work, and for a beginner it would be cost effective since a sponge will last for years.
I totally get what you're saying, if I had a load of tanks in a system I would run them on air driven filters.
The problem is people starting out in the hobby a lot of the time don't want to get their hands wet or mess around with possibly noisy air pumps.
This is why cartridge filters are so so popular. A lot would change in the fishkeeping world if we wanted to be perfect but unfortunately as with everything perfection is hard to achieve.
@FishShopMatt oh. Language is a tricky thing. I meant internal filters with a sponge, not air driven sponge filter.
I argee that more eco friendly is always better. Now if I could just get some more influential hobbyists to start using under gravel filters like I do so there would be no waste at all...
I've got some plans to do a retro tank with this in mind so watch this space.
@@FishShopMatt Awesome. I look forward to it!
@@FishShopMatt That's so cool. I look forward to seeing that!
The Bio Degradeable Thing is a bit weird. Don't get me wrong - I agree doing something is better than doing nothing, but how long do ceramics decompose, or glass for that matter, or even external filters? I think I would share a lot more enthusiasm if these were usable as a reasonable replacemet for for all those filter sponges ... I am also a bit sceptical about "natural" as some of the most dangerous toxins known to man are natural ... and give your bio chocolate to your dog and see what happens ... Can you throw these on your compost in the garden? How long until these decompose?
Something is better than nothing and I think if we started looking at that sort of thing with glass and external filters none of us would have any hobbies.
This is obviously the first step in releasing a product like this, who knows what they have lined up for the future of the product and other applications.
Coconut products are used lots in reptile, insect and plant based hobbies so I don't think there are any hidden toxins alongside these have been tested and tried for years behind the scenes.
I do go over it somewhere in the video but they take anywhere from 8 years to decompose. It depends on the situation as warmth and the environment has a big bearing on how quick it goes.
I use ceramic all different types mixed together in all my filters the sponges,charcoal filters all get taken out & I replace with this & a bit of filter floss on top everyone comments on how crystal my tanks are…
They're African Dwarf Frogs Matt.(See 44 seconds) African Clawed frogs are entirely different as you mentioned in your original tank building video. You may want to issue a correction as people may buy the wrong frogs & they shouldn't do that. Clawed frogs grow huge and eat all the livestock. ADFs do not.
Yes I now hear that! The reason I dislike common names 🤣
It's not easy, but it's not too hard either. I just finished my first year of freshwater in October
Congratulations, I think it depends on how practical you are. I know people that would struggle with a plastic fish hahaha
I think you csm use these replacement a year long before bevome ready to trssh
The sickest I've ever been was when my son was in daycare! Little germ magnets...
I run a simple hang on the back filter on one of my tanks. 3 sponges. 1 bag of Bio-media. Filter cost £25, Sponges and media cost less than £10. I rinse them out every month or so. Put them back in. No waste, plastic or otherwise. Takes 5 minutes. Just as easy as what you do in this video and costs £0.
I get your argument, I just believe it's about after sales profits. It would be very easy for companies to eliminate plastic waste, maintain ease of use AND eliminate cost. But they don't. Because it is about profit.
The 'pods' are necessary... because the filter is perfect at filtering? Sorry, I can't help but be a bit skeptical... feels iffy.
I can see where you're coming from but after working in the hobby for years I know that there are loads of people that want to just pull the pads out and put new in it's just the way of our world in everything. With these at least they breakdown after a few years and not 1000s.
With sales and profits I can see your thoughts, but again I come back to people wanting an easy life. The amount of seasoned fish keepers that I would talk through buying boxes of medias or sponges so they can cut it down themselves only to be told that they would rather buy the specific ones.
The pods are just a helping hand in the aquarium the filter doesn't rely on them it's just boosts the bacterias in the tank. We as humans don't need to have supplements but some of them can help you.
Reduce, reuse, recycle; you can reuse by not using filters that degrade. Use sponges and clean and reuse. This is way better the biodegradable filter pads.
I'm surprised that biodegradable filter materials are only now becoming a thing.
It's taken years of testing behind the scenes for this to become a thing. I guarantee you that most big aquarium companies will be more than likely working on similar projects but protecting the info on it until it's ready.
I think you need to hargen your water a bit in your guppytanks.
Yeah agreed I need to mess around and see what I can get.
Why are folk replacing foams mine last for donkies years rinse out and put back in its shops and companies trying to rip off customers 😢
Biodegradable filter media. In my tank I call these plants
Valid hahaha
Cleaning a filter that size is a 5 min job
You would be surprised at how many people would find that too long hahaha.
I don’t have hob filters but it’s a good idea. However, you said latex… MASSIVE red flag to me. they need to rethink that material. Many people are allergic to latex . Symptoms could be mild all the way to anaphylactic. Not cool!
And the kids bringing home every illness! Yep! Take care of yourself
Oooo that's interesting I believe it's only a tiny amount and also has carbon mixed in with it so not sure how much you have to touch for it to be a problem.
Yeah germs suck!
@@FishShopMatt they really should put a warning on the packaging, if there isn’t one. Other than that, I’d buy them. But I have sponge filters.
They do make pods for humans.... it's alka seltzer cold and flu.... lol😊
Hahaha oh yeah