1.  Choose the best filter pad(s) for your fish tank.

It all starts with a mechanical pad that removes particles floating from aquarium water. Filter pads trap assorted size particles from water. Keep reading to find the perfect filter pad for your aquarium.

 2.  High quality activated carbon rapidly removes discoloration.

Tea colored water is typically caused by excess organics dissolved in the water. This color can be rapidly removed from water with a high-quality activated carbon. Carbon has an added benefit - it removes odors.

3.  Optimal water clarity requires biological filter media.

Bio media has tons of surface area on which beneficial bacteria can colonize. These good bacteria break down waste into less toxic compounds keeping the water clear and your fish safe.    

4.  Odd issues take unique fixes.

Several less common water color issues such as green or red tinted water, bacteria blooms, etc., each require specific treatment that typical mechanical and biological filtration cannot perform. 

5.  Polish your water making it nearly invisible.

Polishing filter pads can trap particles smaller than your eye can see resulting in mind-blowing clarity.       

To truly enjoy the beauty and uniqueness of your fish and other aquatic life you must have clear water!

How to Choose The Ultimate Pre-Filter Pad

A Pre-filter pad is simply the pad that the aquarium water flows through first. The type of livestock you keep determines the best pre-filter pad for your aquarium.

If you keep:

Clean fish, fish that eat dry or frozen food and do not produce a ton of waste, use a filter pad with a dense fiber network. This dense fiber structure will net clear water but will clog up quickly.

The best filter pad consists of an open fiber construction layer to trap LARGER PARTICLES as well as a dense fiber network to TRAP FINE PARTICLES. This combination produces crystal clear aquarium water without the need to be cleaned as often.

Messy fish such as a goldfish or oscars which eat live foods or lots food, require an open fiber construction pre filter pad to trap the larger particles. A more open filter keeps you from spending all your time cleaning your filter but gives you reasonably clear water.  To improve water clarity, you can layer several filter pads of various types. The first pad is an open weave to trap medium to large particles. The next layer is a pad to trap medium to small particles. This will achieve good water clarity. If you are having friends over and want the water to sparkle, add a polishing pad to your filtration. It is interesting to note that even in conjunction with other pads a polishing pad can clog quickly.  

There Was No Good Choice So I Created One!

There are many aquarium filter pads for sale and aquarium authority Laurren Schmoyer tried them all over the course of 20+ years in his retail store and aquarium service company. Laurren felt that existing pads would not take aquarium clarity to the level his customers’ fish tanks deserved. He scoured the internet and found a custom fiber manufacturer who, after much testing and many revisions, was able to manufacture the ultimate filter pad. Laurren aptly named it FilterFirst because it is the best filter pad to use first in your filter.

Why is FilterFirst the Ultimate Filter Pad

FilterFirst is a TRUE Dual DENSITY filter pad. The top layer’s open fiber construction traps LARGER PARTICLES and the bottom layer's dense fiber network traps FINE PARTICLES work together to produce crystal clear water in your aquarium.  

• Tough enough to be rinsed, wrung out and reused several times.
• Perfect for freshwater and saltwater aquariums
• Cut to size to fit your aquarium filter
• Use as a prefilter for wet/dry filters, sumps, canister filters, and much more.
• Completely safe for all fish and other aquatic life.  

Is FilterFirst The Best Choice For A Messy Fish?

Countless fish keepers use FilterFirst with excellent results for messy fish. That said, messy fish with their foods, produce huge amounts of debris which often causes cloudy water. FilterFirst can easily trap this debris. Because it captures more debris than most filter pads it can clog up quicker and need to be cleaned or replaced more often. Every aquarium is unique with the number of fish and other aquatic animals kept, along with the how often and the type of food fed determines how frequently the filter pad needs to be cleaned. If cleaning often is not an issue, then FilterFirst is the best choice.

If you are busy or prefer not to clean your filter pad as often, ClassicBlue is your ideal choice. ClassicBlue has an open fiber construction to promote water flow and prevent premature clogging.  

•   Traps coarse to small floating particulates from the water
• Blue pigment is added to our waterproof resin to keep the color on the pad and out of your aquarium water longer than other filter media pads.
• Polyester fibers are bonded with our special resin which makes this pad LAST TWICE AS LONG as other pads.
• Completely safe for all fish and other aquatic life.

The Secret to Water So Clear It is Almost Invisible!

For aquarium water that appears almost invisible use a filter pad that can trap particles to 50 microns. The typical human eye can see particles as small as 50 to 60 microns, such as particles of dust floating in the air. Our 50 micron Polishing Filter Pad is designed to trap these extremely tiny particles thus producing amazingly clear water.

Our polishing pads are made of woven fibers to give consistent reliable performance and they are even tough enough to be cleaned in a washing machine. Polishing pads are best layered with other filter pads such as Aquatic Expert’s FilterFirst Dual Density or ClassicBlue. Layering will extend the time between cleanings.

• Polishing pads are available in 50, 100, and 200 micron sizes
• Tough enough to rinse, wring out, and reuse several times
• Perfect for freshwater and saltwater aquariums
• Easily cut to size to fit your aquarium filter

FilterFirst and Polishing Pad in action!