Acurel LLC Waste and Debris Reducing Media Pad, Aquarium and Pond Filter Accessory, 10-Inch by 18-Inch

I use this in my Fluval 307 and it really works! It’s no magic bullet, you still have to maintain good aquarium practices, but I did see a decrease in nitrates a couple of days after putting this in my filter. People saying it clouded their aquarium just did not follow the instructions. If tells you to thoroughly RINSE BEFORE INSTALLING it!! If you fail to do this, then yes, it will shoot all kinds of chem dust into your water and take a while to clear up. But if you will rinse it as instructed it will be clear and it will begin reducing nitrates. I highly recommend using it along with Purigen. Use the Purigen in place of charcoal in your filter. The two are incredible at dealing with nitrates. Beyond that, it’s on you. If you still have high nitrates it’s because you are overstocked, aren’t doing water changes or are handicapped by the water you are using. It’s best to use distilled or reverse osmosis (RO) water. But be careful, the distilled and RO water in stores often has had minerals “added for taste” and will make your aquarium hard (your Gh and Kh too high). So look to make sure nothing is added. Walmart brand distilled water is good. The other distilled waters they sell are not. Check the labels!

This filter media is very easy to use. Just cut to fit your filter, and allow water to run over it. It slightly reduced the ammonia levels in my biocube 32. Great to use when you need to reduce ammonia levels, but do not have time to do a water change. I would recommend this product.

Works! End of story... Buy it Cut to size, slide in filter box, within a week my nitrates were max to low/nothing!

I was having a problem with high ammonia and after many water changes and chemicals, it seemed to barely be budging. I found these and thought I’d give it a try. It’s been in my filter for 2 weeks now and my ammonia level has consistently stayed at zero! Super easy to use-just cut it to size and slide it in your filter. I am now using it in both of my aquariums. I will definitely be buying it again and will be using these for a long time. Note: It does state on the package it doesn’t help with a current ammonia spike but will help prevent spikes. I found this not to be true because within 24-36 hrs after placing it in my filter, my ammonia levels went from dangerously high to zero. Amazing stuff!!

Used them

I currently own a Penguin Biowheel 150 HOB filter on my 29L aquarium. Refusing to use Marineland's inadequate cartridge filter, I purchased this to fit into the same slot as the cartridge. I managed to cut it just so right and in addition I added Seachem's Purigen and Matrix Carbon. This combination did prove to make my tank's water quality pristine, and the nitrogen cycle was kept in check. However, I've recently purchased a huge bag of filter fiber and noticed much better results for less money. You see, although the media pad is awesome, ultimately the shape I cut leaves an unusable amount behind. The Penguin 150 is unforgiving to media pads. Due to the amount of water flow, Acurel's pad eventually clogs sooner than I'd expected potentially leading to frequent and expensive replacements. Whereas Filter Floss/Fiber can be shaped to any sized compartment with ease and longevity polishing my water perfectly. I refuse to fully denounce Acurel's medi pad. It's just not appropriate for my specific setup. I rated 4 stars for it's great filtering ability...minus 1 star for it's lack of long term and diverse filter type utilization. Simply put, I've moved on to better!

I use them in between my coarser sponge and filter floss. It works great and lasts a bit before i have to replace it.

Have used this produce for 5 years - never a problem that it is not good for the fish safety.