Dont use tap water either unless you have well water. The "bugs" are
bacteria and city tap water contains chlorine which as you know is meant to
kill "bugs". =)

Sam

"Bonnie Espenshade" wrote in message
...
Szpond wrote:
Thank you so much for your help. But, if I clean my bio-filter, don't I
loose
all my "bugs"? It took me HOURS to clean all those little scrubby pads
last
year. Store wanted $125 for new ones, so I spent the hours doing it.
Perhaps
I should put something in the bio-filter that is easier to clean? I
will do a
water change now.

When I say clean the filter, I don't mean scrub - I mean
rinse with pond water. Fill a large bucket with pond water
and swish the pads, this way you don't loose the "bugs". If
the pads are clogged they can't filter anyway.

--
Bonnie
NJ
http://home.earthlink.net/~maebe43/