Ever find yourself doing a W/C and find out too late that your out of filter media. No time to go to the store or the stores are closed. I have a toddler that likes to get into stuff and doing a W/C late at night found my media had been ruined by nailpolish. I had thought to just rinse the media and reuse but I had added new fish that day and didn't want to chance it. Pondering this I glanced at my big tanks filter, it was a pouch type that you add carbon to and clip top. I had an idea. Rummaging around I grabbed up new 2 pieces of scour pads (those green scratchy scouring plastic pads you buy for scrubbing dishes). Placed them in a pan and poured boiling water through them to sterilize them and dried them flat with my hairdryer. Pulling out the old sewing machine I sewed them together to form a pouch with heavy gauge white cotton thread. Half a cup of active carbon to fill and sewed the top close. Rinse again quickly under running water for dust and BAM emergency media.
>> The fish were fine and happy until I was able to get into town to buy new media a week later (not medically able to drive and where we lived didn't have a taxi service)
I use this home made media on the Goldfish and use it in my community tanks to no ill effects for the last 2 years.
Thoughts???