Bioscape 1050L/h Canister Replacement Top PRO Filter Foam (4)

Everything downstream lasts longer when the pre-filter is doing its job. Coarse debris that gets past this stage settles into the fine wool and the ceramic media, where it decays, restricts flow and forces a full strip-down of the canister to fix.

A pre-filter foam is designed to be pulled, rinsed and put straight back. Bioscape's own instruction is to rinse the pre-filter media monthly to maintain strong flow. That is a rinse interval, not a replacement interval – these foams are replaced when they physically break down, not on a calendar.

The Bioscape PRO 1050 L/h canister runs three replaceable media packs. They are not interchangeable, and this page covers the coarse pre-filter stage only.

The other two stages: BIS540A sponge set and BIS540B activated carbon.

These foams are cut to the 1050 L/h pre-filter chamber. Each PRO canister has a different pre-filter volume, so the foams are not shared across the range.

These foams do not fit the Bioscape Tropic canisters, the Bioscape Stainless Steel canisters or any Bioscape hang-on filter. The model code is on the label on the canister body.

• Rinse monthly. Bioscape's stated interval for pre-filter media. In a heavily fed or heavily planted tank you will be doing it more often, because this stage catches everything.
• Rinse in aquarium water, not tap water. Even the coarse stage carries a bacterial population, and chlorinated tap water kills it.
• If the pre-filter lid will not come off, it is an airlock, not a seized lid. Bioscape's instruction is to slightly loosen the red cap on the inlet to let a few air bubbles in, which releases the airlock and lets the lid lift away. Forcing it is how the lid gets broken.
• Replace when the foam stops recovering. A foam that stays compressed after rinsing, or that tears at the edges, is no longer sealing across the chamber and debris is bypassing it.
• Stagger it with a media change. Rinsing the pre-filter the same week you replace fine wool and carbon strips too much biology at once. Space the two jobs apart.

Suitable for

• Bioscape PRO Easy Clean Canister Filter 1050 L/h, freshwater or marine
• Keeping a spare set on hand so the filter never runs without its coarse stage

Not suitable for

• The 1620 L/h or 2000 L/h PRO canisters – different pre-filter volumes
• Bioscape Tropic, Stainless Steel or hang-on filters
• Use as fine polishing media – this is a coarse stage and will not clear hazy water on its own
• Use as chemical filtration – foam adsorbs nothing

• Bioscape 1050L/h Canister Sponges (BIS540A) – the fine polishing stage these foams protect.
• Bioscape 1050L/h Canister Carbon Cartridge (BIS540B) – chemical filtration, on a 4 to 6 week cycle.
• Bioscape Premium Coarse Filter Wool Blue 3 Pack – cut-to-fit coarse sheet for adding a further mechanical stage.
• Bioscape PRO 1050LPH Canister Filter – the filter these foams are cut for.

Bioscape warrants the PRO canister filters for 2 years. Filter media is a consumable and is not covered by that term. Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law apply to this product and are not limited by any manufacturer's warranty. Ships as a standard parcel.

How many foams are in the BIS540C pack?

Four. Bioscape lists BIS540C as a 4-pack of pre-filter media for the 1050 L/h PRO canister.

How often do the pre-filter foams need rinsing?

Bioscape's instruction is to rinse pre-filter media monthly to maintain strong flow. Heavily stocked or heavily fed tanks will need it more often, because this is the stage that catches all the coarse debris. Rinse in a bucket of aquarium water rather than under the tap.

Why will my pre-filter lid not come off?

It is almost always an airlock rather than a jammed lid. Bioscape's instruction is to slightly loosen the red cap on the inlet to admit a few air bubbles, which releases the vacuum and lets the lid lift off easily. Levering at it risks cracking the lid.

Do the foams need replacing on a schedule?

No. Bioscape publishes a monthly rinse interval for pre-filter media but no fixed replacement interval. Replace a foam when it stays compressed after rinsing, tears, or no longer seals across the chamber, since debris then bypasses the stage entirely.

Will BIS540C fit the 1620 or 2000 L/h canister?

No. The pre-filter chambers are different sizes: 0.5 L on the 1050 L/h, 0.8 L on the 1620 L/h and 1.0 L on the 2000 L/h. Those two models take BIS541C and BIS542C respectively.

Can I rinse the foams under the tap to save time?

It is better not to. Even coarse pre-filter foam carries beneficial bacteria, and chlorinated tap water kills it. A bucket of water siphoned out during your water change costs nothing and keeps the colony alive.