ALEGIAquarium Filter Media Foam Material Cut to Fit, Bio Pre Filter Sponge Pad Sheet for Fish Tank, Coarse 30ppi (12" x 72" x1")

Lots of reviews complaining about vacuum sealing leaving the product flat as a pancake and structurally weak. Unless the supplier just started including instructions, the buyers simply didn’t follow the instructions included with the filter foam.My purchase also arrived vacuum-sealed. It expanded minimally after cutting the plastic. It did not expand more after waiting 48 hrs. It did come with instructions to re-fluff (see first pic). I followed the “Option 1” instructions, sort of. I soaked in warm water for 5 minutes. I wrung out the excess water. I put it in the dryer for 2 minutes. Fearing melting, I switched it to no heat tumbling for 5 minutes. I took it out and let it air dry. It re-fluffed nicely. It has structural integrity (see images with mug). Follow the directions.

I used it for a false bottom for a terrarium. Rinse it good before putting it in the drier to make it expand or you'll have a bunch of little black flecks stuck to the drier. I would use it for this purpose again.

Made several filters for our pond filter system. Work great !

This goam comes vacuum packed but don't let that worry you. You can soak it in water, squeeze it out and put in the dryer a few minutes on low. As soon as mine was in water it was quickly expanding to full thickness. I squeezed it out and instead of putting it in the dryer, I just let it air dry overnight since I wasn't going to use it until the next day.

I ordered my ALEGI Aquarium Filter Media Foam Material Cut to Fit, 36" x 12" x 1" / 72" x 12" x 1" Bio Pre Filter Sponge Pad Sheet for Fish Tank (12" x 72" x1"-30ppi) & got it ahead of time. In my opinion this foam is gr8 for tool storage not just as a filter.