I went to Petsmart today to look for the regular Fluval and couldn't find it, just the polishing pads like the OP. So I found a big bag of "HBH Aqua-Pure Filter Fiber" for $3.99. This stuff is great so far. It's layered so you can cut a square, roll it up with tweezers, and insert it in the cart easy as pie. It wicks great, doesn't poof up those nasty little fiber hairs like the poly batting does, and doesn't give you that burnt plastic smell like the poly batting does. It doesn't seem to waste the juice either. Been using it for a couple hours now and am sold. I did try the tea bags but they seemed to get nasty after a little while. This stuff is an off brand from Fluval but works great.