Second hand Fluval 404 filter

[haddock]

I am in the process of setting up a 40g tank and have managed to get my hands on an fluval 404 canister filter for free. Thing is, as a newbie I am not really sure what is the best combination of media to put in it, or even what all the different media types are for? At the moment there is two compartments with the little white tubes (biological filter?) and more with bits of old tights filled up with something dark!?
I plan to set up a planted community tank with harleqins and angel fish amongst others.

Any help would be much appreciated as I am a bit lost!

 

[breezer40]

The Fluval 404 normally comes with 4 filter baskets which gives the options for adding things like peat and carbon.

With the two filter baskets you will need to go with some kind of Pre-Filter (this goes in the bottom basket) and Fluval do have one made for these for these filters but I actually prefer Eheim Ehfimech which is actually made for Eheim.

The top basket needs to have the Biological Media in it and again Fluval do one called Biomax but the Eheim one (Eheim Substrat Pro) is the one I use and prefer.

If you do get more baskets for this filter then peat (which softners water) and carbon or more Biological Media can be added to these.

 

[freddyk]

The bio-rings that came with the fluval work great, and I don't see any point in wasting money on more expensive bio-media.

some kind of Pre-Filter

This would be a type of filter floss (fine filter padding) that gets the smaller particals before it reaches the bio-media, giveing the filter better mechanical filtration, and protecting the bio-media from clogging.

These two are all you really need in the filter, anything else is optional or necessary only in certain situations. All I use is filter floss in half the baskets and bio-media in half the baskets.

If your water is colored or smells funky then carbon might help. Peat moss will help slightly acid water become a little more acid (bring the ph down), but the higher above 7 your ph is, the less effect it will have. The fish you are getting arne't particular about ph anyway.

 

[webcat5]

At the moment there is two compartments with the little white tubes (biological filter?) and more with bits of old tights filled up with something dark!?

You are right about the white tubes, and the dark stuff is probably carbon.
In my Fluval I have the sponges, zio-carb which is a combination ammonia fighter and carbon and the "white tubes". It works pretty good for me.

 

[haddock]

Thanks so much for your replies, that really helped.
So you reckon then that I should get rid of what ever is in the old tights and just fill the other baskets up with biological filter tubes , or can I just use the tubes that I have (about two half baskets) and leave the other baskets empty?

I have another question - this filter came from someones tank which I suspect was not maintained well and judging by the amount of medication bottles that I found in a box that came with the filter, i am guessing that there may have been some disease. So my question is what is the best way to completely clean everything so I can start afresh.

Thanks.