Best Filter Media

[Super Dude]

title pretty much explains it. any recommendations or no-no's?

 

[Mikaila31]

I just use the cheap filter floss and sponges. I do have some ceramic rings, but those just came with the filter when I got it.

Start with coarse sponges on the bottom, and work your way up the the fine filter floss at the top.

 

[IovaykInD]

Plants supply the biological filtration for the tank, so bio media is unimportant in heavily planted tanks, as they eat up the nitrates. People even add nitrates to the tank just so that the plants have more food. Also, the chemical filtration of the filter can also be removed, as it sometimes can remove fertilizers which is not what we want. Generally, planted tanks only require, as Mikaila31 said, mechanical filtration.

 

[RadaR]

Plants supply the biological filtration for the tank, so bio media is unimportant in heavily planted tanks, as they eat up the nitrates.

Forgetting that biological media isn't going to be ridding the tank of nitrate (like plants), the nitrifying bacteria are going convert ammonia to nitrite, then nitrate (no other action can exist in freshwater aquarium).
Plants can indeed use ammonia and nitrite as their source for nitrogen but nitrate is favoured more.
We still use biological media to convert the ammonia to nitrite then nitrate, this helps because we all know that ammonia causes algae. Therefore the less the better.
IMO the filter should have some biological media of some sort, filter floss and if needed, some clarifying product like purigen or zeolite (place this as the last stage so bacteria have all the first dibs on ammonia).

 

[Super Dude]

thanks