Best Media For Canister

[hudsona85]

Alright! Well after trying to find a good spot to put this subject into a forum, I found this one to be the closest I can get. I have a 75 gallon FW tank planned to set up with a Penn Plax 1500 canister filter system.
http/www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CEXBYS8?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_1&smid=A3PNUN7H1KV96E
 
It already comes with the filter media needed to setup which I am ok with for the time being to get it started to cycle.
 
With no experience with canister filters, I am finding myself at a crossroads. What can be put in the canister that will be the best bang for my buck, keep up with my bio load with SA cichlids and various fish, great water quality, and works better for external filter? I'm sure the possibilities are endless since it will have 5 trays for filtration. I am familiar with the stages of filtration since I have 2 AquaClear HOB systems and the concept works about the same way.
I have good experience with SeaChem Matrix. ChemiPure Elite has also worked well. Sechem Purigen seems to work well but does not last very long. Should I stick with those? Are there other media that works better? I do not mind doing regular maintenance as I already do weekly water changes on 3 of my tanks and cleaning out the filters at a different time. 
 
Thank you in advance!
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

[Akasha72]

Hi, I run two externals on my 4ft tank and each external has 4 trays for media. I run ceramics in the bottom tray and the rest is sponge. I have found sponge to be better at holding bacteria but some will say otherwise - I believe it's personal choice. 
 
I find the best thing about my external canisters is I make room for small pieces of sponge. That way if I have to quickly set up a hospital tank or quarenteen tank I have ready cycled sponges to fit in my small internal filters
 
Hope that helps

 

[Ltygress]

You're right in that the possibilities are endless. You definitely want some type of chemical (carbon), mechanical (sponge) and biological filtration (just about anything will hold bacteria). Aside from that, the options are kinda up to you.

I say kinda because a lot of it will ACTUALLY depend on your tank once you get it set up, cycled, and add the fish. In my experience, SA cichlids produce lots of waste, so mechanical and biological are more important. But you may get one that seems to have the world's weakest immune system and comes down with every disease known to man. In that case, you'll need more chemical filtration to help get rid of the medications after you're done. Personally, I'm going to be raising discus and angelfish with a canister filter, so I got some peat pellets to toss in mine to help buffer and adjust the water parameters. I'll probably sandwich it between two pieces of floss to help make sure the peat particles don't float around everywhere. Discus fish are also expensive, and the tank will be planted, so I got a canister filter with a UV light to help keep diseases down and cut down on floating algae.
 
So if I were you, I'd set it up with the basics that it came with. Then later on down the road as you get settled in with the fish, you can judge if you need to add more of one type and less of another. 

 

[hudsona85]

Hi, I run two externals on my 4ft tank and each external has 4 trays for media. I run ceramics in the bottom tray and the rest is sponge. I have found sponge to be better at holding bacteria but some will say otherwise - I believe it's personal choice. 
 
I find the best thing about my external canisters is I make room for small pieces of sponge. That way if I have to quickly set up a hospital tank or quarenteen tank I have ready cycled sponges to fit in my small internal filters
 
Hope that helps

I think the very Idea of having sponges in the filter is a great idea. I have sponges in both my 29 and 55gal with the AquaClear 70 and 110. It's great to have because when it gets dirty, all I really need to do is rinse it out in aquarium water and just put it back in. I also think depending on how coarse or find the sponge is makes it better to hold waste and bacteria in.

You're right in that the possibilities are endless. You definitely want some type of chemical (carbon), mechanical (sponge) and biological filtration (just about anything will hold bacteria). Aside from that, the options are kinda up to you.

I say kinda because a lot of it will ACTUALLY depend on your tank once you get it set up, cycled, and add the fish. In my experience, SA cichlids produce lots of waste, so mechanical and biological are more important. But you may get one that seems to have the world's weakest immune system and comes down with every disease known to man. In that case, you'll need more chemical filtration to help get rid of the medications after you're done. Personally, I'm going to be raising discus and angelfish with a canister filter, so I got some peat pellets to toss in mine to help buffer and adjust the water parameters. I'll probably sandwich it between two pieces of floss to help make sure the peat particles don't float around everywhere. Discus fish are also expensive, and the tank will be planted, so I got a canister filter with a UV light to help keep diseases down and cut down on floating algae.
 
So if I were you, I'd set it up with the basics that it came with. Then later on down the road as you get settled in with the fish, you can judge if you need to add more of one type and less of another. 

So i guess the better question in response to your answers, what would be the brand of choice for the biological and chemical? I understand this to be a broad question and each product can either be better or worse for each situation. Like ChemiPure, SeaChem, and others that may be a good choice for running a canister. This is what I have so far but this is not definite as of yet.
1 Gold Severum (Already have)
9 Tiger Barbs or at least 6 Roseline Barbs ( I am good with the tiger barbs or Roseline Barbs staying in the 55 if not an option with this setup)
6 Cupid Cichlids
1 Acara
1 Firemouth Cichlid (Just got today)
6 Dianema longibarbis (porthole catfish)
OR
1 Synodontis Zebra catfish
OR
1 Synodontis eupterus
 
This is mainly why I am asking what would be the best choice of media and brand for them.

 

[Akasha72]

I can't help you with brands as I am in the U.K and brands here differ from the U.S.
 
 
I hope that amount of cichlids in one tank works out for you. I've had several cichlids (a pair of angels, a pair of bolivian rams and a pair of laetacara curviceps) in one tank and the battling over territory was dreadful and I had to remove the angels to calm things down. I currently have my male curviceps and a pair of angels and it is working purely because curviceps is so shy and peaceful. I wouldn't dare add any more cichlids to this tank despite desperate for some apisto's and a severum

 

[Ltygress]

I've always stuck with Fluval for a brand. Even now with a JBJ Reaction canister filter, I tend to gravitate towards fluval media. First, it's widely available. Both PetSmart and PetCo both carry it, along with Drsfosterandsmith.com. Second, it's fairly cheap.

When it comes down to media, a lot of it is really the same. Activated carbon is activated carbon no matter who makes it. I think the only difference is the biological media. I think Marineland makes those "biospheres" that I really don't like. The ceramic tube-lets are better in my opinion.

But again, the amount of each type is still going to be something you'll have to decide AFTER you get the fish. Like I mentioned above, if you get one that just seems to catch every disease, you'll need more carbon. If you get one that seems to have the fishy runs and can't stop pooping, you'll need more mechanical. It doesn't depend so much on the species, as it does the individual fish themselves, and what you experience while keeping them. That's why you should wait until after you get them and you're running the tank with a full bioload to decide which types to load.

But for brand, I'm just a Fluval person.

 

[hudsona85]

I can't help you with brands as I am in the U.K and brands here differ from the U.S.
 
 
I hope that amount of cichlids in one tank works out for you. I've had several cichlids (a pair of angels, a pair of bolivian rams and a pair of laetacara curviceps) in one tank and the battling over territory was dreadful and I had to remove the angels to calm things down. I currently have my male curviceps and a pair of angels and it is working purely because curviceps is so shy and peaceful. I wouldn't dare add any more cichlids to this tank despite desperate for some apisto's and a severum

From the research I have done and info I got from the forums, they should work out. I think if anything the Firemouth may be the most aggressive out of the list but they all can be pretty peaceful considering they are cichlids.  But of course each SA cichlid has a different personality. All a matter of making it work somehow. Then again, the list I posted is not definite as of yet. I still have a while before I start putting the fish in.
 
 

I've always stuck with Fluval for a brand. Even now with a JBJ Reaction canister filter, I tend to gravitate towards fluval media. First, it's widely available. Both PetSmart and PetCo both carry it, along with Drsfosterandsmith.com. Second, it's fairly cheap.

When it comes down to media, a lot of it is really the same. Activated carbon is activated carbon no matter who makes it. I think the only difference is the biological media. I think Marineland makes those "biospheres" that I really don't like. The ceramic tube-lets are better in my opinion.

But again, the amount of each type is still going to be something you'll have to decide AFTER you get the fish. Like I mentioned above, if you get one that just seems to catch every disease, you'll need more carbon. If you get one that seems to have the fishy runs and can't stop pooping, you'll need more mechanical. It doesn't depend so much on the species, as it does the individual fish themselves, and what you experience while keeping them. That's why you should wait until after you get them and you're running the tank with a full bioload to decide which types to load.

But for brand, I'm just a Fluval person.

My very intention is to wait until I get the fish in there and see how they do based on their needs. I apologize. It wasn't something I was ignoring but more of questioning what type of media works the best. For example using carbon vs ChemiPure or using Purigen vs carbon. I think AquaClear and fluval are made from the same company? I have been using AquaClear for the most part. I like to plan ahead and see what really works. I understand carbon to be carbon because its pretty much made the same way. Again, I apologize if there was some confusion.

 

[fluttermoth]

You definitely want some type of chemical (carbon), mechanical (sponge) and biological filtration (just about anything will hold bacteria). Aside from that, the options are kinda up to you.

I just want to point out a couple of things...

Most set ups don't need any kind of chemical filtration

Sponges make great bio media; floss is best for purely mechanical filtration (and it makes a very poor home for bacteria, so wouldn't hold enough bacteria to keep a tank healthy).

 

[jag51186]

Just wanted to agree with fluttermoth, I don't run any chemical filtration in my tank, and you shouldn't really need it except to remove medications after treatments. I have four trays in my fluval 406, and i have sponges in the bottom two as well as a side tray of sponges, and then the top two trays are the Fluval Biomax media. Hope all goes well for you!!

 

[Far_King]

I tend to run my filters with coarse sponge to catch larger debris, ceramic rings for flow and volume - this is the mechanical filter media. Directly after the entry into the filter, the water is swirled through the cylindrical rings and is evenly distributed causing the coarse dirt particles to sink to the bottom, 
Next it flows through round balls which offer optimum surface area for bacteria colonisation.  Finally it flows thorough a finer sponge and floss.
 
I do have carbon in one of my filters but I don't deem it to be necessary.
 
My larger tanks both run with a Vecton Uv Steriliser as well, which has without question helped with water quality and fish health.  I know there's a couple of schools of thought on this about it possibly killing beneficial bacteria but the amount it kills is limited compared to any free floating pathogens and algae.  Do not run one of these whilst cycling a tank and filter.

 

[gmc1]

Agree with far-king.always floss in there too

 

[hudsona85]

 

You definitely want some type of chemical (carbon), mechanical (sponge) and biological filtration (just about anything will hold bacteria). Aside from that, the options are kinda up to you.

I just want to point out a couple of things...

Most set ups don't need any kind of chemical filtration

Sponges make great bio media; floss is best for purely mechanical filtration (and it makes a very poor home for bacteria, so wouldn't hold enough bacteria to keep a tank healthy).
 

It's strange to me how I feel "programmed" to think I need carbon media to help with the aid of filtration... It makes me want to take the carbon out of my AquaClear and just replace it with a sponge... However, it seem to make it a purpose when I saw the Ammonia climb up some and the carbon brought it back down. Sounds like a science project for me to do!

Just wanted to agree with fluttermoth, I don't run any chemical filtration in my tank, and you shouldn't really need it except to remove medications after treatments. I have four trays in my fluval 406, and i have sponges in the bottom two as well as a side tray of sponges, and then the top two trays are the Fluval Biomax media. Hope all goes well for you!!

I have carbon bag running in my Cascade 1500 since it was already part of the package deal. I have a sponge, floss, the bio rings that it came with, and both ceramic and matrix that came from my 55 to aid with cycling. I think I might actually stick with that setup with the exception of the carbon. I will wait and see how things turn out when I put the actual fish in there. Thank you!
 
 

I tend to run my filters with coarse sponge to catch larger debris, ceramic rings for flow and volume - this is the mechanical filter media. Directly after the entry into the filter, the water is swirled through the cylindrical rings and is evenly distributed causing the coarse dirt particles to sink to the bottom, 
Next it flows through round balls which offer optimum surface area for bacteria colonisation.  Finally it flows thorough a finer sponge and floss.
 
I do have carbon in one of my filters but I don't deem it to be necessary.
 
My larger tanks both run with a Vecton Uv Steriliser as well, which has without question helped with water quality and fish health.  I know there's a couple of schools of thought on this about it possibly killing beneficial bacteria but the amount it kills is limited compared to any free floating pathogens and algae.  Do not run one of these whilst cycling a tank and filter.

Unfortunately the canister that I got didn't have a UV light into it. Will have to look into getting one after the 75 is cycled. There was a canister I was looking at and didn't get it based on the research and cost of the item.  Good thoughts!

 

[Far_King]

I use an inline UV : http/www.charterhouse-aquatics.co.uk/sterilisers-vecton-c-30_233.html?osCsid=b15675d224968cefe2eaed6d0985fd56

 

[NickAu]

I run a canister filter on both my tanks, 2 x 1200 LPH on the six footer and 800 LPH on the 2 footer, In the bottom tray I run a sponge and in the rest I run biohome media
 

BIOHOME Filter Media | Genesis Group International

 

[Akasha72]

There has been lots of posts on this thread but I just wanted to add something further.
 
All filters perform differently - canister filters especially. Some draw the dirty water into the top and some draw it to the bottom. My own canister filter draws dirty water down the sides and then to the bottom and then up the middle compartments through differing filter mediums so that the ultimate cleaning performance is created. 
 
Before choosing which media to use I think it's best to learn how your own specific filter works and not to try to work against that. Filter manufacturers design their filters to work in certain ways and provide the media in the correct order for that filter to be able to do it's job effectively.
 
I do agree though that there is no need to use carbon unless you are trying to remove medication. I also think that whilst UV sterilizers have their place and are good at what they do they are not really necessary on a basic aquarium set up.
 
Just my thoughts