Filter Media

[190MPH]

Hello all. My wife and I just went for the throat with a new 72g bowfront and stand. I've gotten most of the accessories, some black sand coming, etc. The filter is a Penn Plax 1200. My question is about the media. Right now it seems to have 2 different floss trays, and one carbon tray. Most of what I've read seems to suggest not using carbon. What would your recommendations be as far as other media?

 

[AdAndrews]

its really up to what you experiment with and find best, but if it were me, i would get rid of the carbon and use filter floss, keeps the water very clear, then have a regular sponge and if you have room, try and fit in some ceramic rings so that you will have a larger surface area for bacteria to live

 

[OldMan47]

It looks like that filter has a nice big basket that they would have devoted to carbon. Since it is after the initial sponge filter in the sequence, I would be looking at ceramic biological media of some sort. Your LFS will have several to choose from and most of the loose bio-material will work about equally well in that location.

 

[190MPH]

If I get the bio rings, can they be put in loosely, or do they need to be in a bag?

 

[OldMan47]

After they are rinsed, the bio ring things can be loosely poured into the basket.

 

[Paavn]

would it better to put cereamic media before a polyfiber sponge or after?

 

[Behold]

Carbon is fine for use if you don't have live plants as it removes chemicals and can keep water clear.

Personally you want some sort of ceramic bio balls or rings these also act as mechanical filtering of the big bits. then some fine-ish sponge media for more bio and mechanical filtering topped with floss for pure mechanical filtering to clean the fine particals.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

there's an excellent topic here with info on filter media if you've not already found it http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=139488

not familiar with your particular make/model of filter to advise on it, but in general terms here's what I do

around two thirds of all the media is biological, things like bio-max, ceramic rings etc

then the remaining thirs od the media divide into thirds again, two thirds of it should be a fairly dense sponge for mech filtration and the remaining third filter floxx to catch the fine particles.

then work out how the water flows through your filter, some it goes up and some it goes down!

The mechanical media should come first, this catches most of the muck and waste, then the bio media and lastly the filter floss to polish the fine particles out of the water.

the floss can be replaced every couple of weeks when it gets manky, the rest of the media will onyl ever need replacing if it totally disintegrats, sponges and ceramic media can last for 10 years + easily. It just wants a brief rinse out in water from the tank whenever the flow rate from the filter drops, the frequency of cleans will depend on how heavily stocked you are so play it by ear.

 

[OldMan47]

I googled it MW. It is set up about like a Rena XP2.

 

[waterdrop]

would it better to put cereamic media before a polyfiber sponge or after?

Ceramic rings are often place before the first coarse sponge in the water path. They can slow the water down, trapping a few large particles or clumps and randomize the water paths. At the same time, the ceramic surfaces provide excellent areas for the chemoautotrophic bacteria to attach and form biofilms.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Paavn]

thanks waterdrop