Getting Rid Of Bits In The Water

[ShinySideUp]

I run an Fluval FX5 and have been using a polishing pad in the bottom basket to get rid of the small bits of rubbish that the Clown loaches chuck up when they eat, however it's always getting blovked and I have to take the filter apart and clean or replace the polishing pad; and that filter is big and heavy.
 
So I've adopted a new strategy and taken the polishing pad out altogether so the filter is unlikely to get blocked for months on end and instead I've installed a Fluval U4 internal filter with all it's normal guts removed and a whole load of fine filter wool installed instead and it's working a treat.
 
I was worried the filter wouldn't be big enough (I have a six foot, 640 litre tank) to cope with the bits but it's doing very well plus the water is being moved around a lot more too as it's flow in unimpeded by the forest of Vallisnaria plants I have at the other end of the tank.
 
The Fluval U4 is not particularly intrusive either, due to it's dark colour I hardly notice it at all.
 
The Fluval U4 -- recommended by me (for what it's worth).

 

[frapadoodle]

Well, I just had one of those, 'you're an idiot' moments.
I like to overfilter and run floss to polish, but just never thought to cram a filter wirh floss and use it as a polisher.
Yep, i'm an idiot.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Good idea, a nice tip and recommendation for others to learn from.
 
I have had Fluval U filters before and does exactly what its supposed to do, easy access and very straightforward to maintain.
 
They are pretty decent filters alright, only negative is its a bit bulky and can look big inside the tank but you get used to it and is worth it!

 

[Stimo]

when you say bottom basket is that the first layer the water hits ? if so that might be why it doesn't last very long.
I run filter floss above the other mechanical media so water hits coarse media then medium then fine and then the floss.
After this is where my biological media sits as the water is as clean as possible before hitting it keeping it clean and free of muck getting the best possible performance from it.

 

[KirkyArcher]

FX5 and FX6 water flow is from top to bottom through the media, most other filters the intake of water goes directly to the bottom of the filter housing and is drawn up through the media and back into the tank

 

[ShinySideUp]

when you say bottom basket is that the first layer the water hits ? if so that might be why it doesn't last very long.
I run filter floss above the other mechanical media so water hits coarse media then medium then fine and then the floss.
After this is where my biological media sits as the water is as clean as possible before hitting it keeping it clean and free of muck getting the best possible performance from it.

 
As KirkyArcher says, bottom basket is the last, the impeller sits just underneath (where my colony of tiny snails live

).