What Filter Media Do You Use?

[vinylman]

What it says on the tin, really. I have a TetraTec EX700 and a 600 running on a 48'' x 18'' x 15'' tank. Mainly Cardinals, Harlequin Rasbora, Rosy Tetras and Corys and not heavily stocked; decent amount of plants. All media is as supplied: four trays in the 700, three in the 600. Have any of you tweaked or changed the media you're using, or have any suggestions?. What would be best in each filter, bearing in mind that there's a LOT of room for media in the 700; should I use a certain type of media in each filter?. Not dissatisfied in any way, just wondering if they can be improved. Leaving for home shortly, but I'll be back here at work monday morning. Give me LOTS to read, please.

 

[Truck]

What it says on the tin, really. I have a TetraTec EX700 and a 600 running on a 48'' x 18'' x 15'' tank. Mainly Cardinals, Harlequin Rasbora, Rosy Tetras and Corys and not heavily stocked. All media is as supplied: four trays in the 700, three in the 600. Have any of you tweaked or changed the media you're using, or have any suggestions?. What would be best in each filter, bearing in mind that there's a LOT of room for media in the 700; should I use a certain type of media in each filter?. Not dissatisfied in any way, just wondering if they can be improved. Leaving for home shortly, but I'll be back here at work monday morning. Give me LOTS to read, please.

i would fill 2 trays with ceramics 1 with sponges and 1 with floss.
or 1 with ceramics 1 with half ceramics and half sponge, and 1 floss

 

[rabbut]

Never personally felt the need to tweak them, but if I did, I'd probibly swap the tray with all foam for one of Bio-balls/bio-ceramics, or some other more specialist media for a specific set-up with more demanding requirements for say pH and hardness, in which case in would go Peat or similar... For a general trop tank though, the standord media is perfectly fine IMO

One tweak I have done on both the new EX600 and my establised EX1200's is to move the Bioballs to the top tray, and all the others down. This stops the dedicated bio-media getting as mucky as fast, hence reducing the need to clean it and disturbing as many bacteria.

All the best
Rabbut

 

[JustKia]

Ceramics topped with floss.
I use a Fluval 405, first thing the water goes through is a wall of coarse sponge, then I've put ceramics in the bottom 3 baskets and floss in the top.
Sponges filter out the bigger particles, and provide a place for bacteria. Ceramics are great for the bacteria and the floss to catch any small particles and keep the water nice and clear.
Unless you have some special requirements I personal opinion is that simple is best.