Filter Media Advice!

[Fats]

I have an AR850 with the wet/dry filter in the hood. I would like to know if anyone else has one of these and has modified it in anyway?

The setup consists of stage 1-fine filter wool attached to a tray with carbon in it(which you have to replace every 4 weeks). Stage 2-coarse sponge. Stage 3-ceramic noodle.

I always thought it would be the other way round with the coarse media being first with the filter wool being the final stage to polish the water,because the filter cloggs really quickly being the first media in the filter,is this setup this way so you keep buying the poly wool carbon trays??

I would appreciate any help or advice how i could modify it in anyway,i have bought loads of poly wool sheets which i just cut to size instead of keep buying the trays every 4 weeks,but this again gloggs really quickly.

Thanks
Ian

 

[yvez9]

Can't you just change the order of the media?
It makes sense to put coarse filter first and fine filter last.
I can't find any info on what filter actually runs in there but it looks to be the kind of filter where you insert cartridges vertically. I had one like that and just cut a sponge to fit in it.

Handled bio and mechanical. When it needed replacing, I just cut out half and put a new half in. Although sponges tend to last for years

 

[Fats]

Hi yvez9,thanks for your reply you put the media in horizontally top layer wool and carbon tray,coarse sponge then bio media. there is 2 lots of each of these with a spay bar above both sets spraying the water down onto them. It may be fine i dont know. I will have a play around with it,see how it goes.

Thank again

Ian

 

[doresy]

I have this very tank.

Do away with the first cartridge (polywool/carbon) Only to be used to remove water staining (from bog wood) or old medications. These expensive cartidges only benifit the LFS/Aquaone's profits

My set up in each chamber, from top to bottom. Thin layer of wool (cheap from the pond section or eBay), thin coarse foam, layer of noodles, thick medium foam, finally a another thin layer of wool at the bottom.

Final tip.......I pulled all the wool off the cartridges, emptied out the carbon then carefully scraped away the webbing then used the trays to hold the layer of noodles. This allows easy removal and cleaning

 

[Fats]

I have this very tank.

Do away with the first cartridge (polywool/carbon) Only to be used to remove water staining (from bog wood) or old medications. These expensive cartidges only benifit the LFS/Aquaone's profits

My set up in each chamber, from top to bottom. Thin layer of wool (cheap from the pond section or eBay), thin coarse foam, layer of noodles, thick medium foam, finally a another thin layer of wool at the bottom.

Final tip.......I pulled all the wool off the cartridges, emptied out the carbon then carefully scraped away the webbing then used the trays to hold the layer of noodles. This allows easy removal and cleaning

Hi Doresy,i have already emptied out the carbon and removed webbing,one of the first things i did to the old ones i had,it came with a spare set so i put them in,threres noway im going to buying replacements anyway,im using filter wool on the top at the moment which i bought from ebay pre-cut which ive just been replacing when they get filthy,im waiting for some substrat pro which im going to put in the trays ive already cleaned out. Did you get your medium and coarse sponge from ebay aswell would be grateful if you could send me a link. has your filter setup reduced the flow rate at all?

Thanks for the advice Doresy much appreciated

Ian

 

[doresy]

I have this very tank.

Do away with the first cartridge (polywool/carbon) Only to be used to remove water staining (from bog wood) or old medications. These expensive cartidges only benifit the LFS/Aquaone's profits

My set up in each chamber, from top to bottom. Thin layer of wool (cheap from the pond section or eBay), thin coarse foam, layer of noodles, thick medium foam, finally a another thin layer of wool at the bottom.

Final tip.......I pulled all the wool off the cartridges, emptied out the carbon then carefully scraped away the webbing then used the trays to hold the layer of noodles. This allows easy removal and cleaning

Hi Doresy,i have already emptied out the carbon and removed webbing,one of the first things i did to the old ones i had,it came with a spare set so i put them in,threres noway im going to buying replacements anyway,im using filter wool on the top at the moment which i bought from ebay pre-cut which ive just been replacing when they get filthy,im waiting for some substrat pro which im going to put in the trays ive already cleaned out. Did you get your medium and coarse sponge from ebay aswell would be grateful if you could send me a link. has your filter setup reduced the flow rate at all?

Thanks for the advice Doresy much appreciated

Ian

Hi, the coarse and medium foam came from the pond section of any LFS. I purchase most of that kind of thing from the pond section. It's larger and cheaper than the prepacked/cut rip-offs and it's so easy to cut (I use an electric carving knife) I share it with fellow fish kepping friends....each little helps!

The flow is unrestricted as long as you rinse out the wool layers at each water change which should be done anyway

 

[Fats]

I have this very tank.

Do away with the first cartridge (polywool/carbon) Only to be used to remove water staining (from bog wood) or old medications. These expensive cartidges only benifit the LFS/Aquaone's profits

My set up in each chamber, from top to bottom. Thin layer of wool (cheap from the pond section or eBay), thin coarse foam, layer of noodles, thick medium foam, finally a another thin layer of wool at the bottom.

Final tip.......I pulled all the wool off the cartridges, emptied out the carbon then carefully scraped away the webbing then used the trays to hold the layer of noodles. This allows easy removal and cleaning

Hi Doresy,i have already emptied out the carbon and removed webbing,one of the first things i did to the old ones i had,it came with a spare set so i put them in,threres noway im going to buying replacements anyway,im using filter wool on the top at the moment which i bought from ebay pre-cut which ive just been replacing when they get filthy,im waiting for some substrat pro which im going to put in the trays ive already cleaned out. Did you get your medium and coarse sponge from ebay aswell would be grateful if you could send me a link. has your filter setup reduced the flow rate at all?

Thanks for the advice Doresy much appreciated

Ian

Hi, the coarse and medium foam came from the pond section of any LFS. I purchase most of that kind of thing from the pond section. It's larger and cheaper than the prepacked/cut rip-offs and it's so easy to cut (I use an electric carving knife) I share it with fellow fish kepping friends....each little helps!

The flow is unrestricted as long as you rinse out the wool layers at each water change which should be done anyway

Do you mean this kind of stuff? Pond filter media or this Pond filter media

I always clean my filter media in tank water apart from the filter wool which i just replace because it more or less stays the same when i squeeze it out,rubbish quality i suppose.

Thanks
Ian

 

[doresy]

I have this very tank.

Do away with the first cartridge (polywool/carbon) Only to be used to remove water staining (from bog wood) or old medications. These expensive cartidges only benifit the LFS/Aquaone's profits

My set up in each chamber, from top to bottom. Thin layer of wool (cheap from the pond section or eBay), thin coarse foam, layer of noodles, thick medium foam, finally a another thin layer of wool at the bottom.

Final tip.......I pulled all the wool off the cartridges, emptied out the carbon then carefully scraped away the webbing then used the trays to hold the layer of noodles. This allows easy removal and cleaning

Hi Doresy,i have already emptied out the carbon and removed webbing,one of the first things i did to the old ones i had,it came with a spare set so i put them in,threres noway im going to buying replacements anyway,im using filter wool on the top at the moment which i bought from ebay pre-cut which ive just been replacing when they get filthy,im waiting for some substrat pro which im going to put in the trays ive already cleaned out. Did you get your medium and coarse sponge from ebay aswell would be grateful if you could send me a link. has your filter setup reduced the flow rate at all?

Thanks for the advice Doresy much appreciated

Ian

Hi, the coarse and medium foam came from the pond section of any LFS. I purchase most of that kind of thing from the pond section. It's larger and cheaper than the prepacked/cut rip-offs and it's so easy to cut (I use an electric carving knife) I share it with fellow fish kepping friends....each little helps!

The flow is unrestricted as long as you rinse out the wool layers at each water change which should be done anyway

Do you mean this kind of stuff? Pond filter media or this Pond filter media

I always clean my filter media in tank water apart from the filter wool which i just replace because it more or less stays the same when i squeeze it out,rubbish quality i suppose.

Thanks
Ian

That'll be the second type although I managed to just get the black (not carbon impregnated) type about an inch thick using a slice full thickness and a slice half thickness.

 

[Fats]

I have this very tank.

Do away with the first cartridge (polywool/carbon) Only to be used to remove water staining (from bog wood) or old medications. These expensive cartidges only benifit the LFS/Aquaone's profits

My set up in each chamber, from top to bottom. Thin layer of wool (cheap from the pond section or eBay), thin coarse foam, layer of noodles, thick medium foam, finally a another thin layer of wool at the bottom.

Final tip.......I pulled all the wool off the cartridges, emptied out the carbon then carefully scraped away the webbing then used the trays to hold the layer of noodles. This allows easy removal and cleaning

Hi Doresy,i have already emptied out the carbon and removed webbing,one of the first things i did to the old ones i had,it came with a spare set so i put them in,threres noway im going to buying replacements anyway,im using filter wool on the top at the moment which i bought from ebay pre-cut which ive just been replacing when they get filthy,im waiting for some substrat pro which im going to put in the trays ive already cleaned out. Did you get your medium and coarse sponge from ebay aswell would be grateful if you could send me a link. has your filter setup reduced the flow rate at all?

Thanks for the advice Doresy much appreciated

Ian

Hi, the coarse and medium foam came from the pond section of any LFS. I purchase most of that kind of thing from the pond section. It's larger and cheaper than the prepacked/cut rip-offs and it's so easy to cut (I use an electric carving knife) I share it with fellow fish kepping friends....each little helps!

The flow is unrestricted as long as you rinse out the wool layers at each water change which should be done anyway

Do you mean this kind of stuff? Pond filter media or this Pond filter media

I always clean my filter media in tank water apart from the filter wool which i just replace because it more or less stays the same when i squeeze it out,rubbish quality i suppose.

Thanks
Ian

That'll be the second type although I managed to just get the black (not carbon impregnated) type about an inch thick using a slice full thickness and a slice half thickness.

I will sort some out then..thanks for all your help mate.

Ian