How Is Your External Filter ...................

[Stimo]

Currently I'm set up with coarse sponge followed by ceramic rings then carbon but I'm thinking of adding some floss and possibly losing the carbon

 
carbon isn't needed unless getting rid of meds and tanning from bog wood so I'd lose it and make room for something else.
 
yours sounds like there isn't anything pulling finer debris from water

I have some lovely volcanic rock samples which look micro-porous, hmmmm.

 
could be worth a go making sure waters clean before hitting it?

 

[Puffer_Nat]

 
carbon isn't needed unless getting rid of meds and tanning from bog wood so I'd lose it and make room for something else.
 
yours sounds like there isn't anything pulling finer debris from water
 

 
Yeah I think I'll just replace the carbon with floss. The filter came with carbon so I just went with it to start with but been planning on adding floss at some point just haven't actually done it yet

 

[Vectorous]

I've got Fluval 305... First basket I've got coarse sponge, second basket, bags of black stick things? (Looks like chocolate sprinkles, lol) and top basket is ceramic rings/tubes... I obviously need to improve my setup, what should I go out to the store and buy?

 

[Stimo]

 

 
carbon isn't needed unless getting rid of meds and tanning from bog wood so I'd lose it and make room for something else.
 
yours sounds like there isn't anything pulling finer debris from water
 

 
Yeah I think I'll just replace the carbon with floss. The filter came with carbon so I just went with it to start with but been planning on adding floss at some point just haven't actually done it yet
 

 
just try to get the water as clean as you can before it reaches the biological media hopefully preventing it getting clogged quicker than it should do.
obviously you shouldn't neglect regular filter maintenance just trying to keep it running at a max

I've got Fluval 305... First basket I've got coarse sponge, second basket, bags of black stick things? (Looks like chocolate sprinkles, lol) and top basket is ceramic rings/tubes... I obviously need to improve my setup, what should I go out to the store and buy?

 
im unfamiliar with this filter mine have always been eheim.
watching the video higher up in the post is really all you need in my eyes.
start with coarse sponge then medium to fine maybe a little filter floss to take very fine particles out that should get the water nice and clean ready for when it hits the biological media preventing it getting clogged up with crap thats it.
black stick things sounds like activated carbon which isn't needed and should be removed unless removing medication or tanning from water.

 

[KirkyArcher]

Looking at this: http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLg2MuAaWXQ  it seems no, there aren't extra sponges in the trays of media, just a carbon bag which I don't have or want. Maybe it would be a good idea to take the media out of the tray for carbon and put sponge in there?

The Fluval #05 series filters didn't come with BioFoam sponges, just the four sponges that fit in the separate cassettes, they can now be retrofitted for use in the bottom basket, it's just logical thinking to have as little as possible dirt getting in amongst the biological media and clogging the honeycomb and Pores in your Bio media where you actually want the masses of nitrifying bacterial to be living, if there is less room for bacteria because the pores are full of poo you stand increased chances of ammonia spikes and mini cycles going on. A top layer of floss will soon clogg up itself and prevent. Do all your mechanical filtration first, get a good healthy mass of bacteria established in clean ceramic media for the best results.

 

[Puffer_Nat]

 
just try to get the water as clean as you can before it reaches the biological media hopefully preventing it getting clogged quicker than it should do.obviously you shouldn't neglect regular filter maintenance just trying to keep it running at a max

 
Like I said, I'll be getting some floss in there soon and more than likely remove the carbon. No problems yet as I've had one fish in there for a week so far so not a vast amount of crap going through the filter just yet

 

[Alasse]

1 of mine just runs Seachem Matrix and Ceramic rings. The others all gave some foam in them, generally coarse

 

[AquaPit]

So.. if i want to get rid of tannins, charcoal should be placed last at the filtering stage?

 

[Stimo]

So.. if i want to get rid of tannins, charcoal should be placed last at the filtering stage?

 i wouldn't personally put it on top of biological media as this could clog it up
 
I'd put it on top of fine filter media under biological

 

[coolie]

 
 

 
Thanks for the tips about the Fluval filters, so if I understand you, you can put a foam sponge in the bottom tray because presumably the water moves up through those trays and out the top?

 

[KirkyArcher]

Yes, 406 Fluval BioFoam will fit in your 405 baskets, and yes water flows down the side of the cassette with the long foams in, then its drawn up through the baskets

 

[eduller]

Any advice if your filter only has one basket?
 
I haven't actually started running this filter yet because I'm waiting on my 3D background to dry. I have a Magnum 350 filter (came with the tank) which I have filled with Eheim Ehfilav biomedia. I have the blue filter pad surrounding the media basket as well as a fairly coarse sponge on the filter intake - so 2 levels of mechanical filtration followed by the biomedia. I could conceivably add another layer of foam around the outside of the blue filter pad.
 
This is for a 54 gallon tank which will be pretty lightly stocked.

 

[KirkyArcher]

think you've pretty much nailed it, I'd run it like this video shows including the blue foam but put the bio media in the part of the filter the demonstrator is seen pouring in activated Carbon http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALSznRbPCTY

 

[Gruntle]

I have an Aquis 1000. Set up as follows, bottom to top:
 
Bioballs (small plastic hollow balls covered in slits).
Thin (1/2") filter wool - this was not part of the initial setup, but the bioballs would float up the intake tube and rattle.
First basket has ceramic tubes with a coarse blue filter pad on top.
Second basket has a fine filter pad (black) topped with another piece of filter wool.
Plastic screen on the top to hold everything in place.
 
Monthly maintenance:
The bottom and top filter wool pads get very dirty so I squeeze them out thoroughly in a bucket of tank water during my water change.
If the ceramics look particularly filthy I swish the whole basket around in another bucket of tank water. Saves having to take them out, rinse them and then put them all back.
The other two filter pads get a quick swish in yet another bucket of water, they're usually fairly clean.
Reassemble, prime the canister and away we go!

 

[KirkyArcher]

The very fact that your ceramics look particularly filthy means that the dirt will have clogged all the pores reducing their ability to home as much bacteria, If adequate mechanical filtration is used prior to the ceramics they will remain more efficient for longer and you will only ever need to clean the mechanical filtration, I know it will be hard for many to accept any change especially is they have run a set up for a particular length of time and have good water parameters, but this way pretty much eliminates the chance of any spikes occurring!