What Filter Media To Use?

[phishyphil]

Okay so will be upgrading to an external Cannister Filter and was wondering what to put in the trays, there will be four.

Now from my understanding, there would be no use for carbon rings as these are only for the removal of heavy metals and medications from the water, so only added every few months to keep on top of the metal situation.

Now would I focus on sponges here or add something also like purigen?

Help please

 

[Geoff-]

Carbon won't do anything to "keep on top of the metal situation"... you are planning on doing water changes aren't you? Dissolved metals go down the drain when you change the water..

Carbon's only useful for removing medicines etc from the water on a short term basis. Besides that, forget it.

The 3 aspects of filtration are mechanical, chemical, and biological. Sponges do mechanical and some biological, purigen is chemical, and ceramic noodles / substrat / matrix are biological media.

Seachem recommend placing the biological media last, so the water has already been filtered of solids. This avoids clogging the bio media with fish waste and extends its life. So your filtration order should be Mechanical->Chemical->Biological.

Chemical filtration is not usually necessary, but in some instances it can help. Your focus should be on mechanical (for clear water) and biological (processing nitrogen waste products). Proper media like Matrix is going to be way more effective than bioballs.

 

[kyleb2003]

I set up a similar thread to this about a week ago if you want to look for it, though Geoff's answer is pretty spot on. Carbon does also help to remove tannins if you have any. I had been wasting my money on carbon and have now replaced it with eheim substrat to boost my biological.

 

[phishyphil]

Ahh excellent, well i removed the carbon, washed it and put it to one side in case of it being needed in the future, replaced with filter sponge foams and filter wool. Thanks people