Alternative Filter Media Setup

[MissFree 40]

Hello everyone;

I did some reading about using a different choice of media in filters. I understand the benefits and the simplicity of it. My problem is now that I have the opportunity to do it I feel like an idiot because I don't know where the heck to start, lol.

I bought a whole box of ceramic media, enough to last me through the next couple of years. I also have the padding for the filter cartridges by tetra. I guess I was supposed to slide the cartridge into the filter pad and clip it back in... won't be doing that.

I have a bio-wheel emperor filter. I know that I can try to 'seed' the new filter pads by putting the two together. Where exactly do I put the ceramic media?

I have a AQ 110 ... do I just skip the carbon layer, replace it with the filter pad and put the ceramic rings on top?

Finally with my Fluval 406, what's the best way to arrange the media baskets since it appears that I'll be taking out two trays of carbon? I know the sponge is at the bottom, ... where do I go from there upwards?

Thanks in advance.

[waterfaller1 824]

I am not sure about the emporer, never had one. But in the AC just place the media in a small mesh bag. In the fluval go coarse sponge, media, fine sponge{polisher}

[DieselPlower 2,123]

I would run the fine sponge before the biomedia. No sense clogging up the biomedia with debris

[fingers 1,350]

I run my canisters..bottom to top. Coarse sponge,ceramic rings,bio balls, fine filter floss!!

hope this helps!:-)

[Mikey 6,780]

I don't use emperors as I personally don't like them. That's just my opinion though. My favorite filters are Aquaclears and my SunSun canister.

In the AC, use the sponge it came with on the bottom, marineland blue/white padding on top of that, micron padding above the marineland padding, and then all of the bio media you can fit in the filter

[Daniel E. 10,021]

Wrong thread

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

Edited May 14, 2014 by Daniel E.

[MissFree 40]

I don't use emperors as I personally don't like them. That's just my opinion though. My favorite filters are Aquaclears and my SunSun canister.

In the AC, use the sponge it came with on the bottom, marineland blue/white padding on top of that, micron padding above the marineland padding, and then all of the bio media you can fit in the filter

Hi Mikey, I wanted to change the emporer to the AC 110 but I was low on funds at the time. Eventually I will switch it out.

[tithra 4,917]

With any filter, you want the water to first hit any coarse media, then fine filter media, and finally any biomedia last before it dumps back into the tank. With HOBS this is typically a bottom up configuration (with your coarse padding on the bottom, biomedia on the top). With the fluval 406, the water is first running through those large foam pads on the input side, then down to the bottom and up through the black foam etc. So, you want your biomedia on top of those black foam pieces.

holy wow that picture came out big!

[Mikey 6,780]

Oh no! I didn't say stop using it. I just meant I like the AC 110 Over them. You have the emperor and AC 110 on your tank now, right? And I believe you said it was a 70 gallon bow? Or you were told it was and it wasn't? I'm having a brain fart on that you should have enough filtration up to I believe a 90 gallon tank with those two combined. (AC 500gph and emperor is 400gph if I am not mistaken)

Edited May 15, 2014 by Mikey

[MissFree 40]

I would run the fine sponge before the biomedia. No sense clogging up the biomedia with debris

I run my canisters..bottom to top. Coarse sponge,ceramic rings,bio balls, fine filter floss!!

hope this helps!:-)

Thanks for the good ideas. I have to double check to see how many baskets I have.

Have you ever seen it where there is fine filter floss on top of the baskets that house the ceramic rings?

Picture two baskets each with ceramic rings and filter floss on top of each one.

[MissFree 40]

Oh no! I didn't say stop using it. I just meant I like the AC 110 Over them. You have the emperor and AC 110 on your tank now, right? And I believe you said it was a 70 gallon bow? Or you were told it was and it wasn't? I'm having a brain fart on that you should have enough filtration up to I believe a 90 gallon tank with those two combined. (AC 500gph and emperor is 400gph if I am not mistaken)

LOL,No I just like to keep within the same brands, weird I know. I wanted to change it when I first started doing research

I have a Fluval 206 and the Emporer on my 55 gallon.

I bought a Fluval 406 and the AC 110 for what I thought was a 90 gallon, it's actually a 72 gallon

[Mikey 6,780]

Oh no! I didn't say stop using it. I just meant I like the AC 110 Over them. You have the emperor and AC 110 on your tank now, right? And I believe you said it was a 70 gallon bow? Or you were told it was and it wasn't? I'm having a brain fart on that you should have enough filtration up to I believe a 90 gallon tank with those two combined. (AC 500gph and emperor is 400gph if I am not mistaken)

LOL,No I just like to keep within the same brands, weird I know. I wanted to change it when I first started doing research

I have a Fluval 206 and the Emporer on my 55 gallon.

I bought a Fluval 406 and the AC 110 for what I thought was a 90 gallon, it's actually a 72 gallon

lol not weird! In the same way. Haha I want another canister filter to match mine that should be plenty filtration on a 55 with the canister and hob

And also good with the filtration on the 72!

[MissFree 40]

With any filter, you want the water to first hit any coarse media, then fine filter media, and finally any biomedia last before it dumps back into the tank. With HOBS this is typically a bottom up configuration (with your coarse padding on the bottom, biomedia on the top). With the fluval 406, the water is first running through those large foam pads on the input side, then down to the bottom and up through the black foam etc. So, you want your biomedia on top of those black foam pieces.

holy wow that picture came out big!

Hi Tithra!

It was actually your videos on YouTube. My boyfriend is complaining about me doing research. He knows that when I do research I have projects ahead. I think that I need to find some good fine floss, if you can recommend some. Then again I'll watch the video again in a minute just to make sure I do this surgery on the filter cartridges correct.

Is it ok if I PM you if I need help? Pretty please?

[tithra 4,917]

You can always pm me, but if you need specific help it's best to post on the forum so that you can get more opinions (as much as up like to think mines the only one that counts ), and so that others can learn from your questions

In my hob I just use the marine land rite size bonded filter padding and then I add some of that stuff in my 406 in place of the carbon as well

[DieselPlower 2,123]

I would run the fine sponge before the biomedia. No sense clogging up the biomedia with debris

I run my canisters..bottom to top. Coarse sponge,ceramic rings,bio balls, fine filter floss!!

hope this helps!:-)

Thanks for the good ideas. I have to double check to see how many baskets I have.

Have you ever seen it where there is fine filter floss on top of the baskets that house the ceramic rings?

Picture two baskets each with ceramic rings and filter floss on top of each one.

No I have not seen that but that doesn't mean no-one has ever tried it. All my reading has however told me that you do mechanical filtration first and then biofiltration. I would not put filter floss on top of the biomedia. Under it, sure why not, if you think the previous layers of mechanical filtration are not sufficient. Keep in mind, the more material you stuff in there, the more your flow will go down. I would also like to note that biofiltration inside of a closed container is nit going to be nearly as effective as in an open container such as an HOB. The bugs that process the ammonia and nitrite are up to ten times more effective in an oxygen rich environment. I do not have a source for that info at the moment but I did read it from a reliable source.

[fingers 1,350]

I use fine pond filter floss in the top basket to give a final polish to the water!! conventional I don't know!...works for me!

I use undergravels too!!...once again works for me!

Edited May 15, 2014 by fingers