Regular Member Carolinedoodle Posted January 5, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted January 5, 2008 Can anyone tell me about filter media... I just got a new Fluval 205 which I'm about to start a fishless cycle wish, and it has come with carbon and little white 'biomax' (I think) things to put in each compartment. How much do I have to put in, just one packet in each? I'm sure I read something about taking carbon out after a while. Any help much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member claire_uk Posted January 5, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted January 5, 2008 Hi I have a Fluval 305 and dont use the carbon in it, I dont think you need it for cycling. I stuffed the compartments with biomax, and bought some sintered glass as I heard it was good. I also used some spare bio balls that I had. Yours has 2 compartments doesnt it? There are Fluval medias that you can buy, but I found them quite expensive. I like my Fluval, doesnt get clogged up and has been running a year this month, no problems (touch wood) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin koko Posted January 5, 2008 Admin Share Posted January 5, 2008 My canisters are just bio balls and filter padding, i will only add carbon to the HOB filters this way allot easier to take it out when its been used up . Oh and you can get filter floss and put that in the canister so much cheaper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Carolinedoodle Posted January 5, 2008 Author Regular Member Share Posted January 5, 2008 Ok so should I leave the carbon in, take it out, or does it make no difference either way? It has three compartments, two with white biomax stuff and the bottom one with carbon black stuff in packets in there, so I assume that means they're in the right ones. It also came with a free box of other filter media! This contains... 6 packs of water polishing pads (says remove after 7 to 10 days) 3 packs of carbon (replace monthly) 3 packs of ammonia remover (replace monthly) Obviously I won't be touching the ammonia remover as it'd definitely mess up the cycling, hehe. I think maybe I should just leave the carbon and two lots of biomax in? (I assume it's biomax, it looks most like it from the photos!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Carolinedoodle Posted January 5, 2008 Author Regular Member Share Posted January 5, 2008 My canisters are just bio balls and filter padding, i will only add carbon to the HOB filters this way allot easier to take it out when its been used up . Oh and you can get filter floss and put that in the canister so much cheaper Oops didn't see this reply! So just the biomax then, I won't bother with the carbon! I assume I still need to put something in the compartment that had carbon in? So I need to buy another pack of biomax off ebay! Bio balls are biomax stuff yeah? This is all confusing, I know nothing about these big external filters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin koko Posted January 5, 2008 Admin Share Posted January 5, 2008 If its already in there hun, dont worry just take it out when u clean it, if it isnt just place fliter floss or pads in that chamber much less pricey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member claire_uk Posted January 5, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted January 5, 2008 If you already have two compartments with biomax in I would put Bioballs in the final compartment. Bio Balls are different, they lookk like this: http://www.wonbrothers.com/images/bio%20ball.gif. You can buy these from local stores (maidenhead aquatics in Sefton Meadows sell them) You can put the polishing pads on the top compartment and they will last longer than 7-10 days, I turn mine over after 2 weeks and change once a month. I find that it is cheaper to just buy the filter floss and put that in instead works the same. Externalsare great, can stuff them full of media! Easier to maintain as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Carolinedoodle Posted January 5, 2008 Author Regular Member Share Posted January 5, 2008 I live by Sefton Meadows! Think we've discussed that though Ah I see, my other filter which came with the tank "working" but is broken, has those balls in it! So I can take the balls out of the old filter and put them in the bottom instead of opening the packet of carbon. And take one pack of biomax out and put polishing pads in instead? Or do they go in with the top layer of biomax? Sorry for the stupid questions, there are no instructions and I trust here more than googling how to do it! Thanks for all the help so far Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Carolinedoodle Posted January 5, 2008 Author Regular Member Share Posted January 5, 2008 P.S filter floss... is that just the foam pads? Or is this another media available? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Daniel Posted January 5, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted January 5, 2008 hi caroline filter floss is different to the sponge here is a pic. It comes in different degrees this is a fine filter floss but can come in coarse as it also comes in different colours my brother has some pink floss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin koko Posted January 5, 2008 Admin Share Posted January 5, 2008 there's even the one kind u can get that is like batting and is allot cheaper than that one dan is talking about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member claire_uk Posted January 6, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted January 6, 2008 Yer, I remembered that you were from Formby! yer you can just take the bio balls out of the broken filter and put them in the new one, I would put them in the middle compartment, bio max top and bottom and put filter floss or pads over the bio max in the top compartment. Not stupid questions, its hard when you get a new filter, you dont know what can go in it! In Sefton meadows you can get a box of filter floss by Marina for ?3.99 for 100g, which will last a while. (Mine does!) The pads by Fluval are expensive, and the floss does just as good a job. I think that the Pet shop in Formby may have some filter floss in too, but I cant rem. from when I was last in. I am going in this week though, so will have a look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Carolinedoodle Posted January 6, 2008 Author Regular Member Share Posted January 6, 2008 The pet shop in Formby sold me two fish that had dropsy within a few days so I don't shop there anymore if I can help it, I use one in Southport! I need to go to Sefton Meadows anyway though so will get some of this Marina filter floss then, thanks a lot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member claire_uk Posted January 6, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted January 6, 2008 The shop in formby village? My Tiny Tim is from there, and I havent noticed any problems, it used to be bad though. I dont like the shop in Southport anymore, on the hill, I noticed the quality had dropped and they werent looking after the goldies like they used to. Sefton Meadows had lots of new fish in the other day, dont be swayed to much! lol. Hope you get your filter up and running, stuff it with all media! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Carolinedoodle Posted January 6, 2008 Author Regular Member Share Posted January 6, 2008 Your Tiny Tim is adorable they must've got better, it's been about 3 years since I got the dropsy fish. Just found out my filter actually has 4 compartments, there was an extra hidden one at the bottom! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member claire_uk Posted January 6, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted January 6, 2008 Yer, they are much better, you should go on, they had some beautiful calico ryukins in just b4 xmas, I so want one. (brain is ticking over, thinking can I fit one more in if...) How strange, my Fluval 305 has three compartments (baskets), and 1 sponge thing (holds 4). Yours is smaller than mine and has more space! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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