before i buy new canister filter

Before I buy my new canister. It's a aquatop cf-500uv it only comes with mechanical foam pieces. should I buy aquatops media there activated carbon ceramic rings and bio balls. I should I try a different brands media in my canister.

 

I bought whatever was cheaper at the time from Amazon

 

that is the great thing about canister filters. you can add whatever you want!

 

Yeah I'm trying to see if some other brand offers better quality of media. People all ways tell me they mix and match there stuff. Just seeing if there stuff is just as good as every one elses. The aquatop cf-500 comes web for media trays. so I've got quite a bit of media to buy.

 

I haven't bought any for my aquatop yet, but in my HOBs I use Eheim Ehfisubstrat, they are ceramic balls and they've worked well for me.

 

I like the fluval active carbon if you want to add carbon. other than that I'm using the stuff that came with my filter. I switched to fluval cuz the carbon that came with my jbj was not good, very messy.

 

Yeah I was looking at fluval today. unfortunately it was at petsmart that place sucks.

 

I watched a video today about the aquatop media. And just like the aquaclear they have the carbon and bio media in bags. When the guy placed the media in it didn't cover the whole basket. Do you guy and girls fill up the whole basket of media of your choosing. Well filling up the basket slow down the flow rate. I'm getting the 500 so it has 529 gph. What dose fishlore have to say.

 

mine still have some space, I think all of them do. just do your best to spread them as much as possible. I use 3 bags in my jbj rated for 100g. if you put to much you could slow the flow to much, and hurt you filters motor or propeller.

you should look into inline heaters. one of the best part of canisters.

 

Ok so the filter I have has an extra tray. Should I get double of one or should I take a look at putting something else in the extra tray.

 

what do you have in there already?

you could do more bio or another sponge.

 

I haven't bought it yet I wanna buy every thing at once. I was thinking double bio 1 tray ceramic rings and 1 tray bio balls.

 

how many trays dose it come with?

the only prob with loading up on bio media is. if you want to add something to remove nitrates or want to add active carbon if you don't have a open tray you will have to take out the bio media to fit it in. so its kinda a good idea to leave a tray, not open but with something easy to remove like a sponge.

 

In my Aquatop CF400UV I filled the bottom tray with 1 box of fluval ceramic pre-filter media, the middle tray with 2 boxes of fluval biomax, and the top tray with the stuff from my old hob and a polishing pad. This way I still have plenty of room for carbon and such in the top tray. It's working out great so far.

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It has 4 trays plus a UV light so its like having 5 trays in a way.

 

I would do two with bio media. and then two with sponges or one with active carbon if you want.