Canister Filter Media Options

Hey guys.

I'm working on my 40B build, and finally got the canister filter out last night and checked it out. Holy cow this thing has the potential to hold a lot of media (just saying, this is my first canister)! I have the Penn Plax Cascade 700. For those unfamiliar, it has two baskets and comes with two floss pads, a coarse sponge pad, and a carbon pack. I'm thinking about running floss pad and coarse sponge in the bottom basket, and floss pad and bio rings (or beads) in the top basket. What do you guys think? What do you use in your own canisters?

 

It depends on where the water comes from. I have the FX4 which has water coming down and up. So I have poly-fil, corse sponge and the rest is media galore.

So you need to figure out where the direction of the water comes from. So it should be mechanical (poly-fil) and then media. Chemical can be placed in between if you use it.

 

It depends on where the water comes from. I have the FX4 which has water coming down and up. So I have poly-fil, corse sponge and the rest is media galore.

So you need to figure out where the direction of the water comes from. So it should be mechanical (poly-fil) and then media. Chemical can be placed in between if you use it.

I believe it said the water filters up. But I'm not sure how it does that.

 

In my Penn Plax 1000 it has 3 baskets. As I run a high tech tank I need lots of flow, and not much bio filtration. Bottom layer is coarse sponge, middle is floss, and then top is bioballs and seachem Matrix. In yours I would do a coarse sponge, then filter floss on the bottom rack, and then your bio media like matrix and if you run mechanical your carbon in there as well

 

In my Penn Plax 1000 it has 3 baskets. As I run a high tech tank I need lots of flow, and not much bio filtration. Bottom layer is coarse sponge, middle is floss, and then top is bioballs and seachem Matrix. In yours I would do a coarse sponge, then filter floss on the bottom rack, and then your bio media like matrix and if you run mechanical your carbon in there as well

So you would just use the one floss pad, and super pack the top with bio media? Oh, and something else I just thought of. Do you prefer the spraybar or other output option and why?

 

So you would just use the one floss pad, and super pack the top with bio media? Oh, and something else I just thought of. Do you prefer the spraybar or other output option and why?

No, a coarse sponge on bottom, then floss on top of the sponge. That's your first basket. The next basket is biomedia.

Depends on the fish you're keeping, fish that like high flow or create a lot of detritus regular output. Fish that like lower flow and well oxygenated water and don't create lots of detritus spray bar.

 

If it was mine I would simply fill it with ceramic rings and pot scrubbers.

 

No, a coarse sponge on bottom, then floss on top of the sponge. That's your first basket. The next basket is biomedia.

Yeah that's what I meant.

Depends on the fish you're keeping, fish that like high flow or create a lot of regular output. Fish that like lower flow and well oxygenated water and don't create lots of detritus spray bar

Okay. I don't think I'm planning on any fish that require heavy flow. So I'll probably do the spraybar. Oxygenation is always good anyway.

 

Okay.

Will large biomax pieces like this work? Or should I get the smaller kind like for an Aquaclear HOB?