Does it matter what order your filter media goes in?

Does it matter what order your filter media goes in?

Background: I have an aquaclear50, and I love the thing, but recently, the filter basket has been popping out of place and raising up. My bio media (Ceramic balls it came with) is being pushed out of the water. This happened last week and the whole bag of bio media was pushed out of water.

Now, if you know about that filter, you know that it comes with a sponge for mechanical filter, a thing of carbon (that I tossed almost immediately) and the ceramic balls. Because I tossed the carbon, I just put another small layer of mechanial filtration.

Here is my question:

In order to prevent the bio from surfacing, and killing the good bacteria, can I just sandwich the bio media between the sponges? Meaning: Small layer of mechanical, bio level, and then the big sponge it came with.

Or, alternatively, can anyone help me with a solution to it popping out of place and shifting up?

OR...should I just get rid of that small layer of mechanical filtration that I added so the bio sits lower?

 

Generally, you want a layer that gets large particles, sometimes small particles as another layer, charcoal (optional, and it sometimes can be with the mechanical filtration part), then bio-filtration, etc

It doesn't mean that if you get it wrong, then everything is messed up...it just means you're not filtering out some things correctly. Eg, if water with particle matter gets to the bio-filtration first, it just means all that goop will be getting stuck on the bacterial home surfaces.

That's why there is a logical order to the filtration layers, but you certainly can add extra something here and there.

As for keeping your basket down, you could put some heavier rocks at the top of the basket. The rocks will act as a surface for BB and you won't have altered your layers or removed any layers that can be beneficial to stay in the basket.

You can also put something heavy on top of the lid. If the lid doesn't move, then the basket and contents should generally remain within the water levels, too, I think.

 

All of my filters are ordered so the water goes from first to last: polyfibers/sponge, bio media, optional mechanical, then more polyfiber. You’re supposed to have bio media before mechanical so you don’t take the nutrients asay from bacteria before they have a chance at it.

 

I do the sponge at the bottom, purigen in the middle,biomedia and then another bag of purigen. works well for me

 

As said above large sponge on the bottom it will grab and break down all the large waste next either a finer sponge or a layer of floss. Than last your bio media. The reason your biomedia is comin* out of your filter is your sponges are starting to clog and water can’t get through thus pushing the sponge up and you media ou5 of the tank. Try rinsing the sponge in the used water change water. This should clean out a lot of the larger particles so the flow should improve.

 

I have sponge, than bio media, then purigen. The purigen floats a bit, but stays wet and in place.

 

Is the sponge dirty possibly causing blockage and causing it to float up?

 

I let the water hit the foam first, then fine foam/polyester pad, then bio media.

Preventing the tiny crevices/holes in the bio media from becoming blocked with debris, by using fine foam/poly prolongs the life and efficiency of the bio media.

If the water flows upwards in your filter it will cause the foam to rise unless something fills all the gap(unless tightly wedged in).

Yes you could sandwich the bio inbetween.
Sometimes air bubbles can go into the intake causing pockets of air to build beneath the media, if you have an airstone in your tank move it away from the filter inlet, and or extend in the inlet pipe lower into tank. Load your media into filter while its full with (tank) water to avoid air pockets.
. . . Fishing line across the top of filter may work last resort to hold it down!

 

Generally, you want a layer that gets large particles, sometimes small particles as another layer, charcoal (optional, and it sometimes can be with the mechanical filtration part), then bio-filtration, etc

It doesn't mean that if you get it wrong, then everything is messed up...it just means you're not filtering out some things correctly. Eg, if water with particle matter gets to the bio-filtration first, it just means all that goop will be getting stuck on the bacterial home surfaces.

That's why there is a logical order to the filtration layers, but you certainly can add extra something here and there.

As for keeping your basket down, you could put some heavier rocks at the top of the basket. The rocks will act as a surface for BB and you won't have altered your layers or removed any layers that can be beneficial to stay in the basket.

You can also put something heavy on top of the lid. If the lid doesn't move, then the basket and contents should generally remain within the water levels, too, I think.

Part of the problem is the lid will occasionally pop off, so I'm definitely going to go find a rock to weigh it down. Good idea!

As said above large sponge on the bottom it will grab and break down all the large waste next either a finer sponge or a layer of floss. Than last your bio media. The reason your biomedia is comin* out of your filter is your sponges are starting to clog and water can’t get through thus pushing the sponge up and you media ou5 of the tank. Try rinsing the sponge in the used water change water. This should clean out a lot of the larger particles so the flow should improve.

I think I've been overfeeding the tank, and I'm trying to fix it right now. I never thought that the sponge being too dirty could be the problem, but that makes the most sense. I just did a water change and cleaned it out really well, so I'll keep an eye out to see if it works.

Is the sponge dirty possibly causing blockage and causing it to float up?

Yeah, I think it is. I did a water change a bit ago and squeezed it out in the bucket really well. I'm going to keep an eye on it, but I think it was the sponge because it was pretty gunky.

I let the water hit the foam first, then fine foam/polyester pad, then bio media.

Preventing the tiny crevices/holes in the bio media from becoming blocked with debris, by using fine foam/poly prolongs the life and efficiency of the bio media.

If the water flows upwards in your filter it will cause the foam to rise unless something fills all the gap(unless tightly wedged in).

Yes you could sandwich the bio inbetween.
Sometimes air bubbles can go into the intake causing pockets of air to build beneath the media, if you have an airstone in your tank move it away from the filter inlet, and or extend in the inlet pipe lower into tank. Load your media into filter while its full with (tank) water to avoid air pockets.
. . . Fishing line across the top of filter may work last resort to hold it down!

I'll definitely use that as a last resort, thanks! Right now, I cleaned out the sponge and I put a rock on top of the lid. We'll see how that goes.