Order of filter media in hob filter?

Hello! I have an aquaclear 50 and was wondering what order I should place my filter media. I recently got a large diatom algea explosion and realized it may be my spiderwood fueling nutrients to this algea. It is better than before but my flival filter sponges keep getting clogged with brown algea.
Order of filter media are as follows from bottom to top: polishing pad, two fluval filter sponges, than pre filter sponge on top with blue part facing up.
If filter sponge keeps clogging should I be adding anything additional? Maybe addition polishing pad. Where do my bio balls go in my filter and do I need to sandwich them in something or throw in as is? I read on fishlore that you should keep filter sponge on top level to reduce particles from getting in.

 

So you want your water to hit your sponge first, then your polishing pad, then your biomedia. After that you have any chemical filtration such as carbon if you are using it. The idea being that the water is as clean as possible before it hits your biomedia.

Also, I don’t think it will have been the spiderwood causing the diatoms. It may end up covered in slime/fuzz but I’ve never heard of wood causing diatoms. How old is the tank?

 

So you want your water to hit your sponge first, then your polishing pad, then your biomedia. After that you have any chemical filtration such as carbon if you are using it. The idea being that the water is as clean as possible before it hits your biomedia.

Also, I don’t think it will have been the spiderwood causing the diatoms. It may end up covered in slime/fuzz but I’ve never heard of wood causing diatoms. How old is the tank?

Thank you. If I put sponge first wouldn't it clog it up even more?

 

Thank you. If I put sponge first wouldn't it clog it up even more?

No, because your mechanical media should go from coarse to fine (your sponges being coarser than the polishing pad which is fine) meaning the sponges trap larger waste and the polishing pad catching smaller waste. Water can still flow through that way. If you had the fine polishing pad first for example, it would trap everything meaning it would then get clogged.

 

All AC sponges clog up & will float, pushing the filter lid up. Squeezing the sponges out in a bucket of old tank water every two or three weeks keeps things flowing.

 

All AC sponges clog up & will float, pushing the filter lid up. Squeezing the sponges out in a bucket of old tank water every two or three weeks keeps things flowing.

Only problem is I find myself cleaning sponges in dirty tank water twice a week! I only wish ot was every 2-3 weeks

 

Try placing a foam sponge on the filter intake tube.

 

I have and also clean it remove gunk

No, because your mechanical media should go from coarse to fine (your sponges being coarser than the polishing pad which is fine) meaning the sponges trap larger waste and the polishing pad catching smaller waste. Water can still flow through that way. If you had the fine polishing pad first for example, it would trap everything meaning it would then get clogged.

Okay so order would go from bottom to top:
Filter sponge, bio balls, polishing pad, then filter floss with blue side facing down?