Canister filter stages question. - Aquarium Advice

cterzich · 10-29-2009, 05:00 PM

Ok, I always hear that you want fish to poop on the bio balls,so here my question then in most canister filters the bio balls are last. Is it a good idea to change this around? Should I put the Bio balls first, the pre filter pads ( Just to get the big stuff exp poop ), carbon etc, then the pads?

Blueiz · 10-29-2009, 07:05 PM

Why do you want the fish to poop on the bio balls? (sorry, thats sorta funny and Ive never heard it before..learning oppurtunity for me here

). I usually do my prefilter material first, to catch the big stuff, put carbon (if Im using it, only use it when the tank is newly set up or removing meds) bio media somewhere in the middle and fine filter media for the last stage of flow before returning to the tank.

cbwmn · 10-29-2009, 07:15 PM

I've never heard that.
According to Rena, the lower basket on my XP2 has the three grades of foam, coarsest first on the bottom, then medium and finally the finest on top.
Top basket has a compartment for Starz (bio balls) in the bottom part, then the chem zorb (or whatever they call it. carbon) then the white water polishing pad on top.
I don't use the carbon, I substitute poly fil pillow floss (not the flame proof treated kind).
Fish poop will generate beneficial bacteria, but I've never heard of it being used on bio balls. Why don't you set up your filter like the factory recommends?
After that you can experiment with the media/bio balls, etc.
Charles

Blueiz · 10-29-2009, 07:36 PM

One thing to note as well. You dont want your bio balls to get clogged up with a bunch of stuff that will prevent the water from flowing around them

cterzich · 10-30-2009, 01:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbwmn

I've never heard that.
According to Rena, the lower basket on my XP2 has the three grades of foam, coarsest first on the bottom, then medium and finally the finest on top.
Top basket has a compartment for Starz (bio balls) in the bottom part, then the chem zorb (or whatever they call it. carbon) then the white water polishing pad on top.
I don't use the carbon, I substitute poly fil pillow floss (not the flame proof treated kind).
Fish poop will generate beneficial bacteria, but I've never heard of it being used on bio balls. Why don't you set up your filter like the factory recommends?
After that you can experiment with the media/bio balls, etc.
Charles

I'm just asking, at a few of my LFS which deal in mostly high-end custom stuff. I've gone to a few places and I get the same thing " you want the fish to poop on the bio balls ). Just though I would ask, since 3 different places have said the same thing.

I know this sounds like a dumb question, but I though I would ask since it can't hurt.

exodon king · 10-30-2009, 01:44 AM

go back to the people that told you that, and *slam them in the mouth for giving out such poor information. lol
you dont want and debris or detrius in your bio chambers. the bacteria in your mio chamber feeds on the ammonia released from the fish waste, not the solids themselves. and as mentioned above, it will clog your media.

* this was meant as an exaggeration and a joke, and is in no way meant to be taken seriously. EK does not suggest or condone the slapping of LFS employees. lol

mfdrookie516 · 10-30-2009, 01:47 AM

glad to see you hold no liability in the event of lfs employees being injured lol

CrystalClear · 11-07-2009, 02:07 PM

My C360 has the bio balls in the second stage. I cleaned the filter out last weekend and the bioballs were clean as a whistle. I wonder if they even do anything productive. Would it be worth it to change them out with another filter media?

exodon king · 11-07-2009, 02:13 PM

the bio balls should not be "dirty" unless you have them as the first thatge of filtration (which is not a good idea).

generally in a canister, you would want to go with a more dense media, so you can actually fill each compartment properly.
the best bet is something like bio-max pellets. alternatively there is substrat-pro and matrix.
if you are not willing to spend the money on a good bio-media, you can always just go with ceramic (or glass) rings, availible at your LFS.

jim692 · 11-08-2009, 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by exodon king

go back to the people that told you that, and *slam them in the mouth for giving out such poor information. lol
you dont want and debris or detrius in your bio chambers. the bacteria in your mio chamber feeds on the ammonia released from the fish waste, not the solids themselves. and as mentioned above, it will clog your media.

* this was meant as an exaggeration and a joke, and is in no way meant to be taken seriously. EK does not suggest or condone the slapping of LFS employees. lol

+1 for the explanation.
-1 on the slapping. lol.