Help, Penn Plax Cascade 1000

[ylreveb20]

I own a Penn Plex 1000 for a 55g fresh water tank. I fallowed the instructions it came with.

I was wondering if someone can tell me a good efficient way, on how to set it up? I saw you tube videos and im truly lost. Some say use media and quilting backing and polyester fiber use it as filter floss. I up to saving money.

How often should i clean the filter? Every Sunday i clean the gravel, should i change some of the water? I have no life plants, only have small fish and some shrimp.


Thanks you

 

[Delapool]

I don't have that filter. Biggest saving is just to rinse out the filter media and re-use. Most will rinse out in old tank water or treated tap water. I rarely throw anything out now - here even rinsing under a hose will still have more bacteria then using new filter media. With rinsing try part of the filter media and test ammonia - that way you can check.

Filter cleans depend. I do water changes every week, small filter cleans every say month and the larger canister filters usually get cleaned on long weekends. Anyways once you have cleaned a few times and checked say filter flow, nitrates, how gunked it was, etc pre and post clean you get a feel for how often.

Generally I have ceramic media mainly for the bacteria (although they are on all surfaces) and coarse to fine sponge (or maybe to filter wool) for filtering/polishing water. The older a tank gets I find the stronger the bacteria population is. In the old days I used to have air-driven filters with carbon and filter floss and fish were fine so I suspect sometimes we have a bit of over-kill in filtration. Just try what you think - the great thing is you can experiment is my thought.

 

[FreshnSalt17]

I have a Penn Plax Cascade 1500. I have set mine up by the following (bottom tray to top tray) fluval pre-filter media, included bio sponge, seachem matrix, seachem purigen, included filter floss. Every month I change my filter floss and rinse all media with water I reserve from the water change I do the same day.

 

[ylreveb20]

this is what i came up with all the youtube videos. tell me if im wrong, any input would be great. bottom to top.
1. Eheim BioMech (bottom under tray),
2. Course Media sponge and filter floss,
3. Eheim BioMech and filter floss on top
4. Purigen and Filter floss on top.

Thank you

 

[ylreveb20]

I bought this from amazon. Premium True Dual Density Filter Roll (https://www.amazon.com/Premium-True-Dual-Density-Filter/dp/B01AHIOM8A) is it the same as filter floss?

thank you

 

[omni024]

Pretty much. and in all honesty any type of floss works I started using pinky filter pads just recently and before that I used blue bonded pads both are cut to shape like the one u bought.