Fluval 406 Media Question

[guitarman1]

Hi all. I'm brand new to this forum and it's been quite a while (25 years) since I had an aquarium, but I'm in the process of completing an African Cichlid (mbuna) tank. I just bought a fluval 406 and found that there are 4 compartments for media which included with the filter are Bio foam, Bio max, carbon and polishing pads. From what I've been reading, carbon is not needed unless your trying to remove medication or a few other specific things. That being said, not using the carbon will leave me with an empty compartment. What would you suggest I put in there if anything? I was thinking of adding more biomax or a bio sponge to have a larger bateria colony.

Is this a good idea or overkill? If so, what would be another choice, or should I just leave it empty?

Thanks for your help in advance.

 

[jcolon]

to AA!

I'm going to go out on a limb and just take a crazy wild guess and predict that the top two recommendations you're bound to see will be

1. 100% Poly-fill (what I filled the bottom two trays when I ran a 404)
2. Purigen (personally never used it but have heard rave reviews from members)

Either way, two trays of biomax rings along with the surface area of the foam pads should be more than enough bio filtration.

 

[LostInFish]

Yes your absolutely correct I would do bio max only if you have a large quantity of fish or a large fish. The sponge won't build as much bacteria as bio max but it will trap more debri and keep the tank clear of particles. Just my opinion though.

 

[Ian086]

to AA!

I'm going to go out on a limb and just take a crazy wild guess and predict that the top two recommendations you're bound to see will be

1. 100% Poly-fill (what I filled the bottom two trays when I ran a 404)
2. Purigen (personally never used it but have heard rave reviews from members)

Either way, two trays of biomax rings along with the surface area of the foam pads should be more than enough bio filtration.

I agree.....except. I would put the Polyfil at the top of the canister so it's the second last thing the water goes through, Purigen being the last. Purigen is amazing stuff. I wouldn't be without it. Although 1 100ml bag is good for up to 400ltrs, I use 2 for my 200ltr. It'll give you longer between recharging and it's just as easy to recharge two as it is one... Another bio-media I would look into is Seachem Matrix. It could be very useful for your tank and stock.

 

[guitarman1]

Thanks for the tips, all. I've been doing so research on the Purigen and it sounds like some pretty amazing stuff. It looks like Fluval has a similar product called Clearmax that comes in 100 gram bags. Is it basically the same thing? The 406 media compartments are divided into 2 sections, so I guess I would have to buy 2 Purigen bags to contain the Purigen. How much Purigen would I need to fill each side of the compartment?

BTW...I took a closer look at the Fluval Biofoam and had to laugh. One side has an egg carton surface that looks suspiciously close to mattress pad foam or acoustical foam.

 

[Earlybird]

The 406 media compartments are divided into 2 sections, so I guess I would have to buy 2 Purigen bags to contain the Purigen. How much Purigen would I need to fill each side of the compartment?

I would go with 2 100ml bags...this size comes in a bag already. If you want to
buy a larger quantity (250ml+), make sure you buy Seachem's filter media bag
as the particles are very fine. I have my AC70 layered with foam on the
bottom, then filter floss, then purigen, then biomax. I am very pleased with
this setup!