Fluval FX5 Replacement Media

[bellevuehill]

I am restarting my tank and have a Fluval FX5 Filter. I got rid of the media inside of it and am replacing the sponges etc. What type of Media should I be putting in the baskets? From memory there was Fluval BioMax in one of the baskets. Not sure about what is needed in the rest?

I am setting it up as a Freshwater Tank.

I am going to buy the media from this site
Search Results : The Reef Shop Online, Aquarium Supplies

Appreciate a point in the right direction of what I should be getting for it.

 

[Jmunroe]

Use the sponges on the outside and fill the middle baskets with the biomax. Fill each basket level with as much as you can get in there. That's the best way to use it. Some people use the fine filter pad over the bottom basket for water polishing. If your fish aren't messy then the pad will work nice and won't need to be cleaned or replaced that often. If they are messy then you'd have to take the filter apart all the time to clean or replace it. I use an FX5 on my 125 gallon oscar and silver dollar tank with this media but I don't use the filter pad. I Only take the filter apart 2-3 times a year to clean it and it really isn't that dirty when I do take it apart. I also run an aquaclear 110 with 2 sponges for mechanical filtration. My tank stays nice and clear has lots of bio media for the bacteria. The water flows in the top on the FX5, but the water enters the the media compartments from the bottom. The water goes up through the sponges and then down through the middle baskets.

 

[fifty]

Look up SwissTropicals, Inc. They sell Poret foam which is also used in Eheim filters. With the right foam set up, there is no need for anything else. I found this hard to believe and began researching. Sure enough, the Poret foam does a better job than ceramic nodes and the like.

I use Seachem Matrix with a cansiter filter and the owner said use it if you have it, but he does not use anything other than the foam. I am switching to the Poret foam myself when I set up my new 46g seaclear bowfront at the end of the month.