Filter media for 75g Africans

[howmanyds]

I'll be setting up a 75 gallon African cichlid aquarium running 2 Sunsun 303B canister filters (370gph each, I think).

I haven't purchased the fish yet, so I don't have specifics on the tank's needs, but where would be a good place to start for selecting filter media?

Thanks!

 

[Andrew McFadden]

I dont know much about your filters but in my canisters i just use sponges and bio balls or rings.

 

[howmanyds]

When the canister description says it filters chemical, biological, and mechanical, does that mean I need to be sure to put in media of each of those three kinds in order to get that kind of filtration or does it mean the filter already filters in each of the three ways and my additional media is just that - additional?

 

[Convict2161]

Can't go wrong bio rings and sponges. I would like to make a suggestion that many of us do libel Andy and myself. Run a aquaclear 110 and use it for poly fill/filter floss/polishing pads/purigen etc. extra room for media to pick up fine fine particles.

Of course it's just a suggestion but it does work!!

 

[Mumma.of.two]

When the canister description says it filters chemical, biological, and mechanical, does that mean I need to be sure to put in media of each of those three kinds in order to get that kind of filtration or does it mean the filter already filters in each of the three ways and my additional media is just that - additional?

Chemical would be carbon or purgen. You don't need it for a healthy tank.
Biological would be ceramic rings or bio balls. For bacteria to grow on (ALL filter media grows bacteria).
Mechanical would be floss or sponge. It picks up particles.
Most people just run biological and mechanical filtration.

 

[howmanyds]

Are there any inherent problems with chemical media like carbon?

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Not carbon or purigen. Ammonia removing media causes problems with the cycle by robbing the beneficial bacteria of its food source. I don't know how long purigen lasts but carbon only lasts about a month then needs replacing.

 

[Beardo86]

I just set up a SunSun 304A canister on my 60gal Mbuna tank yesterday to replace the Emperor 400. It has 4 trays I believe yours has 3. The 1st tray I put in 3 of cotton pads it came with stacked together. On the 2nd and 3rd I was able to fit 4 liters of Seachem Matrix. On the 4th tray I put in 2liters of Eheim Substrat Pro. Water is crystal clear. Running it with a Fluval 306 also

 

[howmanyds]

Those cotton pads would be the mechanical media then, right?

 

[howmanyds]

So, you have a lot of bio media. Is that to combat a particularly high amount of nitrates (or nitrites - I'm still trying to get my science down)? Or should cichlids tanks usually have extra bio?

 

[Beardo86]

Yea the cotton is mechanical. Catches the big debris. Put 3 stacked on the bottom tray. Other 2 trays use it for bio media

 

[Beardo86]

So, you have a lot of bio media. Is that to combat a particularly high amount of nitrates (or nitrites - I'm still trying to get my science down)? Or should cichlids tanks usually have extra bio?

Yea it's for the big bio load. Right now I have about 14 Mbuna and 2 Catfish. They're young now put when they get full size the bio load will increase too.

 

[Andrew McFadden]

So, you have a lot of bio media. Is that to combat a particularly high amount of nitrates (or nitrites - I'm still trying to get my science down)? Or should cichlids tanks usually have extra bio?

The only thing that will help nitrate is water changes. Ammonia and nitrite is turned into nitrate from the good bacteria in the tank and filters.