Canister media

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verucaproduce

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Aug 12, 2004
Messages
594
Location
Massachusetts
Hi all.

I recently purchased a canister filter at a flea market for $3. And yay it works. It is a fluval 204 with 3 baskets. I was wondering what sort of media I should put in these and in what order.

I don't want to get caught up in all of the 'buy the brand name' hype. I was looking for cheap alternatives. I think I heard that someone had used nylon pot scrubbers? Are these the colored ones? Will that leach into the tank?

Also, I have some peat that I bought some time ago. My question is this...wouldn't that cause a big pH swing when I do water changes? I would imagine so since my tap is around 8.0.

Thanks guys!
 
I am with you in wanting to do things cheap. However using the nylon pot scrubbers may do more harm than good 8O . Some of these scrubbers are inpregnated with soap and can cause a toxic soup to emerge in your tank. As well small particles of the green scrubbie may move into your tank just as they break off into the pot you are scrubbing in the sink. I would suggest using some filter floss it is an aquarium product and cheap. A box will run you 6 bucks. About as much as a large package of scrubbers. To answer the peat question it will not cause a crash in PH it may cause a slow decrease however. Hope that helps.
 
I working filter like that for $3, what a STEAL....I need to find time to go to flee markets and garage sales.

Sponges in the bottom course and fine, then filter floss , then ceramic rings and or stars....Thats what I use.

Sorry but I wouldn't use pot scrubbers or peat in my filter, your not talking about saving that much money, besides your already way ahead.
 
Absolutely no need to use "brand name" media. I use whatever bio-balls I can get my hands on, including sponges/pads. Filter floss comes so cheap you could buy a 10oz for about $6.00. This will last a long time. If anything doesn't fit, I cut to size.
 
Because of my lack of knowledge, i would not use anything that doesn't come from the lfs. But from the stuff sold in there I buy the most economic options, shape them, clean them and fit them in my filters. Floss is great and cheap.
 
Well, I have the sponges that go upright in the filter. Then I have some filter floss that I was going to put in the bottom basket. Should this be in a mesh bag?

From there I am kind of lost as to what to put in. I have heard bio balls, ceramic rings and (some sort of)volcanic rock for the top basket.

What should I do for the middle?


TwoHobbies-I also got a 20 gallon with hob, hood and light at a tag sale for $3. Three seems to be my lucky number. You can really find some steals at places like that. Our local Goodwill sometimes has tanks too!
 
IMO, I'm not sure if your filter pumps bottom to top or top to bottom, but I'd think you want the bio-media in the last basket the water passes through.

Mechanical filtration should always be first.
 
I use the plastic pot scrubbers, 6 for a buck. There is no soap in them, and nothing to leach out. Filter floss is not a substitute for the pot scrubbers. Filter floss would be used in addition too, not instead of. The pot scrubbers are the equivalent of bioballs, but have more surface area, per price.
 
On my fluval 404, the impeller is in the lid. This means you put mechanical filtration in the bottom baskets, and biomedia in the top baskets. Seachem Matrix biomedia is rather cheap, something like $12 for a liter or two. Get the plain porous stuff , not the stuff with the so called ammonia removers added in. You could cut out another sponge to fit the bottom basket, put filter floss in the middle basket (thus, two layers of mechanical filtration beyond the pre-filter (verticle)sponge, and biomedia in the top basket. Or you could do filter floss in the bottom, and two baskets of biomedia. One jug of the Seachem biomedia will be more than you need.

But yeah, any high surface area thing like the scrubbers or a sponge will harbor your biofilter, but those porous biomedia ceramic noodles or rocks REALLY have a lot of surface area, and are the most bang for the buck.
 
dont forget to shop online. Big Al's, or pet solutions. Even with shipping the savings can be significant. And sometimes you get free shipping.
 
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