Changing the media layout of my 305 and 405's

s9601694 · 09-21-2011, 12:48 PM

my 54 gallon corner (46 cardinals/neons + 1 bristle nose) is running on a fluval 305 and my 90 gallon (1 oscar, 1 polleni, 1 jd, all juvenile) is running on a fluval 405 (adding a second 405 this weekend). Both filters now have the Fluval Foam Insterts, biomax in the bottom/middle trays and carbon in the top. I want to get rid of the carbon, so this is my plan:

305:
Fluval Foam Insterts on the sides for mechanical filtering.
bottom and middle tray boimax ceramic rings
top tray Saechem Purigen

405 (both of them):
Fluval Foam Insterts on the sides for mechanical filtering.
bottom and lower middle tray boimax ceramic rings
upper middle tray Saechem Purigen
top tray Fluval Polish Pads

How does this sound??

I have a whole bunch of thos blue bonded filter pads in the house (ordered them one day) which i dont really know what to do with.. It seems they would be more effective 'horizonaly' than 'vertically'..... Any ideas?

Thanks!

mk4gti · 09-21-2011, 01:28 PM

in my experince with fluval filters, right now i have an FX5, ive had smaller in the past. I only use ceramic rings and what ever inserts come with the filter, i never add any polish pads becuase they cake up way too quick and kill the flow.

jrman83 · 09-21-2011, 02:44 PM

I would get rid of the purigen and fill that tray with some form of media...my pref would be some form of Eheim media. Their media is light years ahead of the Fluval stuff.

IMO, the Fluval filters don't really set you up right with media. It's available, but the filters don't come with it or packaged correctly to help you. I would take every tray you have and fill them to the top edge with media....like the Eheims are designed to have. I used to have the FX5 and always hated how they sort of leave you hanging when it comes to the media. I didn't like the polishing pads either. They clogged up too fast and it impeded flow quite a bit as mk4 said. Again, the Eheim pads won't do this... I certainly wouldn't have entire tray devoted to polish pads.

s9601694 · 09-21-2011, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrman83

I would get rid of the purigen and fill that tray with some form of media...my pref would be some form of Eheim media. Their media is light years ahead of the Fluval stuff.

IMO, the Fluval filters don't really set you up right with media. It's available, but the filters don't come with it or packaged correctly to help you. I would take every tray you have and fill them to the top edge with media....like the Eheims are designed to have. I used to have the FX5 and always hated how they sort of leave you hanging when it comes to the media. I didn't like the polishing pads either. They clogged up too fast and it impeded flow quite a bit as mk4 said. Again, the Eheim pads won't do this... I certainly wouldn't have entire tray devoted to polish pads.

Whay kind of Eheim media exactly are you talking about? thanks!

jrman83 · 09-21-2011, 02:53 PM

Ehfisubstrat Pro

The stuff Azoo makes, offered on that site also, may work also.

s9601694 · 09-21-2011, 05:25 PM

I'm actually going to use those blue bonded filter pads (bought from Drfosters) in stead of the fluval polish pads, see how that goes... Is it wize to put these behind or before the biomedia?

09-21-2011, 12:48 PM	#1 (permalink)
s9601694 Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 66 Location: Colorado My location Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 3 Times Said "Thanks" 10 Times Was Thanked 6 Times in 6 Posts	Changing the media layout of my 305 and 405's my 54 gallon corner (46 cardinals/neons + 1 bristle nose) is running on a fluval 305 and my 90 gallon (1 oscar, 1 polleni, 1 jd, all juvenile) is running on a fluval 405 (adding a second 405 this weekend). Both filters now have the Fluval Foam Insterts, biomax in the bottom/middle trays and carbon in the top. I want to get rid of the carbon, so this is my plan: 305: Fluval Foam Insterts on the sides for mechanical filtering. bottom and middle tray boimax ceramic rings top tray Saechem Purigen 405 (both of them): Fluval Foam Insterts on the sides for mechanical filtering. bottom and lower middle tray boimax ceramic rings upper middle tray Saechem Purigen top tray Fluval Polish Pads How does this sound?? I have a whole bunch of thos blue bonded filter pads in the house (ordered them one day) which i dont really know what to do with.. It seems they would be more effective 'horizonaly' than 'vertically'..... Any ideas? Thanks!

09-21-2011, 01:28 PM	#2 (permalink)
mk4gti mk4gti's Photo Gallery Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 719 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 119 Times Said "Thanks" 24 Times Was Thanked 119 Times in 111 Posts	Re: Changing the media layout of my 305 and 405's in my experince with fluval filters, right now i have an FX5, ive had smaller in the past. I only use ceramic rings and what ever inserts come with the filter, i never add any polish pads becuase they cake up way too quick and kill the flow.

09-21-2011, 02:44 PM	#3 (permalink)
jrman83 ....has no life.... jrman83's Photo Gallery Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 9,463 Name: Ben Location: White Plains, MD My location Feedback: 16 / 100% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 3,382 Times Said "Thanks" 478 Times Was Thanked 2,431 Times in 2,286 Posts	Re: Changing the media layout of my 305 and 405's I would get rid of the purigen and fill that tray with some form of media...my pref would be some form of Eheim media. Their media is light years ahead of the Fluval stuff. IMO, the Fluval filters don't really set you up right with media. It's available, but the filters don't come with it or packaged correctly to help you. I would take every tray you have and fill them to the top edge with media....like the Eheims are designed to have. I used to have the FX5 and always hated how they sort of leave you hanging when it comes to the media. I didn't like the polishing pads either. They clogged up too fast and it impeded flow quite a bit as mk4 said. Again, the Eheim pads won't do this... I certainly wouldn't have entire tray devoted to polish pads.

09-21-2011, 02:53 PM	#5 (permalink)
jrman83 ....has no life.... jrman83's Photo Gallery Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 9,463 Name: Ben Location: White Plains, MD My location Feedback: 16 / 100% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 3,382 Times Said "Thanks" 478 Times Was Thanked 2,431 Times in 2,286 Posts	Re: Changing the media layout of my 305 and 405's Ehfisubstrat Pro The stuff Azoo makes, offered on that site also, may work also.

09-21-2011, 05:25 PM	#6 (permalink)
s9601694 Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 66 Location: Colorado My location Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 3 Times Said "Thanks" 10 Times Was Thanked 6 Times in 6 Posts	Re: Changing the media layout of my 305 and 405's I'm actually going to use those blue bonded filter pads (bought from Drfosters) in stead of the fluval polish pads, see how that goes... Is it wize to put these behind or before the biomedia?

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