Filter Media

[tcy81]

hi, just want to know what kind of filter media do you guys use for yr canister filter for planted tank setup ?
Do you use MR Aqua Cemeric Rings or Eheim substratepro or Biohome ?
what other stuff do you all use? please comments. thanks

[|squee|]

I use wool for mechanical filtration, biohome and ceramic rings for biological filtration, and a few bioballs just for the heck of it.

[vinz]

There's a reason for Eheim's recommended media arrangement...

From top to bottom:
- Fine pad
- Sintered glass (E.g. Eheim SubtratePro, Biohome) for Bio filtration
- Coarse pad for mechanical filtration
- Ceramic Rings mainly mechanical filtration

The ceramic rings at the bottom break up the water flow into smaller channels which are weaker in strength individually and allow larger debris to drop to the bottom of the cannister, instead of being swept into the upper media and clogging them.

[tcy81]

There's a reason for Eheim's recommended media arrangement...

From top to bottom:
- Fine pad
- Sintered glass (E.g. Eheim SubtratePro, Biohome) for Bio filtration
- Coarse pad for mechanical filtration
- Ceramic Rings mainly mechanical filtration

The ceramic rings at the bottom break up the water flow into smaller channels which are weaker in strength individually and allow larger debris to drop to the bottom of the cannister, instead of being swept into the upper media and clogging them.

hi, sorry for being newbie. because i always though that it was suppose to arrange being from top to bottom:
- fine pad
- ceramic rings
- coarse pad
- sinter glass

as i thought the mechanical filtration would be done at the first 3 layer
leaving sinter glass to do the biological filtration.

so with what you say, i have done my setup wrongly ?
i though with sinter glass on 2nd layer it will trap lots of deris and cause the bio filtration to be not so efficient. correct me if i am wrong
thanks

[cbong]

the rings should be right below. see attachment for sequence

[tcy81]

hi thanks for the info.
btw, do you guys use JBL products like PhosEx and BioNitratEX?

and for the mech filtration is using mr.aqua Ceremic rings an overkill?

[vinz]

hi, sorry for being newbie. because i always though that it was suppose to arrange being from top to bottom:
- fine pad
- ceramic rings
- coarse pad
- sinter glass

as i thought the mechanical filtration would be done at the first 3 layer
leaving sinter glass to do the biological filtration.

so with what you say, i have done my setup wrongly ?
i though with sinter glass on 2nd layer it will trap lots of deris and cause the bio filtration to be not so efficient. correct me if i am wrong
thanks

From your post, I gather that you think the water travels thru the top media first. Actually, the water travels from the bottom up. This is true for all Eheim external filters as far as I know... and most other external filters.

But you are right that the water should go through mechanical filtration first.

[tcy81]

oic thanks, being using ehiem canister but dont know it actually flows bottom up.
haha