Habitat - Indoor :: set up of my canister filters

[Kansasslider]

Science.

[steve]

I'm looking forward to seeing the results

[Kansasslider]

I will let you know in about 30 days.

[VeipaCray]

Yes carbon will get filled with crap which is not stupid. The carbon will become exhausted in a week or two anyway where the bio media will not. We just need the carbon to deal with initial water changes, top offs etc.. things we do when our filter media is fresh. We need the bio media to stay clean and not clogged so that we don't decrease the surface area available to our bacteria colonies. Ammonia and nitrite spikes are much more dangerous than not having a bit of carbon in your filter so I see the bio media as much more valuable than carbon in the filtration layers. Also Chlorine and Chloramine will kill nitrifying bacteria hence the reason so many tell you to rinse your bio media under tank water. Having the carbon before the bio media is another layer of protection from chloramine and chlorine killing part of the bacteria colony and causing a spike. I appreciate you challenging the layouts but please know I've been doing aquarium filters for the better part of 30 years and there is some logic behind what I've put into that thread which has been explained to exhaustion on this forum. That doesn't mean you should stop challenging.... there's always opportunity to improve / fix things as technology and filters evolve. But yes in that thread I'm suggesting using the inexpensive carbon before the expensive bio meida as a layer of filtration/protection for the bio media itself. IF you use the mechanical filtration that I suggest, you're not going to gunk up the carbon before it's exhausted anyway.

However if you wan't to set your filter up differently... go for it. The filter media setup in that thread is based on water flow of the filters which is identical between the FX5 and FX6. Remember Fluval also tells you to replace your very expensive bio media on a regular basis too. They are in business to make money on filter media. I am not. You don't even need carbon in your filter if you pre-filter your water - which is best as it leaves more filter room for bio media.

Cheers!

[VeipaCray]

Oh and what changed? Their profit margin. They spend a lot of money researching what provides them the best profits. Fluval tells you to replace your ceramic bio rings 50% twice a year... so a yearly full replacement of the media which is insane. With bio pads that are cheaper for fluval to produce (higher profit margin) but they restrict water flow more when clogged. Gunked up ceramic rings don't reduce the flow rate nearly as much as a gunked up bio filter pad. Bio pads in general become nitrate traps. They were all the rage years ago then went away in favor of rinsable ceramic rings.

[Kansasslider]

Your kina confusing me or I might just say its all confusing to me.. If the bio pads become nitrate factories then what do the 6 foam pads before them become? Or ceramic rings for that matter? You know fluval and other so called experts recommend replacing mechanical media on a regular basis? I'm just saying.. It would seam to me that there are a lot of different opinions on this subject. Can't get actual facts no matter where I look. Just opinions. Just one of the opinions I read today below. I clean my filter every month and do weekly water changes with carbon filtered water just so you know. I might just never get it so to speak? Just trying to learn all I can.

http://freshaquarium.about.com/od/filte ... -Order.htm

[VeipaCray]

Yes the mechanical filtration (sponges) definitely become nitrate factories if we leave them but that's why we clean them regularly. The only time you really need to replace a mechanical filter sponge is when it starts to fall apart and cannot perform it's duty any longer.

The real difference between the ceramic bio media and the bio pads is that the gunk collects on the outside of the ceramic rings. There's still a ton of surface area "inside" the ceramic pores if you will. We can rinse the outside, clean the gunk off and the overwhelming majority of the bacteria colony isn't impacted. The bio pads can't be cleaned. I suppose that isn't true. They CAN be cleaned, but you'd probably kill the bacterial colony in the process. They get crudded up and need to be replaced. So the filter companies would love to sell us media that's cheap for them to produce with a high profit margin and needs to be replaced. The bio rings are more expensive up front but are much more economical long term. I think they are easier too. Yes it's one more thing to rinse but no spikes in the cycle from having to replace it.

[Kansasslider]

Well I think for now I will leave the bio pads and just clean them. I'm doing away with carbon once I run out. I will post anything bad if it happens. I understand what your saying. I'm just trying out carbon and purigen in the bottom instead of the top tray.