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Probably the millionth topic on this.


Okay so the filter came with a lot of stuff

2 coarse pads
2 30 ppm pads
1 carbon pouch
1 micro filtration pad

Right now I have 2 baskets left to fill...

For those baskets I plan on filling them up with Seachem Matrix Bio media...


So from bottom to top it would be..

1 basket of coarse pads
1 basket of 30 ppm pads
2 baskets of Seachem Batrix Bio media
1 basket of microfiltration pad
1 basket of carbon pouch

Does this sound good? Should I change the order? Are there other products I should use?

***Updated***

I realized that each basket has 2 compartments

Sounds pretty good. There are three types of filters - mechanical, bio and chemical. You've got the first two covered. The foam pads are mechanical filters and the bio media is bio.

For chemical filtration, there are various materials many of which contain charcoal. They absorb bad things and eliminate odours. I use a packet called Bio-Chem Zorb in the bottom half of the top basket. Rena makes packets of various sorts called Zorbs and I'm sure there are others out there too.

The XP3 instructions that came with my filter say to stack the media as follows: bottom baskets for mechanical (the pads with the biggest holes on the very bottom), then bio filter rings, stars, whatever, then chemical filters like my packet of bio-chem zorb, then finally, on the very top, the micro-filtration pad.

Hope that helps!

Yep, that's exactly what I have, the Bio-Chem Zorb. I was to lazy to type it all out, but it's the carbon pouch.
So I guess I'll order it all. Thanks for the input SpotsMama!

Shouldn't that list be from bottom to top or I'm just totally misunderstanding what you wrote.

I'm directionally challenged. I'll change it.

This is how they recommend it:

So I should switch the Bio-Chem Zorb and the Micro-filtration Pad.

Thanks for the diagram steve! (stevette?)

Micro-filtration pad should be on the very top of the stack.

By the way, thanks for the picture, Steve. "A picture is worth a thousand words." I haven't yet mastered how to insert a picture or image into a reply.

SpotsMama wrote:By the way, thanks for the picture, Steve. "A picture is worth a thousand words." I haven't yet mastered how to insert a picture or image into a reply.

you have to host it with something like photobucket.com and then use the [img] tag in your post where you want the pic

OK. Thanks. I thought it would be something like that. Someday I'll work on it!

Here's some instructions:
http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1811

Now you have to post some pics

Uh Oh.

My current excuse for not posting is that I'm using a telephone modem and everything is too slow. I'm like a RES that won't bask because the temperature is too cool. Next week, however, we're upgrading to a new fangled wireless cable modem and I'll have to buckle down and learn how to do this.

I really want to share. Really.

i use biomax rings in mine right now. And the only thing i wanna find is seachem matrix rocks. I think i know where i can find them, other then that a set of ceramic stars to supliment the rings and you should be good to go. Clean once a month, and remember anything that grows benificial bacteria rinse in tank water.