What can I do to improve my AQ300?

[salon_1928]

Hi Everybody:

Once my tank has cycled, I was wondering what I can do with my AQ300 (or any AQ filter for that matter) to increase bio-filtration. Right now its running with the inserts that came with it - i.e. sponge and charcoal. A friend of mine told me that the charcoal insert isn't required all the time - just occasionally to remove certain substances. He mentioned that a lot of people like to run 2 sponges and I think I read a post somewhere that said this is a good setup because you can alternate sponges when cleaning. What about other filter media like bio-balls or bio-stars?

Cheers,

Stu

[dunl]

Check here...http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/power_filter_tricks_iii.php

[Vallisneria]

I use 2 sponges in my AC filters. I find it provides good mech. filtration and provides lots of bio filtration. I like how you can alternate between cleaning each sponge.

[RD.]

Here's how my AC 500 & 300's are set up. I use one large sponge, three thin blue/white filter pads (sandwiched together) made by Marineland, topped off with an AC media bag full of Bio-Max rings.

I get superb mechanical filtration out of the large sponge, the

blue/white filter media helps catch the finer material, and the Bio-Max

rings give me top notch biological filtration. The only media that has

to be changed every 12-24 months is some of the Bio-Max rings (if/when

they get clogged), the other filter material simply gets rinsed once a

month in clean unchlorinated tap water.

My water is always crystal clear & with weekly water changes my nitrates

have never exceeded 10 PPM. Not that I would recommend doing this on a heavily stocked tank, but I've cleaned all of the filter media in both filters, on the same day, and never had any sign of ammonia or nitrites.

The bio-max rings alone hold enough bacteria to handle the bio load in my tank.

[albert_dao]

I happen to like carbon...

[Michael Roth]

I stuff pantyhose with floss. Every once in a while I stuff pantyhose with carbon. I do not wear pantyhose. :>

[canucklehead]

Things are getting strange

I use poly filter floss, then a bag with lava rock in it on the top for bio filtration

[freshmike]

I do not wear pantyhose. :>

Candace tells me different..... :shifty: :w00t:

[arixonbarnes]

I cut a slit in one of the filter pads and put it over the intake tube. This keeps the impeller from getting crudded up and it's easy to pull off and rinse. It also adds more bio surface and the fish are constantly picking at it. It also keeps small fry from being pureed as they can't go throught the tube and into the impeller. I use the filter pads (or other other filter media) on all my power filters.