FishyFishy! Posted January 12, 2010 Report Share Posted January 12, 2010 (edited) I just bought a Fluval 404 without media, and am wondering if anyone has an idea as to what media to put in it? I know fluvals come with 4 packs Biomax ceramic rings, 4 packs carbon and 2-4 filter pads. Just wondering if anyone else has any suggestions as to another combo that might work really good. I have an 80 Gallon African Cichlid tank. I Also have another Fluval 104 running on the tank with Biomax and Carbon. The 404 has 4 trays, with a divider in all of them. Edited January 12, 2010 by FishyFishy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvision Posted January 12, 2010 Report Share Posted January 12, 2010 I fill my Canisters with scrubbies, or similar cheap biomedia. For mechanical filtration you can get one of the 404 sponges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fshkpr4evr Posted January 12, 2010 Report Share Posted January 12, 2010 Tray #1 (bottom): chemical media eg. carbon, NO2 - NO3 - NH3 or PO4 removers Tray #2: same as tray #1. You might want to use extra biological media such as Fluval Biomax Tray #3: Fluval Biomax Tray #4: Fluval Biomax (top) The reason why there is dividers in the trays is so it is easier to use and change various types of media and also it assists with the rotation of your biological media. The general rule of thum is to change half of it every 6-8 months. Hope this helps. They are great filters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BettaFishMommy Posted January 12, 2010 Report Share Posted January 12, 2010 i've never changed any of the biomax (cylindrical ceramic media) in any of my filters since day one, over two years ago. you shouldn't ever have to replace the media unless it starts to really break down from long time use (we're talking quite a few years here). just rinse your sponges and other biomedia in old tankwater during a water change to rid them of the gunk build up. the only media that needs regular replacement is filter floss/polishing pads in your average filter. i don't have personal experience with a fluval canister, but for any filter you want the filtration stages to be 1. mechanical, 2. biological, 3. chemical (if necessary), and 4. clarifying (filter floss, etc - once again, if necessary). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishyFishy! Posted January 12, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2010 Ok, so I did the following (I will have to re-arrange them according to these posts). Bottom Tray - Bio max Next - Carbon on one side, Ammonia remover/carbon on the other Next - Carbon on one side, NO2-NO3 removers on the other. Top Tray - Bio Max with a small sack of carbon on top of the biomax. Then I have 2 polishing pads on one side of the mechanical plate, and regular fluval filter floss on the other. So fshkrp4evr, I should re-arrange some of the trays to place it like you have stated? Any reason for the order? Thanks everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fshkpr4evr Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 The reason why I mention the order I did is because the water flows from bottom to top in the Fluval '05 canister filters. That is to say that you want the cleanest, most filtered water to pass through the biological chambers - the top two or three. You are not doing yourself any favors by placing Biomax in the bottom tray as it has a higher potential for the very porous tunnels and caves to clog up quicker which makes it very ineffective. This applies to any porous biological media. Bacteria will latch on to anything.....glass, gravel, ornaments, and even fish. Beneficial bacteria, nitrosomas and nitrobacter, need a 'home' to colonize, multiply, and perform their biological function in. This 'home' is usually in the last stage of the filter with some degree of water flow bringing an energy source to them - NO3 and NO2. If the porous environment becomes clogged and inoperable, then the bacteria's function becomes limited. Regards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvision Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 (edited) The nitrosomas bacteria feed off NH4 (ammonia) first, then the nitrobacter feed off NO2 (nitrate); so, if you're going to be removing those chemically, then you're reducing your need for biomedia. I agree that you want as much removed mechanically before you have your biomedia, but I would leave biomedia at the bottom for 2 reasons: 1) That's where the most 'food' for your bacteria is going to be 2) You're not going to be removing your biomedia as often as other media, so it's best left undesturbed The chemical media (if you're going to use it - I don't) could be used to absorb what the bacteria don't get. IME, space recommended for chemical media is better used by more biomedia. If you're worried about your biomedia getting clogged, putting a prefilter on your intake is a good idea. Edited January 13, 2010 by jvision Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishyFishy! Posted January 13, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 Thanks for the input! Now another question. Would it benificial to run chemical filtration in my 104 and all carbon and bio max in the 404? I have both running at the moment. With bio max and carbon only in the 104. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvision Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 I don't use carbon, unless I'm removing medication. You have to make sure that carbon is replaced regularly, otherwise it starts leaching some nasty stuff back into your tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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