What do you pack into your canister filters?

[hi-revs]

Just seeing what everyone puts into their canister filters, and what order theyre in, if it matters.

Heres mine.

2 XP4's packed the same way.

Starting from top down:
-filter floss
-Seachem purigen
-filter floss
-bio rings/ bio stars
-filter floss
-carbon/ammonia remover
-4x original sponges

[jobber604]

xP4

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Oyster shells, crushed coral, Seachem Matrix
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Seachem Matrix
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Seachem Matrix
*********
4x Filtration pads

[gklaw]

No poll for Ming

Have four canisters. Without opening them all up, I cannot really tell you

Pretty sure I have a bit of everything - bio-max, bio-balls, Eheim stuff, bio-chem star etc. It really depends what I got kicking around when I was setting up.

[jobber604]

They'll be a poll in the future on this topic. I just got beat to it

[charles]

Just seeing what everyone puts into their canister filters, and what order theyre in, if it matters.

Heres mine.

2 XP4's packed the same way.

Starting from top down:
-filter floss
-Seachem purigen
-filter floss
-bio rings/ bio stars
-filter floss
-carbon/ammonia remover
-4x original sponges

XP is running bottom up flow... So what you are doing with filter floss in between is actually reducing your flow and not getting much from using the floss.

A better way to do it, IMO, is sponges or floss on the bottom tray, if you decide to use floss, you can chuck it away when you are done. You can also use sponge but more work to rinse the sponges in tank water. Then you can use rest of the trays for bio-media.

[neven]

pot scrubbers and 10 bio stars to fill in between the gaps so i avoid tightly packing them in

[jobber604]

That's what I noticed with the polishing pad that came with my xP4. I got rid of it once it restricted the water flow.

[hi-revs]

XP is running bottom up flow... So what you are doing with filter floss in between is actually reducing your flow and not getting much from using the floss.

A better way to do it, IMO, is sponges or floss on the bottom tray, if you decide to use floss, you can chuck it away when you are done. You can also use sponge but more work to rinse the sponges in tank water. Then you can use rest of the trays for bio-media.

Yes. I realize this. But i just want my water being crystal clear. Aside from water changes twice a week.
Ive got the 4 sponges on the bottom basket. And i add in 1 layer of filter floss per basket, with whatevers in it, to have it polish the water more.
It does slow down the flow rate with all that stuff in there. but not by that much. Plus with an additional circulation pump, it pretty much evens it all out.

[gklaw]

But i just want my water being crystal clear. Aside from water changes twice a week.

With WC twice a week, you should not need to rely on floss to keep the water crystal clear ?

[hi-revs]

thats true. but even with all that work/material in it, all the floss gets quite the filthy build up.